Cabinet door hinge jigs are simply held to the inside of the door using any convenient woodworking clamps. Ratcheting types are convenient because they are easy to use one-handed. Two clamps should be employed, one either side of the cutter guide, to ensure that the jig can’t twist. Even skilled carpenters usually turn to a door hinge jig to ensure the fast, accurate positioning of door hardware. This tool helps obtain the precise measurements required for the task of installing doors. Most are simple enough to be used by even relatively inexperienced DIYers, and most are very affordable—especially when compared to the cost of ruining a door. How the hinge jig is set up will depend on the type of jig. Some door jigs clamp to the side of the door, while others use locating pins and screws. Cabinet jigs usually need to be held in place using ordinary woodworking clamps, which will not be included. To ensure accuracy, it is important to follow the instructions that come with the jig. Q. How many hinges should a heavy door have?

Buying a door jig is the easy option, but with care, it is possible to make your own. In fact, for cabinet doors, a jig isn’t strictly necessary. If you can measure and mark accurately, hold the drill vertically, and judge the depth of a hole, then a Forstner bit of the appropriate diameter to match the hinge is all that is required. Owners of pillar drills will find the task easier, but a portable drill and a steady hand can get the job done.This type of door hinge jig creates a round-cornered cutaway in the door edge, and suitable round-cornered hinges are widely available. However, door hinges were traditionally square, and when refitting a door to an existing frame, it will often be necessary to cut away the rounded area. This can be done with an ordinary woodworking chisel, but corner chisels specifically for the purpose are available. The Concealed Hinge Jig takes the guesswork out of installing cabinet doors using concealed hinges. This economical, easy-to-use jig ensures accurate hinge alignment, so you can install doors that fit great and work well. Plus, the Concealed Hinge Jig works with an ordinary drill and the included carbide tipped bit.

The jig body is manufactured from glass filled nylon and has a central hole for mounting the drill guide and the 35mm TCT drill bit. The two indexing cams rotate through the numbers 3, 4, 5 and 6. The number settings relate to the distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the hinge hole. Once the hinge hole is drilled you can then select one of three pilot hole positions to drill the 1.5mm pilot holes for the fixing screws. Durability is assured by the cast-aluminum construction. For transportation, the jig is dismantled into two pieces, and it comes with a carrying case. A guide bush for the router cutter is included, though the cutter itself is not—rather disappointing given the Trend door hinge jig’s high price. Fixed jigs that are initially appealing due to price and the ability to skip measurements. But that makes it less flexible and accurate for perfectly centering your holes. Clamp-on jigs like the Kreg and a dozen other varieties of mostly fixed-hole jigs. While these jigs are suitable for smaller projects, getting that perfect 31/64 alignment that is surprisingly required on highly symmetrical installations is more challenging.

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The Milescraft jig will fit 1⅜- and 1¾-inch doors as well as hinges from 2½ to 4½ inches, in ½-inch increments. With the main frame and templates, there are nine pieces in the kit. While this can seem confusing at first, each template is marked with the appropriate size or function.