Hardware used in manufacturing and installing cabinets can have a great impact on functionality. Whether the drawers in a cabinet are doweled or the doors are face frame, shaker or inset, one of the most important features is the type of hinge or drawer slide that is used.

For woodshop production and on-site client work, ease of installation in both hinges and slides is always a desired feature. Other areas of concern for woodworkers include tight tolerances and smooth action. These types of quality control issues can have a severe impact not only on the installation of finished projects but aesthetics as well.

Also of growing importance, especially for slides, are the soft-closing capabilities, as well as full extension, quiet close, load capacity, the ability to easily open or close with the touch of a finger and whether or not the slides can be side mounted or flat.

Many of these features, once considered high end, have now been incorporated into most slides.

Hinges not only affect the functionality and durability of a project, they also affect appearance as well. There are a variety of hinges including:
Concealed - When the door is closed none of the hinge parts are visible.
Butt - It is mortised into both the door and frame.
Inset - Used when the door is flush within a cabinet opening.
Continuous - Long and narrow and it runs the length of the door.
Pin - Swings and pivots on a single point. The knuckle is visible from outside of the closed door.

Photo courtesy of Blum Inc.

Red Book resource guide includes links to every type of hardware woodworkers use. Visit redbookonline.com

Wood products hinges of all types

Wood products slides and glides of all types

Hinge and drawer slide suppliers from RedBookOnline.com are listed below:

A & M Hardware - aandmhardware.com
ATC Hardware Systems - atchardwaresystems.com
Accuride Intl - accuride.com
Amerock Corp. - amerock.com
Atlantic Hardware Corp. - atlantichardwarecorp.com
Berenson - berenson.ca
Blum -blum.com
C.H. Briggs Co. - chbriggs.com
COMTRAD - comtrad.ca
Custom Service Hardware - cshardware.com
Gerber Hinge Co./European Hardware & Finishes - gerberhinge.com
Grass America - grassusa.com
Eurobutt Systems - eurobuttsystemshinge.com
Eveready Hardware - evereadyhardware.net
Ferrari America - ferrariamerica.com
Fulterer USA - fultererusa.com
Häfele America Co. - hafele.com
Hardware Concepts - hardwareconcepts.com
Hardware Resources - hardwareresources.com
Hettich America - hettichamerica.com
Kemp Enterprises - kempwood.com
Knape & Vogt Mfg. Co. - knapeandvogt.com
Liberty Hardware Mfg. Corp. - libertyhardware.com
Outwater Plastics Industries - outwater.com
RPC - Terry Hardware - terryhinge.com
Richelieu Hardware - richelieu.com
Salice America - saliceamerica.com
Sugatsune America - sugatsune.com
Titus Plus - titusplus.com
U.S. Futaba -usfutaba.com
Wood Technology - woodtechnology.com
Woodworker’s Hardware & Supply - woodworkershdwe.com