Here's a tool that will making routing out hinge mortises easier and more precise than doing it by hand. It's a router hinge template, and it can be adjusted to the size of your door. Drive in the pins that hold the template in position, then rout each mortise to the depth your hinges need. Remove thetemplate and position your hinges in the mortise. Use a center punchto make the pilot holes for your screws. A router hinge template is especially useful when you've got a lot of doors to hang.

Bob watches Tim Berky cut the mortises for the hinges on the solid-core, cherry-veneer door from Woodport. Berky uses a Hinge Mate from Precision Tools to guide his cuts for the three hinge mortises on the door. The oil-rubbed bronze butt hinges from the House of Antique Hardware will match the decor, handles, knobs, and pulls throughout the remodeled space. Berky then uses a jig to cut the mortises on the jamb, checks for plumb, and attaches the hinges and doors.

The power router is the most essential sharing tool in the workshop. It performs many tasks and isn't terribly expensive to buy. It cuts grooves and shapes molded edges. With a template, it cuts mortises. It's also the tool or choice for trimming laminate countertops. The power router can be used by hand, or fixed to a specially-designed router table.