opening  and  swing  on  either  surface  hinges  or  butt hinges,  Sliding  doors  roll on tracks of metal or plastic. HINGES Hinges are made in many styles and shapes. If the kind of hinge is not specified, select a design that blends well with the cabinet being constructed. Some types of hinges  are  the  surface,  butt,  offset,  semiconcealed, pivot,  piano  hinge,  and  the  new  European-style  hinge. The surface hinge mounts on the exterior surface of the door and frame. It is made straight for flush doors or offset for lipped doors. This type of hinge is used when it is desirable to show the hardware, such as early American   furniture. The butt hinge  is used on flush doors when little hardware must show. When it is installed, only the pin of the butt hinge shows when the door is closed. These hinges   require   a   little   extra   time   to   install.   It   is recommended  that  you  recess  or  mortise  the  hinge  into the  wood. The offset hinge  is used on lipped doors that are made from plywood. The offset hinge comes in various sizes  to  match  the  thickness  of  the  plywood  and  the offset   hinge   must   be   mortised,   rather   than surface-mounted. The semiconcealed hinge  is designed for lipped and overlapping doors. This hinge has one leaf exposed on the face of the cabinet and the offset leaf is mortised into the door. Before the door is rabbeted, check the hinge to ensure that you rabbet the door to the proper depth. The  pivot  hinge  is  used  on  overlay  doors.  It  is fastened to the top and bottom of the door and to the inside of the case. It is used frequently when there is no face frame on the case. The doors completely cover the face of the case. The continuous or  piano hinge is a one-piece hinge that usually extends the whole length of the door. It is installed like a butt hinge, and only the hinge pin is exposed. This type of hinge is used when the door is subjected to heavy use. The European hinge can be used on overlay or flush doors  and  is  an  excellent  hinge  used  for  frameless cabinets. This hinge has two leafs—the hinge cup leaf and  the  adjustable  leaf.  The  hinge  cup  fits  into  a  1 3/8-inch hole (use a forstner bit to drill hole) on the cabinet door. The other leaf is screwed to the side panel of the cabinet. This leaf has an oval adjustment screw that allows the hinge to adjust up and down while the center  mechanism  adjustment  has  two  screws  that adjusts the hinge left and right. The  number  and  size  of  hinges  depend  on  the dimensions of the door. There are two rules to follow: First, on any door that is longer than 2 feet, install three hinges; second, the total length of the hinges should equal at least one sixth of the length of the hinged edge. For example, if the door is 24 inches in height, use two 2-inch hinges; if the door is 34 inches, use three 2-inch hinges. When only two hinges are required, they are usually placed one quarter of the way from the top and bottom  of  the  door.  When  three  hinges  are  required, install the first hinge in the center and the other two hinges are placed 4 to 5 inches from the top and bottom. CATCHES Some  hinges  are  self-closing;  therefore,  they eliminate the need for installing catches to hold the door closed. Others require catches. There are many kinds of  catches  available  for  holding  doors. Catches   should   be   placed   in   the   most out-of-the-way  position  possible.  For  instance,  they  are placed on the underside of shelves instead of on top. Magnetic   catches   are  used  widely.  They  are available in single or double magnets of varying holding power. An adjustable magnet is attached to the inside of the case and a metal plate to the door. Other types of catches are the roller type and the friction type. Elbow-type catches are used to hold one door of a double set. It must be released by reaching in back of the door. These are used when one of the doors is locked against  the  other. Bullet  catches  are  spring-loaded  and  fit  into  the edge of the door. When the door is closed, the catch fits into a recessed plate mounted on the frame. LAMINATING COUNTER TOPS In cabinetwork, the countertops are usually covered with a 1/16-inch layer of high-pressure plastic laminate. Although this material is very hard, it does not possess great strength and is serviceable only when it is bonded to plywood, particle board, or wafer wood. This base, or core material, must be smooth and is usually 3/4-inch thick. Plastic  laminate  is  a  very  tough  material.  It  is widely used for surfacing counter tops, kitchen cabinets, and   many   other   kinds   of   cabinetwork.   It   can   be scorched  by  an  open  flame  but  resists  heat,  alcohol, 5-18