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35 mm hinge drill bit

Updated: 23 October 2026

A hole in the wrong place, or a millimetre too deep, is a cabinet door you can see from across the kitchen. A 35 mm hinge drill bit cuts that cup. It does not centre a butt-hinge screw, and a plastic fence is not the hinge drawing. Diameter, depth and the two cup listings are below. Both sit on the [hinge drill bit comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/hinge-drill-bit). Read on 21 October 2026. There is no lab test, and this page does not name a top pick. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A hole in the wrong place, or a millimetre too deep, is a cabinet door you can see from across the kitchen. A 35 mm hinge drill bit cuts that cup.

Our top picks

HPHOPE HPHOPE 35 mm carbide cup bit

Best overall

HPHOPE HPHOPE 35 mm carbide cup bit
7.6/10about £12.99
View offer
WangLaoWu WangLaoWu 35 mm hinge jig set

Rank 2

WangLaoWu WangLaoWu 35 mm hinge jig set
8.5/10about £6.59
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The hole is a shallow cup
  2. 2.Depth comes from the article number
  3. 3.Edge distance is boring distance plus the radius
  4. 4.The bit and the jig in this comparison

The hole is a shallow cup

A concealed hinge needs a flat-bottomed recess, almost always 35 mm across. A self-centring guide will not bore the cup, and the 35 mm bit will not centre the fixing screws. The cut should stop in the door. An 18 mm door with a 13 mm cup has about 5 mm of thickness left. A 16 mm door with the same cup has about 3 mm. That sum is arithmetic, not a safe minimum from a standard. Hettich’s Sensys page used here is for doors of 15 mm to 24 mm. A door thinner than the sheet allows is the wrong hinge. Clamp an offcut, use rotary mode, and keep the bit square.

Depth comes from the article number

The 35 mm figure is the diameter. Depth changes with the hinge. Blum 71B3550 is about 13 mm, with a drilling distance of 3 mm to 7 mm. Hettich Sensys on the page used here is 12.8 mm. A Compact Blum sheet says 11 mm. None of those is the depth for every other article number. HPHOPE, at £12.99, prints a stop of 12.7 mm, also called 1/2 inch. That is close to 13 mm and it is not 12.8 mm or 11 mm. One review says the flange stopped near 12 mm. Another measured 36 mm. A line about 95 percent of UK hinges is a WangLaoWu bullet, not a count. EN 15570 grades the hinge, not the bit.
HPHOPE HPHOPE 35 mm carbide cup bit

Testsieger

HPHOPE HPHOPE 35 mm carbide cup bit
7.6/10about £12.99
View offer

Edge distance is boring distance plus the radius

The centre of a 35 mm hole is 17.5 mm from the edge of the cutter. Add that radius to the boring distance on the hinge sheet. At 5 mm the centre is 22.5 mm from the edge, at 3 mm it is 20.5 mm, and at 8 mm it is 25.5 mm. One workshop note of 22.5 mm is one row, not every 110° hinge. “Always 22.5 mm” leaves the door proud of the cabinet or buried in it. The plastic lip on a £6.59 jig helps only if it matches the sheet. Mark the centre on an offcut and sit the hinge in the hole before you mark the real door.

The bit and the jig in this comparison

HPHOPE, B0BRL87642, is one cemented-carbide cup bit at £12.99, 4.3 from 47 reviews, with a round shank and no fence. The 12.7 mm stop is reasonable only if you mark the centre and measure the first hole, because one review did not get 35 mm and another did not get the printed depth. WangLaoWu, B0BV6BDC9J, is £6.59 and 4.2 from 534 reviews, with a fence claimed from 3 mm to 7 mm. The included line says Hinge, and the material field says alloy steel. Many reviews say the plastic jig should be ignored. If the sheet and the jig disagree, the sheet wins.

Common questions

How deep is a concealed hinge cup?
It depends on the article number. Blum 71B3550 is about 13 mm, Hettich Sensys is 12.8 mm, a Compact Blum sheet says 11 mm, and HPHOPE prints 12.7 mm. Confirm the first hole in an offcut.
How far is the hole from the door edge?
The sheet gives a boring distance, often 3 mm to 7 mm. The centre sits 17.5 mm further in: 22.5 mm at 5 mm, 20.5 mm at 3 mm, and 25.5 mm at 8 mm. One “22.5 mm” figure is one row, not the whole table.
Is 12.7 mm the same as 13 mm?
No. The HPHOPE bullets print 12.7 mm, also written as 1/2 inch. Blum’s 71B3550 page is about 13 mm, and Hettich Sensys is 12.8 mm. A hinge may sit proud or bottom out. One HPHOPE review said the flange stopped near 12 mm. Measure, then decide.
Can I trust a £6.59 jig fence?
Treat it as optional. WangLaoWu claims 3 mm to 7 mm, and many reviews say the plastic is too thick or should be ignored. Mark the centre from the hinge sheet and test it on scrap.
Will a self-centring bit cut this hole?
No. A self-centring hinge bit is a few millimetres across and sits in a screw countersink. It cannot bore a 35 mm cup. You might still want one afterwards for the small screws that hold the hinge.
What if the door is only 16 mm thick?
Read the sheet first. Hettich Sensys, on the page used here, is for doors of 15 mm to 24 mm. A 13 mm cup in a 16 mm door leaves about 3 mm of board. If the sheet does not allow that door, change the hinge.
Do I still need a pilot bit for the hinge screws?
Often yes. The cup cutter makes the recess. It does not centre a screw in a small countersink. If those screws need a centred starter, use a self-centring guide after the cup is bored. The method is how to use a hinge drill bit, not a deeper pass with the 35 mm bit.

Related pages

Self-centring bits for door hinges

Hinge drill bit buying guide

Hinge drill bit

Best hinge drill bit for labelled No.6 to No.10 pilots

How to use a hinge drill bit for centred screw pilots

Sources

Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. Trend Snappy drill bit guides (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. Axminster professional hinge drills (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. Hart Wholesale, Blum CLIP top BLUMOTION 71B3550 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Hettich Sensys 110° hinge (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. DHF and GAI code of practice, hardware for fire and escape doors (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. BWF Fire Door Alliance, fire door hardware (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21 October 2026)