Steps And Items Needed To Cut Mortises For Door Hinges
The mortise process is a hollow space or recess cut to fit a definitive item such as a lock mechanism or a door hinge. Mortising for a door hinge will also allow the door hinge to install flush to your door face or edge. If you are going to install the door by yourself and you want to install hinges which is necessary, then you just need to collect all the given items and to follow all the given steps. Here are the item list and steps for this process:
Things You Will Need
- Utility Knife
- Wood Chisel
- Hammer or Mallet
- Router With Piloted Bit
- Hinge Mortising Jig
Steps To Mortise A Door Hinge By Hand
- Score Around The Hinge: First of all, you need to position the hinge on the edge of your door in the actual location and then hold it rigidly in place with your one hand. Now trace around the 3 edges(outside) of the door hinges by using a sharp(sharp utility) and scoring the door wood about 1/16" deep but it's ok to go deeper.
- Chisel The Scored Outline: Next, you need to hold your sharp chisel(one inch or one 1/4" chisel is best) horizontally with the beveled side facing with mortise. Tap your chisel with the help of a hammer to cut your wood about 1/8" inch deep or to the decisive thickness of your door hinge leaf. Move your chisel over and then tap again until you have cut along the whole scored outline. But be careful to stay within the scored lines which you've made before because it will not enlarge the mortise or will not create a messy line.
- Cut Lines In The Mortise: Now, it's time to hold the chisel vertically about 1/8" inch away from one end of your mortise outline, and inside the wasted area. Tap your chisel by using a hammer in order to make a 1/8"inch deep cut again which matches your door hinge leaf thickness. Move your chisel as needed to cut along the full width of your mortise. Repeat this process to cut all the parallel lines about 1/8 " inch apart to the other end of your mortise.
- Chisel Out The Waste: Now, hold your chisel at a low angle to your door, parallel to your door's length, by using the flat side of your chisel against the wood. Gently tap your chisel with the help of a hammer to remove the betwixt each of your cut lines inside your mortise. Be careful that do not cut deeper than the door hinge thickness. You can also do this work without using the hammer, simply by using the hand pressure—if that gives you more control.
- Clean Up The Mortise: Finally place the beveled side of your chisel flat against the door wood & then push your chisel with your hand pressure just only to remove any leftover bits of waste & flatten the bottom of your mortise to be sure that it is flush with the surrounding door wood. If indispensable then remove high areas in your mortise by using the same cleanup technique with your chisel.