# anyone here understand "demountable hinges" ?



## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

I am trying to figure out what "single demountable" and "double demountable" hinges are and how they work. The rather vague description I've gotten so far is that, not surprizingly based on the name, they can be removed without a screwdriver. BUT ... I just can't see how that would work. The little tabs pointed to by the arrows from the question mark would seem to be some kind of release tab (I assume, based on the above), but I don't get how they would work and I don't get why you would ever need two of them if they DO work that way.

Anyone have a clue?

Thanks


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Demountables are for face frame installation and the knuckle is exposed. Single demountable hinges install with screws to the face frame, and the hinge slips into a slot on the edge of the door. A double demountable refers to two slots...one in the face frame and one in the edge of the door, no screws needed.












 







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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

These hinges are demountable. You just lift the tab and pull the hinge apart. What double demountable is I have no clue of.


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

They work like this:




















This is what the inside looks like. You use a slot-cutter bit in your router and the hinge slides half into the door, half on the backside and you use a screwdriver to "clamp" the door into the hinge, or vice versa.

As cabinetman said, no srews are needed, but you DO need to use a screwdriver to demount these style hinges.

My folks built their house in 1985 and its full of these.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Thanks cman ... I guess I'm just dense. I still don't get it.

Longknife, that's an interesting type ... yet another one I've never seen before. Not even sure those are sold in the US ... do they have some specific name?


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Masterfone, that's more clear ... thanks for posting that. You say that a screwdriver is needed to remove the hinge (or the panel, or whatever it is that "demounted") and I can clearly see from your excellent diagram that a screwdrive certainly WOULD be neede, but the "definitions" I've seen so far all say "no screwdriver needed". Any idea what that's about ?


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

phinds said:


> but the "definitions" I've seen so far all say "no screwdriver needed". Any idea what that's about ?


Not a clue... unless what Longknife posted is indeed a TRUE demountable hinge and this other type got thrown into the mix. But no matter where I look for demountable hinges, all I see is the examples you provided.

Bobby


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

phinds said:


> ... the "definitions" I've seen so far all say "no screwdriver needed". Any idea what that's about ?


The ones I've used you do need a screwdriver. For a single demountable, you need to screw the frame member to the FF. For a double demountable, you slip the tabs in the slots in both the edge of the FF and the edge of the door. 

You do need a screwdriver to adjust the tab in the door...to loosen the tab to adjust the door or remove the door, it's about a half turn. What happens is the tab gets moved and presses inside the slot to hold or release the door.












 







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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

So is the point of the tab that is gives a stronger bond than a single (or even two) shallow screws in the door? I still can't see any possible purpose in having a tab in the FF. What am I missing?

Thanks for the help, by the way.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

phinds said:


> So is the point of the tab that is gives a stronger bond than a single (or even two) shallow screws in the door? I still can't see any possible purpose in having a tab in the FF. What am I missing?
> 
> Thanks for the help, by the way.


OK Paul, here's an example. I did a refurbish of a kitchen. I removed the doors, and made new doors. Then I take my shopmade template for my router to the site and just rout slots in the face frames. I take the hinges and just insert in the slot. It's quick and the adjustment is easy.












 







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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

cabinetman said:


> OK Paul, here's an example. I did a refurbish of a kitchen. I removed the doors, and made new doors. Then I take my shopmade template for my router to the site and just rout slots in the face frames. I take the hinges and just insert in the slot. It's quick and the adjustment is easy.
> 
> .



So the POINT of the hinge is NOT that it is "demountable" as the name states, and which I assume it is, although I can't for the life of me see HOW (without a screwdriver) and you guys DO say a screwdriver is needed, so I don't get the "demountable". And if I'm reading you guys right, neither do you but I may be wrong about that.

The POINT, if I now undestand it correctly is for the ease of adjustment and the only way I can see that this tab thing makes it any easier is if the hole that allows the mounting screw to go through the leaf and then into the tab is actually a SLOT and the screw is only grabbing the hole in the tab not any of the wood. This way the door can be adjusted up and down. Is that the way it works? Do I have that right? Could you even just make the hole a really big hole so that the door can be adjusted both right/left AND up/down before you tighten the screw into the tab?

I appreciate everyone's patience with me on this.


