When making furniture or cabinetry that requires hinges to be installed, you’ll need to cut out a pocket in the door edge to allow the hinge to sit flush. Hinge cutouts can be tricky, but with the right tools they can be made quick and easy. Here’s a look at the best options for making clean, accurate hinge cutouts.
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Router
A router is one of the most common and effective tools for cutting hinge mortises. With a straight bit, guide bushing, and hinge mortise jig, you can cleanly cut the pocket for the hinge leaf. The jig guides the router in a controlled and repeatable manner. Many jigs feature off-set fences, adjustable stops, and templates to make setting them up for different hinge sizes easy. A 1/2″ router with a spiral upcut bit will make light work of most common door thicknesses.
Routers allow very precise positioning of the hinge pocket while removing most of the material quickly. The guide bushing riding along the jig prevents tear-out, leaving a clean cut edge. Remember to move the router from left to right in a climbing cut to prevent chipping on the exit side. Make light passes to reduce strain on the bit. Before using your jig, test on scrap material to verify the fit of the hinge in the cavity.
Benefits of Using a Router for Hinge Cutouts
- Makes quick work of removing material
- Jig allows accurate positioning and clean results
- Excellent for cutting pockets on the faces of doors and cabinets
- Edge guide bushing prevents splintering and tearout
- Allows cutting precise mortises for full overlay hinges
Chisel
For those without a router, chisels present a simple solution for hinge mortises. Though manual, chisels allow you to gradually pare away a defined hinge pocket by hand with just a hammer and chisel. Opt for a 1-inch wide bevel-edge chisel to match most hinge sizes.
Mark the placement and size of the recessed area based on your hinge. Use the chisel to first score the edges of the pocket, securing the workpiece solidly. Take shallow passes with the chisel at an angle directed into the waste area to slice away material without tearing out chunks from the sides. Tap firmly with the hammer to drive the beveled edge of the chisel into the waste.
Once the perimeter is defined, you can start removing bigger sections from the middle. Pare a v-shaped notch from the center toward each edge to safely meet the sides of the mortise. Finish by smoothing and flattening the bottom for an even fit of the hinge leaf. Filling any gouges or tears with glue before installation will help strengthen the area.
Benefits of Cutting Hinge Mortises By Hand
- Quieter and cleaner than power tools
- Edge bevel slices cleanly to minimize splintering
- Gradual waste removal for controlled cutting
- No electricity or batteries required
- Convenient for making just a few cutouts
Oscillating Multi-Tool
Oscillating multi-tools utilizing plunge saw blades have also become popular options for hinge mortises. The narrow blade can be positioned to plunge directly into the face of the cabinet door or face frame to make the cutout. With an adjustable guide, you can set the width and depth precisely.
Make sure the tool is set to 90 degrees for a square pocket. Mark lines delineating the perimeter of the mortise. Slowly plunge the oscillating blade into the workpiece between the lines, allowing the tool to do the cutting without forcing or twisting the blade. Plunge to the full depth in one pass for clean results. Reposition the tool to continue slicing out more material until you’ve fully cut the pocket needed for the hinge.
For stopped hinges, plunge in from the face edge rather than the end to avoid tear-out on the exposed edge grain. Oscillating multi-tools are also handy for trimming and fine-tuning the mortise edges for a perfect fit.
Benefits of an Oscillating Tool for Hinge Cutouts
- Narrow blade allows cutting flush into flat faces
- Plunge cutting minimizes tear-out
- Depth and width can be precisely set
- Great for trimming and adjusting the fit of the cutout
- Versatile for many other flush-cutting jobs
Hinge Mortise Machine
Dedicated hinge mortising machines offer a very efficient way to cut hinge pockets accurately and repeatedly for production work. The machine consists of a rotating cutter head with a guide holder that travels along a fence to traverse the width of the mortise. The cutter has a chisel bit that plunges into the workpiece clamped to a sliding table below.
With adjustable fences, stops, and depth settings, the machine can be quickly set up to cut mortises for nearly any hinge. Simply adjust the initial settings, slide the door into position under the cutter, and plunge the chisel down to create a cleanly cut pocket. The guide ensures the cuts remain square and parallel. Most quality hinge mortisers can cut a full mortise in just 10-15 seconds.
Benefits of a Hinge Mortise Machine
- Extremely fast results for production work
- Ensures accuracy and consistency
- Minimizes wear and tear from hand cutting
- Dedicated fixtures optimize cuts specifically for hinges
- Saves labor compared to manual methods
CNC Router
For ultimate speed, precision, and consistency cutting hinge mortises, CNC routers are hard to beat. A computer numerically controlled (CNC) router can accurately cut nearly any shaped pocket, including hinge mortises, based on programmed tool paths. Through CAD/CAM software, the profile and size of the desired mortise can be virtually designed and translated into machine code.
The CNC router then uses a spiral router bit guided along three axes by stepper motors or servo motors to remove the material needed to leave a finished mortise. The computer control allows exact positioning and depth, cutting the pocket perfectly. Multiple identical mortises can then be rapidly machined without the need to manually re-set stops or measure for each one.
Benefits of Cutting Hinge Mortises on a CNC Router
- Extreme precision with tight tolerances
- Digital consistency for identical results
- High production speed
- No manual setup between pieces
- Ability to create complex shapes
Jigsaw
For quick, simple hinge mortises, a basic jigsaw can also work in many cases. While lacking the refinement of router-cut mortises, plunge cutting into the face of the door with a jigsaw utilizing a fine-toothed blade will create the necessary pocket. Clamp a straightedge as a guide and carefully follow your cut marks to saw out the rectangular opening.
Take care to position the shoe of the jigsaw base flat against the guiding straightedge when starting the cut to prevent the blade from twisting. Use smooth, steady feed pressure allowing the blade teeth to do the cutting rather than forcing the saw. Plunge all the way through the workpiece in one pass for the cleanest results.
While quick, the nature of the jigsaw blade motion tends to leave a rougher cut than other tools. Sand the edges of the pocket smooth and fill any large tear-out prior to installing the hinge. A jigsaw is also limited to only straight cuts, so options like a router or CNC will be required for specialty shaped hinge mortises.
Benefits of a Jigsaw for Hinge Cutouts
- Simple plunging blade allows mortises in door faces
- Low cost and readily available
- Very quick for one-off mortises
- Easier to control than a hand chisel
- No need for a router table or mortising jig
Comparison Table
| Tool | Precision | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Router | High | Quick | Moderate |
| Chisel | Moderate | Slow | Low |
| Oscillating Tool | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Mortiser | High | Very Fast | High |
| CNC | Very High | Very Fast | High |
| Jigsaw | Low | Fast | Low |
Conclusion
When choosing a tool to make hinge mortises, consider the precision needed, number of cuts, cost, and capabilities of each option. For quick one-off mortises, a jigsaw provides a fast, economical choice requiring only simple setup. Chisels work well for the occasional mortise with a quality hand-cut look.
Routers with a mortising jig offer greater refinement for exposed hinge pockets while still working quickly. Oscillating tools provide nice control and convenience for plunge cutting mortises. For the most consistency in a production setting, a dedicated hinge mortiser or CNC router create flawless mortises swiftly and accurately.
With the range of options now available, it’s easy to choose a hinge mortising method that fits your specific needs and budget. Taking care to make precise, clean cuts will result in long-lasting doors that hang smoothly.