Product Description
CMT Hinge Boring Bit 16 x 70mm Left-Hand Rotation is a long-series carbide-tipped boring bit engineered for drilling precise flat-bottom hinge cup holes in cabinet components. Designed for European-style concealed hinge installation, this 16mm diameter bit features a hardened tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head, 2 precision-ground negatively set spurs, and a PTFE-coated spiral body that resists pitch and resin buildup during repetitive production runs. The left-hand rotation design and 10 x 26mm parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw make it compatible with multi-spindle CNC boring machines and dedicated panel processing equipment.
Key Features
- Tungsten Carbide (HW) Cutting Head - hard-wearing carbide material maintains a sharp edge through high-volume hinge cup drilling, reducing the frequency of bit replacement in production environments.
- PTFE-Coated Spiral Flutes - the orange or black PTFE coating on the 2 spiral flutes prevents pitch and glue deposits from accumulating, keeping chip evacuation clear and extending usable tool life between cleanings.
- Precision Balanced Centre Point - the HW centre point registers accurately on the workpiece surface, eliminating bit wander at the start of the bore and producing consistent hole placement across every door or panel.
- Negatively Ground Spurs (Z2) - 2 negatively ground cutting spurs sever fibres cleanly at the perimeter of the hole, delivering smooth bore walls and a flat bottom with no tear-out on chipboard, MDF, plywood, or solid wood.
- Left-Hand (LH) Rotation - configured for left-hand spindle positions on multi-spindle boring heads, ensuring the cutting geometry engages correctly and produces accurate 16mm hinge cup holes without chatter.
- 10 x 26mm Parallel Shank with Driving Flat and Length Adjusting Screw - the shank geometry locks securely into boring machine chucks or adapters, allowing precise depth setting so every hinge cup is bored to a consistent, repeatable depth.
- Super-Strength Steel Body - the high-strength steel shank and body resist flex under the lateral forces generated during flat-bottom boring, keeping the bore geometry accurate and protecting the carbide head from shock loads.
Why This Product
- The 70mm total length makes this a long-series hinge boring bit suited to drilling hinge cup holes in thicker cabinet door panels and components where a standard-length bit would not reach the required depth - directly solving a common tooling gap in cabinet production.
- Left-hand rotation is a specific requirement on multi-spindle boring heads where right-side spindles turn counter-clockwise - using the correct LH bit ensures the cutting edges engage the material properly and produce clean, dimensionally accurate 16mm hinge cups.
- The combination of a carbide cutting head and PTFE-coated flutes means the bit performs reliably across the full range of engineered wood panels used in flat-pack and frameless cabinet manufacturing, including chipboard, MDF, and plywood, without frequent stops for chip clearing.
- The parallel shank with driving flat and length adjusting screw allows depth to be dialed in once and held consistently across an entire production run, reducing setup time and the risk of misaligned European concealed hinges.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number: 369.160.12
- Brand: CMT Orange Tools
- Product Type: Hinge Boring Bit
- Diameter: 16mm
- Total Length: 70mm
- Shank: 10 x 26mm
- Rotation: Left-Hand (LH)
- Number of Spurs: 2
- Number of Teeth: 2
- Tooth Geometry: Negatively ground spurs
- Blade Material: Tungsten Carbide (HW)
Approved Applications
- Drilling flat-bottom hinge cup holes for European concealed hinge installation
- Cabinet door hinge mounting on frameless (32mm system) cabinetry
- Panel processing on chipboard, MDF, plywood, softwood, and solid hardwood components
- Multi-spindle CNC boring machine operations requiring left-hand rotation bits
- CNC boring center and panel processing center production runs
- Boring machine applications using an adapter or chuck
- Drill press and handheld drill use with parallel shank models
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this hinge boring bit require left-hand (LH) rotation?
Multi-spindle boring heads used in cabinet production include spindles that rotate in opposite directions depending on their position on the head. Left-hand rotation bits like this one are required for spindle positions where the chuck turns counter-clockwise. Using a right-hand bit in a left-hand spindle position would cause the cutting edges to rub rather than cut, producing poor hole quality and accelerated wear. Always match the bit rotation to the spindle rotation of your boring machine.
What does the PTFE coating on the spiral flutes do?
The orange or black PTFE coating applied to the 2 spiral flutes creates a low-friction surface that resists the buildup of pitch, resin, and adhesive residue during boring operations. In production environments where chipboard, MDF, or veneered panels are processed in high volumes, this coating helps maintain consistent chip evacuation and reduces the cleaning intervals needed to keep the bit performing at full efficiency.
What is the purpose of the length adjusting screw on the shank?
The 10 x 26mm parallel shank includes a driving flat and a length adjusting screw that allows the bit to be set to a precise boring depth within the machine's chuck or adapter. Once the depth is set and locked, every hinge cup hole in the production run is bored to the same depth - a critical requirement for European concealed hinges, which depend on a consistent cup depth to function and adjust correctly after installation.
Which materials can this hinge boring bit be used on?
The tungsten carbide (HW) cutting head and negatively ground spurs are suited for boring hinge cup holes in solid hardwood, softwood, chipboard (particleboard), MDF, and plywood. The negatively ground spur geometry severs wood fibres cleanly at the hole perimeter, which is especially important on veneered or laminated panel surfaces where tear-out at the bore edge would be visible after hinge installation.
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