How To Mortise A Door Hinge With A Router

Using a utility knife trace along the outline to create small groves then make a cut on the front or back side of the door indicating the mortise s depth.

How to mortise a door hinge with a router.

Follow the pencil outline as tightly as possible when routing. That doesn t mean you need a complicated jig or setup to rout hinge mortises. To carve out the mortise place a chisel into the outline grooves and tap the. The key to precise results is guiding the plunge router accurately so the sides of the mortise end up perfectly smooth straight and parallel to the faces of the workpiece.

The bit i use for mortising is a short top bearing pattern bit. Find out how to use a template a. Position the plunge router body over the hinge area. To rout mating mortises in the cabinet clamp the jig s support arm to the face frame s stile see photo below.

In other cases a mortise is merely cosmetic. Turn on the dremel and push the plunge body down until the bit is fully inserted into the hinge area. In fact for the technique you see here all it takes is a simple two part jig and an inexpensive router bit. How to make door hinge mortises step one.

Take a felt tip marker and mark the bit using the edge of the hinge as a guide. First use a hinge to set the router bit s cutting depth photo below. Place the bit square to the edge of the door and just inside the hinge outline. This will show how deep to drill.

This mortising jig is the way to go. Remove all of the wood inside the outline. 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. Hold the edge of the hinge against the bit s lower edge.

Use the dremel to router the hinges housings. Mortising for a door hinge allows the hinge to install flush with the surface of the door edge or face. Repeat on the bit s opposite spur. In some situations a mortise is required for the door to close properly.

It clamps to your workbench and securing the workpieces in place only takes a second with a. The process of using a router on a hinge is the same whether it s being done on a cabinet hinge or a full sized door hinge. Mark the mortise depth. Mortising a door hinge using a router without a jig.

Set the depth of router bit. A mortise is a recess or hollow space cut to fit a specific item such as a door hinge or a lock mechanism. Get the router bit set at the correct depth so that you re cutting out the depth of the door hinge the depth of only one side of the hinge not both. Don t forget to factor in the extra depth of the steel template which is raised above the door.