Hinge Jigs

A hinge jig is one of the handiest accessories that you will find in the home wood shop or the professional workshop, and is a big benefit when working with cabinetry.  The hinge jig is basically designed as a portable template that allows the user to easily cut recessed hinges in wooden frames and wooden doors.  A hinge jig is fairly easy to use and requires very little set up time to allow for easy and accurate cuts that can be made rather quickly.

The way that a hinge jig works is actually a bit ingenious.  The hinge jig is made up of a body that has a handle and a template; the template has a center hole that allows for positioning of a hinge cup drill hole in a cabinet door and a lower and upper hole to allow for easy alignment of screw drill holes in the cabinet’s wall.

Hinge Jig Designs

The basic hinge jig is built to be used on site or in the shop and can drastically increase productivity without sacrificing accuracy. The basic jig allows you to make cuts without marking the wood stock and the jig is used as the actual pattern for the cut.  The basic hinge jig can allow for precise recessed cuts each time it is used and is suitable for cuts in most stocks of wood.

Many basic jigs have four apertures for quick cutting of fire doors. A two piece hinge jig is used for internal doors and features two parts that are split into two lengths and have a dovetail joint.  This two piece hinge jig allows for one set up for both the door and the frame without the need for readjustment for consecutive doors.  Most two piece hinge jigs have three pre-determined apertures that are six inches down and nine inches up the middle.

Do-It-Yourself Hinge Jigs

Although hinge jigs are inexpensive, many woodworkers elect to build their own.  To build your own hinge jig, you will first select a guide and bit.  Most often used is a ½” straight bit with a 5/8” outside diameter guide.  This forms the basic template, which is then cut from a block of hard wood to make it stable.  Square off the corners using a chisel.  In this same manner, you can hinge jigs for a variety of projects without investing much more than some “scrap” wood. Of course, with a pre-fabricated hinge jig, you get a sturdier and more reliable product without having to do any of the design work yourself, and you can purchase jigs for specific projects and needs.