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Router Hinge Template

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.

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Router Hinge Template

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" Hi! I'm Bob Vila from Home Again. Here's a tool that will make 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 route each mortise to the proper depth. Remove the template and position your hinges in the mortise. Use a center punch to make the pilot holes for your screws. A router hinge template is especially useful when you've got a lot of doors to hang. I'm Bob Vila. Good luck with your home improvement project."

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Power Router

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.

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Chisel Use

A chisel is one of the most useful tools in the workshop; but it's important to know how to use them. For example, after routing out a mortise for a door hinge, use the flat side of the chisel for cutting or neatening the edges of your work, and the beveled side for cleaning up or leveling a surface without taking off too much at a time.

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shimming the hinge

You might try shimming behind the upper hinge. Remove the hinge from the jamb and place a thin piece of wood or even heavy-duty cardboard in the mortise, then replace the hinge. I would think that would push the top of the…

Sticking Hinge

Treat a sticking hinge by rubbing pencil lead along the spine. Alternatively, smear a little light oil along the hinge with a cloth, working the hinge back and forth until it moves freely.

Hanging a Wood Door

…tool to mark the depth of the hinge mortise. Step 5: Chisel or router the wood to create the hinge mortise Chisel out the wood to the…
…series of parallel cuts to make the hinge mortise, working until it is smooth and…

Repairing a Sticking Door

…use a chisel to remove some of the wood in the mortise behind the hinge plate. Removing a small amount of wood will pull…
…and not latching, use a cardboard shim in the mortise, behind the hinge, to adjust the fit and bring it back in line…

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