# How to line up hinges



## PatP (Jul 11, 2009)

Being a newbe at this woodworking thing, I choose a pretty involved project for my first. A 24×32 inch oak cabinet with raised panel doors to put an electronic dart board in. Corse I could have purchased one for the dart board when I ordered it for about a hundred dollars.

I remember seeing on someone's sig. "Why buy it when you can build it" Sooooooooo by the time I buy lumbar, matched rail and stile bits, raised panel bit(s) (I didn't like the first one I bought so I ordered one from MLCS) I have over four hundred into it, but I am learning and enjoining the experience.

What I would like to know is how do you guys measure for hinges? Is there a trick to getting them right the first time? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I've really learned a lot just reading the posts here and love the site.


















Thanks


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## Tinyshop (Sep 1, 2007)

I have issues with hinge alignment as well. I find that if I use piano hinges alignment is easy…well, sometimes. I am really not the one to answer this so perhaps I will defer to more experienced hingers.


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## Tinyshop (Sep 1, 2007)

By the way, your hyper-link doesn't seem to be valid.


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## PatP (Jul 11, 2009)

Thanks Chris, I've corrected the links.


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## commajockey (Jun 2, 2009)

From the photo above, it looks like you're mostly there. With the cabinet on its back and the doors lying flat and aligned perfectly, just choose a uniform distance from the top and bottom edges and make your marks on both the door and the cabinet at the same time. With this, I assume you're mortising your hinges? If so, use the hinge as a guide and use a marking knife or x-acto blade to mark the locations. That'll give you an exact boundary for your mortises.

I hope this is what you were looking for. Beautiful cabinet, by the way.


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## rpalm (Feb 22, 2009)

Here is a FWW video that may help.

http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/subscription/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesArticle.aspx?id=32056


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

commajockey has some good points.

curious - what hinges are you using?


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## PatP (Jul 11, 2009)

Thanks Commajockey I'll try that and let you know. I'm using No-Mortise Classic Brass Hinges from Rockler.


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## rpalm (Feb 22, 2009)

$400. I never count the cost of new tools against a project knowing they will be used on more projects. Plus your dart sessions will be more enjoyable knowing you built the beautiful cabinet yourself. It may hurt a little when a stray dart hits wood though.


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## PatP (Jul 11, 2009)

Robert, yea I kinda agree about the cost of tools. I'm a retired heavy equipment mech with about 60,000 in tools. Now I've got the same problem whenever I look at the woodworking tool websites LOL. Obsesions are hell------


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