How to Make Hinged Joints

Wooden hinged joints work the same way as some of the joints in our bodies do: they extend but only flex in one direction. Our elbows and fingers work this way and making wooden joints that behave the same way is easy and fun. These hinged joints are great for custom cabinetry.

Things You'll Need

• Wood
• 3/8-inch bull nose bit
• Table-mounted router
• V-groove bit
• Sandpaper
• Dado head
• Table saw
• 2 vices
• Drill
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• 1/4-inch wood dowel
• Wood glue
• Safety goggles

Instructions

1. Choose your wood. It needs to be 3/4 of an inch wide.

2. Round the end you've decided to use for the hinge with a 3/8-inch bull nose bit in a table-mounted router. Pass it through the bull nose three times to avoid excessive stress on the bit. Repeat with another piece of wood.

3. Switch the bull nose for a v-groove bit, and run a groove one-eighth of an inch deep along the hinged side, 3/4 of an inch from the rounded edge. Repeat on the other side of the wood. Sand the hinged side of the groove to make the barrel completely round. Repeat this step on the other piece of wood you ran through the bull nose.

4. Install the Dado head in a table saw, and divide your hinged joint into at least three even sections. Use the Dado to saw out the outer sections of the hinge and the middle section of the other piece of wood.

5. Hold both sides of the joint together and place them in vices. Drill a hole through the barrel using the 1/4-inch drill bit. Slide the wood dowel through the hole in the joint, and glue it on one end.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety goggles and take extra precautions when working around power tools. You don't want to lose or damage your fingers or eyes.