How to cut mortises for door hinges. Mark the door for hinge positioning. Make a straight line perpendicular to the spine of the door by resting the set square in line with your mark. A homeowner can cut a hinge mortise for door hinges with a few basic hand tools and a bit of patience. Lay the door on its side with the side that will receive the hinges facing upward.
Doors must be mortised to make hinges fit properly. Hinges are small metal plates that allow doors to open and close. I will show you how to cut the perfect notch for the hinges. Mortises allow hinges to install flush to a wood surface so they dont impinge a doors operation and for the best appearance.
Im renovating my bathroom and needed a new entrance door. 1 mark the spot on the door edge where the hinges will be located. Screw the hinge to the door or jamb. Get the door hinge jig shown in this video through our l.
Hinge mortises on a door are often cut by machine with a router and straight bit but you can cut mortises by hand using a hammer and chisel as well. To ensure hinges fit properly and dont restrict an entryway you have to slip them inside shallow mortises carved into the side of a. To do a good job cutting mortises the chisel needs to be razor sharp. Leah demonstrates how to use a router and jig to cut perfect door hinge mortises quickly and easily.
Any misalignment in any of the mortises can cause the hinges to bind or leave unsightly gaps when doors or lids are closed. You can cut mortises with a chisel and hammer or with a router and a special hinge mortising jig. How to cut mortises for door hinges. Cut mortises for door hinges with a chisel you can cut a mortise by hand starts with scoring around the hinge with a utility knife to mark the outline of the mortise.
Measure 6 inches from the top of the door with the tape measure and make a mark with your pencil. This results in a much cleaner more accurate mortise than marking it out with. How to mortise hinges on a standard interior door.