How to Cut in a Hinge on an Interior Door
Cutting in or mortising door hinges can be done with a few common hand tools. Mortising is necessary in order to relieve the door enough to allow the hinge to lay flush with the edge of the door. This technique will hide the edge of the hinge and allow the door to close tightly to its jamb. A proper mortise will accept the hinge and fit tightly around the edges. This makes for a professional looking job and minimizes unsightly tool marks and unnecessarily removed material. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Painter's tape (low-tack)
- Razor knife
- Pencil
- Sharp 1-inch chisel
- Hammer
- Hinge set
- Tape measure
- Phillips-head screwdriver
Instructions
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Mortising the Door
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1
Stand the door on edge, with the hinge side up. Make a mark on the edge 8 inches from each end. This mark will represent the outer edge of the hinge. Cover the edge of the door at each mark with painters tape. Remark the 8 inch marks on the tape.
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2
Lay a hinge on the edge and line up the outer edge to the 8 inch mark. Push the hinge onto the door until the hinge-pin barrel bottoms out on the door. Mark the perimeter of the hinge onto the tape with the pencil. Remove the hinge. Cut this new line with a razor knife/utility blade and peel off the tape in the hinge mortise area.
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3
Place the chisel vertically over the mortise area. Guide the edge of the chisel, with the bevel pointed in towards the mortise, into the cuts, then lightly tap the chisel in to deepen the edge cuts. Cut all the way around and leave nice, straight edges.
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4
Lay the chisel down at a flatter angle and, starting about 1/4 inch back from the line, begin carving out material to the desired depth. Carve out the entire perimeter, then plough out the middle to match the depth of the edges. Use the new hinge as a template to gauge the depth and shape of the mortise. Place the hinge into its mortise and secure it with its screws. Ensure that the screw heads do not protrude. Plough out the mortise a little deeper if screw head interference is an issue.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful using the razor knife and chisel. Both tools should be very sharp, and serious injury is possible as the operations require firm pressure and control.
