How To Cut Mortises For Door Hinge With A Router

Drag the blade along each of the pencil lines creating small grooves you ll use later.

How to cut mortises for door hinge with a router.

There are many ways to make mortises and just about as many tool options. Then grab a utility knife and extend the blade to no more than 25 in 0 64 cm. I mistakenly assumed that having a mortise about 1 16 too deep would be no big deal. Leah demonstrates how to use a router and jig to cut perfect door hinge mortises quickly and easily.

How to cut mortises accurately with a hand held router a straight bit a template guide and a few scraps. I use a 1 4 straight bit inside a standard guide collar for this task. When routing the mortises this way you ll cut them to match half the thickness of the hinge barrel. First use a hinge to set the router bit s cutting depth photo below.

Score the outline with a utility knife. 2 cutting hinge mortises making a door hinge mortise can be done with a chisel but it s more efficient with a standard trim router. The power tool method uses a router and hinge mortising jig. The jig is clamped to the door and guides the router through the cut.

Once you re happy with the outline remove your hinge from the door. A plunge router is one of the best choices because you can accurately control the depth of cut and the machine delivers clean and precise results. With this setup hinge mortising becomes a standard template routing operation. The hand tool method requires just a utility knife a hammer or mallet and a sharp wood chisel.

You can cut a hinge mortise with hand tools or a power tool. The first step in the process of making the hinge mortise is to mark the location of one end of the hinge mortise. Get the door hinge jig shown in this video through our l. Repeat at the top edge of the door.

Now clamp one part of the jig so the inside edge is right on this line.