Mitered Box Part 4

Installing hinges can be a bit tricky, but there are methods that help alleviate some of the challenges. I use a jig to rout the mortise, then square up the corners with a chisel. You could, of course, cut the mortises by hand, and there are those who might be able to do it faster than routing, but that’s not me. Once you know how to make the jig, it goes very quickly and, once you have it, it can be used again for the same hinge.

At some point I will create a post & video on how to make the jig, but I’ll quickly describe it here. Lay out the cutout for the hinge. Clamp/hold-down the jig on the table saw in the appropriate position and raise the blade into the jig to create the first cut. Use a sled with the jig vertical to make the mortise-length cuts (to match the hinge length). Then, use a dado set or other flat-top-kerf blade to make a dado for the support, locating it in a position to create the correct mortise width. Attach the support with a couple of screws.