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

phinds said:


> So the POINT of the hinge is NOT that it is "demountable" as the name states, and which I assume it is, although I can't for the life of me see HOW (without a screwdriver) and you guys DO say a screwdriver is needed, so I don't get the "demountable". And if I'm reading you guys right, neither do you but I may be wrong about that.
> 
> The POINT, if I now undestand it correctly is for the ease of adjustment and the only way I can see that this tab thing makes it any easier is if the hole that allows the mounting screw to go through the leaf and then into the tab is actually a SLOT and the screw is only grabbing the hole in the tab not any of the wood. This way the door can be adjusted up and down. Is that the way it works? Do I have that right? Could you even just make the hole a really big hole so that the door can be adjusted both right/left AND up/down before you tighten the screw into the tab?
> 
> I appreciate everyone's patience with me on this.


I'm going to say whoever told you that you don't need a screw driver was mistaken. The screw you tighten sucks in the tab and the tab has little shoulders on it that grab and sandwich the wood. And yes, if you make your slot a little bigger, you can just simply move the door itself to make the reveals even then tighten the screws down.

None of this silly open the door, quarter turn, close the door, look, open the door, quarter turn, close the door, smack it into the other door, swear, open the door, quarter turn, then find yourself back where you were.

And no, I don't know why "demountable" is what they're called.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Masterofnone said:


> I'm going to say whoever told you that you don't need a screw driver was mistaken. The screw you tighten sucks in the tab and the tab has little shoulders on it that grab and sandwich the wood. And yes, if you make your slot a little bigger, you can just simply move the door itself to make the reveals even then tighten the screws down.
> 
> None of this silly open the door, quarter turn, close the door, look, open the door, quarter turn, close the door, smack it into the other door, swear, open the door, quarter turn, then find yourself back where you were.
> 
> And no, I don't know why "demountable" is what they're called.


Excellent. Just what I needed to know. Thanks.

I assume that the point of having a tab in the frame side is just to give it that much more adjustablity.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

OK, I THINK I got it all figured out.

New thread shows what I have:

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/demountable-hinges-i-think-i-finally-got-31002/#post254896


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## Law and Order in KC (Jan 13, 2017)

*Final Word*

Perhaps part of the confusion is the term demountable. Webster Defined as: to remove from a mounted position. I suspect the hinge is considered demountable because it is easily removed (demounted) from the cabinet and door with just 2 counter sunk set screws (screw vs bolt, I will address that later).

The hinge design allows for super fast adjustment of a overlay door in all directions. The cabinet maker has the extra burden of slot cutting the frame and the door. The hinge is attached by insert a plate into the slot made in the frame and door. Although the head of the set screw has a counter sunk Phillips head, it is actually a male machined bolt that marries into the female tapped plate. The set screw is not removable from the hinge, so no screws get lost. No screws are dropped, lost or stripped. The plate does detach, so beware. Technically the "set screw," is not a screw, but a bolt. It does not screw into the face frame or the door. Using a screw driver, the threaded bolt is turned and the threaded plate is drawn towards the hinge, pinching the face frame or door. The frame/door is "pinched" between the slot and the back of the frame/door. The pinching mechanism can be released easily to make minor adjustments to the door to achieve proper overlay of the door.

The difference between single and double demountable hinges is that a single DOES screw into the face frame with wood screws, because there is no slot cut. The single demountable still uses the pinch mechanism on the door.

Wood screws not required or even functional for a double demountable hinge. A screw driver is necessary to turn the bolt and make the adjustments to the hinge.

Good Luck!


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## Dave68046 (Jun 9, 2017)

phinds said:


> I am trying to figure out what "single demountable" and "double demountable" hinges are and how they work. The rather vague description I've gotten so far is that, not surprizingly based on the name, they can be removed without a screwdriver. BUT ... I just can't see how that would work. The little tabs pointed to by the arrows from the question mark would seem to be some kind of release tab (I assume, based on the above), but I don't get how they would work and I don't get why you would ever need two of them if they DO work that way.
> 
> Anyone have a clue?
> 
> Thanks


The hinge is NOT demountable; however, the door is easy to mount/hang/install or to demount/remove. The single demountable hinge has one slot and uses 2 or 3 screwa while the doubledemountable hinge has two slots and doesn't use mounting screws.


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