You have an old black H hinge or a bean-shaped cabinet strap in your hand, or a new cabinet door to hang. Acorn lists the 6 inch bean strap flush, with a 3/8 inch offset and with a 3/4 inch offset. Settle the door type first, then the shape, then the size. Other Acorn hardware is on our Acorn brand page.
Flush or offset: the door an Acorn cabinet hinge is made for
Start with the line on Acorn's item page that names the door. The flush bean straps AIXBQ (smooth) and RIXBQ (rough) are designed for flush cabinet doors, RIYBQ and the heart strap AIKBQ for cabinet doors with a 3/8 inch offset, and AIWBQ for doors with a 3/4 inch offset. AH2BQ and AH4BQ are 3/8 inch offset surface mount cabinet hinges, and the butterfly AJ1BQ is designed for flush mount cabinet doors.
The two self-closing hinges hold the door shut with spring action. AJ4BQ is for flush overlay cabinet doors. The semi-concealed AJ3BQ is made for 3/8 inch inset overlapping cabinet doors. If overlay is a new word to you, our concealed hinge guide explains full and half overlay.
A selection from Acorn's Cabinet Hinges list, flush or offset as the item names and pages say:
| Hinge | Flush | Offset |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in. H | AH1BQ | 3/8 in.: AH2BQ |
| 3 in. HL | AH3BQ | 3/8 in.: AH4BQ |
| 6 in. bean strap | AIXBQ, RIXBQ | 3/8 in.: RIYBQ; 3/4 in.: AIWBQ |
| 6-1/2 in. heart strap | AIJBQ | 3/8 in.: AIKBQ, RI9BQ; 3/4 in.: AIVBQ, RIQBQ |
| Self-closing | AJ4BQ | 3/8 in.: AJ3BQ |
The list also has rough 3 inch H and HL hinges and two 9 inch spear straps, AI2BQ and AI4BQ; AI4BQ is designed for cabinet doors with a 3/8 inch offset.
H, HL or L hinge
Acorn's H and L Hinges list for doors has smooth 4 and 7 inch H and HL hinges (AH5BQ, AH6BQ, AH7BQ, AH8BQ), a 4-1/2 inch HL (RHDBQ), a rough 7 inch HL (RH8BQ) and a 7 inch L hinge (RHABQ). Compare the widths: the 4 inch H (AH5BQ) is 1-7/8 inches wide, the 4 inch HL (AH6BQ) 4-1/16 inches.
Check how an HL pair is made up. AH6BQ is sold as an opposite-style pair, and the AH3BQ and AH4BQ pages say one hinge goes at the top of the door and one at the bottom. The AH6BQ and AH8BQ pages add that one H hinge can be combined with them in the middle of the door.
The pages for the smooth 4 and 7 inch H and HL hinges list them as flush or surface mount hinges for right- or left-hand doors. The L hinge RHABQ is a half surface hinge: mortised or half surface mounted on the jamb, surface mounted on the door, with a removable pin. Acorn presents half surface hinges as the H and HL look for a jamb that does not allow a full surface application. Our door hinge types guide explains the mortise and surface terms.
Sizes and the weight Acorn gives for two hinges
Sizes and load figures come from each item's page, and the load is for two hinges. Strap sizes are the length from the center of the barrel to the end of the strap; 3 inch and butterfly hinges are measured open. This is a selection, and each figure applies only to its own item.
| Item | Size, inches | Two hinges |
|---|---|---|
| AH1BQ 3 in. H | 3 x 1-13/16 open | 25 lbs |
| AH2BQ 3 in. H, offset | 3 x 1-11/16 open | 25 lbs |
| AH3BQ 3 in. HL | 3 x 3-5/16 open | 25 lbs |
| AJ1BQ butterfly | 2-3/8 x 2 open | 25 lbs |
| AJ3BQ self-closing | 2-5/8 tall | about 25 lbs |
| AIXBQ, RIXBQ, RIYBQ, AIWBQ bean | strap 6-3/16 | 25 lbs |
| AIKBQ heart | strap 6-5/8 | 25 lbs |
| AI4BQ spear | strap 9 | 25 lbs |
| AH5BQ 4 in. H | 4 x 1-7/8 | approx. 30 to 40 lbs |
| AH6BQ 4 in. HL | 4 x 4-1/16 | approx. 30 to 40 lbs |
| RHDBQ 4-1/2 in. HL | 4-1/2 tall | approx. 30 to 40 lbs |
| AH7BQ 7 in. H | 7 x 2-5/8 | approx. 70 to 80 lbs |
| AH8BQ 7 in. HL | 7 x 6-3/4 | approx. 70 to 80 lbs |
| RHABQ 7 in. L | 7 x 5-1/2 | approx. 80 to 90 lbs |
Acorn lists the 4 inch H and HL, the 4-1/2 inch RHDBQ and the 7 inch HL AH8BQ as usable on light doors and cabinets. AH7BQ is listed for regular weight doors and RHABQ for regular doors, and the RHABQ page says a third hinge can be used on heavier doors.
Smooth or rough, and what the hinges are made of
In the cabinet hinge names, Smooth and Rough describe the surface, and each strap in the size table has a matching texture line. The flush straps AIXBQ and RIXBQ list the same length, pad, thickness, screws and 25 lb figure; only the texture differs.
Rough is not a different metal on these hinges. Each cabinet hinge page in the size table except AJ3BQ says the hinges are made from steel and finished in matte black, and the door hinge pages say American steel with a matte black finish. The AJ3BQ page names no material.
Fitting notes from Acorn's pages
Acorn's installation tips are short and tied to the item:
- Cabinet hinges in the size table, except AJ3BQ: predrill with a 3/32 inch bit in softwood or a 7/64 inch bit in hardwood, and tighten the screws by hand, not with a power tool, to protect the finish.
- 4 inch AH5BQ and AH6BQ: set the door level in its opening on shims or spacers, mark the screw holes through the hinge (a small piece of double-sided tape holds it in place), then drill pilot holes 5/8 inch deep, 7/64 inch in hardwood or 3/32 inch in softwood.
- 7 inch RHABQ: the pin comes out for installation. Pilot holes in the door face are 9/64 inch in hardwood or 1/8 inch in softwood, 1-1/4 inch deep; in the jamb, 1/8 inch in hardwood or 3/32 inch in softwood, 1 inch deep.
The pages also list the screws that come with a pair: ten #7 x 5/8 inch pyramid head screws with each 6 and 6-1/2 inch strap pair in the table, fourteen with AH3BQ, and eight #12 x 1-1/4 inch pyramid head plus six #10 x 1 inch flat head screws with RHABQ.
If your old hinge has no number, measure its height and its width when open and send us a photo. Our customer support team is available Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM Central Time, at 1-888-800-7789 or [email protected].
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