The right way to cut hinge mortises

Installing hinges (or strike plates) is a frequently encountered task for the handyman, and as often as not we rely on the trial-and-error method - with mixed results. Here's the best way to cut a hinge mortise

1- Remove the hinge pin (if its removable) and position the hinge leaf or strike plate on the edge of the door or on the door jamb.

Tack it into screws, then score an outline around the plate with a utility knife. This prevents the wood from splintering past the ends of the mortise.

2- Choose a chisel that's close to the same width as the mortise. With the beveled side of the chisel facing toward the mortise, tap the butt of the chisel handle with a wood or rubber mallet. Cut Into the wood to a depth equal to the thickness of the hinge leaf or strike plate. Cut along all sides of four-sided mortises.

3- With the beveled edge of the chisel tip flat against the work-piece, make a series of rellef cuts in the waste wood area of the mortise. Space the cuts 1/8 to 1/4 In. apart (make closer cuts In harder woods). The cuts should be equal in depht to the finished depht of the mortise.

4- Clean out the waste wood by driving the chisel against the direction of the rellef cuts. To avoid digging in too deep, try to keep the beveled edge of the tip flat in the mortise. Scrape the bottom of the mortise smooth. If you need to deepen the mortise, repeat the procedure -don't simply try to make deeper scraping cuts.

Now if you want to create the projects you've dreamed of - quickly and easily...

Instead of spending days, months or years looking for something or god forbid, spending a fortune hiring someone to do it for you...

And you crave the satisfaction of creating something beautiful with your own hands,

Then this may be the most important letter you'll ever read: