How To Make A Door Hinge Mortise Jig

Making a hinge mortising template.

How to make a door hinge mortise jig.

Mortising for a door hinge allows the hinge to install flush with the surface of the door edge or face. A mortise is a recess or hollow space cut to fit a specific item such as a door hinge or a lock mechanism. Using a jig by doug stowe as inspiration i built a few of my own. So i ve never gotten around to making a door hinge jig to simplify the process.

But in a classroom situation a little bit of set up pays big dividends. Put the jig to use. First use a hinge to set the router bit s cutting depth photo below then align the support arm s bottom edge with the bottom edge of the door clamp it in place and rout the mortise as shown above repeat at the top edge of the door. In my own work i m typically faced with hanging a single door two at the most in a given project.

In other cases a mortise is merely cosmetic. If you have to create door hinges of the same size or different sizes you can make use of door hinge jigs to make your job easier. Make sure your mortises are centered and perfectly sized fo. In some situations a mortise is required for the door to close properly.

Andrew zoellner shows how to make and use a clever mortising jig using the router of your choice.