Installing Box Hinges
Hinges tend to flummox so many woodworkers. I get it; they can be a pain in the butt to install if they aren’t something you do on a regular basis. I had to install brass hinges on a watch collection display case that I made for a client. I thought that it may be helpful for others to see my hinge installation process. It is the process that works for me and maybe it can be a good guide for you too, or at least provide a few tips so you can fine tune your own process.
In my instructions, I’m installing Brusso box hinges (not sponsored). I use them because I like the quality and you can see the difference in thickness compared to regular brass hinges that I bought at a woodworking store. These particular hinges have a 100 degree stop too, which is helpful for improving the overall functionality of the box.
I start off by placing the hinges where I want them on the box. I flipped the hinge over so I could use the hinge barrel as a reference. I put the barrel of the hinge against the side of the box, and using a marking knife, I scored a line around each side of the hinge. The particular knife that I use isn’t very expensive and I really like it.
To know how deep to cut the mortise for the hinges, I used my combination square. I set my square to the thickness of the hinge, and once again, use my marking knife to score a reference line. Using the widest chisel that I have, I put the end of my chisel into the score marks around the perimeter of the hinge and lightly tapped it with a mallet. This is just to deepen the reference line a bit.
I then use a chisel to remove a thin layer of material up to my score lines. Often times, I will remove the material close to the reference line first, that way I don’t accidentally remove too much material. I find that a smaller chisel works best for me to remove material, and then I like to switch to a wider chisel to fine tune the fit and make sure the surface is even.
When I get up to my score line, I once again put my chisel up to the line and lightly hammer it with a mallet to deepen the line, and then repeat the process of removing material until the hinge fits into place.
To mark corresponding mortises in the lid of the box, place the lid on the box bottom and use a marking knife to score the corners. These are only reference points so that I know where to place the hinge on the box lid.
I then repeat the same process as before. Score the perimeter of the hinge with a marking knife, use the combination square to mark how deep I want the mortise, and then use a wide chisel to deepen the score lines. Paring with a chisel up to the score line quickly gives me a visible reference so I know not to remove material past my line.
I make multiple passes with the chisel until I have removed enough material that the hinge fits into place.
Cutting the mortises helps to keep the hinge into place, but it is also important for me to drill my screw holes as centered as possible. I use a centering bit to drill my pilot holes. Since my hinges are brass and brass is soft, I use a steel screw to thread the holes before screwing in my brass ones. Another tip is to put a little bit of wax on your screws. It really helps to reduce the friction when screwing them into the wood.
I didn’t use a lot of tools for this project. I used a few chisels, a marking knife, a combination square, and every once in a while, I stropped my chisel to sharpen the edge. Hopefully this tutorial helps with your hinge installation. If you have recommendations for a blog topic that you think can help the woodworking community, please let me know in the comments section.
Tools and materials that I used:
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