How to Install Hinges
Installing hinges to hang a door generally is a matter of attaching the hinges to the door, then to the door jamb. However, the plates of the hinges have to be set into the wood of both the door and the jamb in such a way that the plates themselves don't interfere with the operation of the door. Hanging a door from scratch is an art and shouldn't be your first project, but once you get good at it, it will take just an hour or less. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Razor knife
- Hammer
- Sharp chisel
- Drill
- Pilot bit
- Screwdriver bit
- Hinge screws
Instructions
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1
Stand the door so its back edge faces up. Set a hinge on the edge, about 1 foot from the top of the door, with the hinge pin running along the inside of the door and one of the hinge plates sitting on the edge. The other hinge plate should be hanging over the side.
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2
Mark the shape of the hinge plate onto the door, using a pencil. Move the hinge out of the way and cut around the mark with a razor knife, cutting about 1/8 inch into the wood.
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3
Peel off a layer of wood within the marked area, using a hammer and chisel and taking the whole level of the area down by about 1/8-inch. Set the hinge plate into the cutout area to check that the surface of the plate is even with the surface of the door.
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4
Drill pilot holes through each of the holes in the hinge plate and into the wood of the door. Put a screwdriver bit into a drill and sink hinge screws into each.
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5
Repeat for the second hinge, a foot from the bottom of the door and the center hinge, if there is one. Follow the same procedure when hanging the door, marking out and chiseling the insets for the hinges on the door jamb.
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