Derek Cohen
01-01-2010, 2:05 PM
It is said that the devil lies in the details. That is, a project can be made or broken by the way small details are handled.
I was installing the hinges in the cabinet doors today and it occurred to me that my way of doing so may not be the best way. I think the method works OK, but I do wonder if others do it differently, and if so, how?
So I put together a detailed sequence of photos for the examination of the wise heads here, and await a critical review.
We begin with the doors adjacent to the side frame.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/1Start.jpg
I mark the position on both frame and door with a small knife stroke. This lies in line with the lower edge of the bead.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/1aStart.jpg
The work proper begins with knifing both sides of the hinge ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/2Marksides1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/3Marksides2.jpg
Then the baseline of the hinge is set on a marking gauge. This is the width of the leaf.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/4Markbaseline1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/5Markbaseline2.jpg
Now I set for the depth of the mortice. This is more critical since too shallow a mortice and the gap between door and frame is too large, and too deep a mortice and the door will not rotate. The full thickness of the hinge (including the joint) is 6mm. I have set the gauge for a depth of 2 ½ mm. That will leave a gap of 1 mm between the door and the frame.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/6Markingthickness.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/7Markingthickness2.jpg
Knife the outline as deeply as possible. Use light strokes at first as a sharp knife will want to follow the grain. Increase pressure as you increase depth.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/8Knifelines.jpg
Now chamfer the inside edges of the mortice. This is to move all chiselling inside the mortice and away from the sidewalls (which you want to preserve at all costs).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/9Chamfered1.jpg
This is what it should look like …
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/10Chamfered2.jpg
Next, kerf the surface with a chisel (I aim to go about half the depth of the mortice).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/11Kerfing.jpg
I remove this – carefully! – with a paring chisel ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/12Paringchisel.jpg
It is possible to go directly to a router plane, which I use next, but the chisel is easy enough to use and the aim is to remove the kerfed surface. This defines the area to be cleared.
From here on I use a router plane. It is important that you set the depth at the start, and then work by taking thin shavings until you reach this level. A sharp blade makes this easy.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/13Routerplane.jpg
This is the completed mortice. Not my best work at the rear end – this Tasmanian Oak is interlocked and a bit crumbly.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/14Finishedmortice1.jpg
I was installing the hinges in the cabinet doors today and it occurred to me that my way of doing so may not be the best way. I think the method works OK, but I do wonder if others do it differently, and if so, how?
So I put together a detailed sequence of photos for the examination of the wise heads here, and await a critical review.
We begin with the doors adjacent to the side frame.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/1Start.jpg
I mark the position on both frame and door with a small knife stroke. This lies in line with the lower edge of the bead.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/1aStart.jpg
The work proper begins with knifing both sides of the hinge ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/2Marksides1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/3Marksides2.jpg
Then the baseline of the hinge is set on a marking gauge. This is the width of the leaf.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/4Markbaseline1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/5Markbaseline2.jpg
Now I set for the depth of the mortice. This is more critical since too shallow a mortice and the gap between door and frame is too large, and too deep a mortice and the door will not rotate. The full thickness of the hinge (including the joint) is 6mm. I have set the gauge for a depth of 2 ½ mm. That will leave a gap of 1 mm between the door and the frame.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/6Markingthickness.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/7Markingthickness2.jpg
Knife the outline as deeply as possible. Use light strokes at first as a sharp knife will want to follow the grain. Increase pressure as you increase depth.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/8Knifelines.jpg
Now chamfer the inside edges of the mortice. This is to move all chiselling inside the mortice and away from the sidewalls (which you want to preserve at all costs).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/9Chamfered1.jpg
This is what it should look like …
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/10Chamfered2.jpg
Next, kerf the surface with a chisel (I aim to go about half the depth of the mortice).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/11Kerfing.jpg
I remove this – carefully! – with a paring chisel ..
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/12Paringchisel.jpg
It is possible to go directly to a router plane, which I use next, but the chisel is easy enough to use and the aim is to remove the kerfed surface. This defines the area to be cleared.
From here on I use a router plane. It is important that you set the depth at the start, and then work by taking thin shavings until you reach this level. A sharp blade makes this easy.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/13Routerplane.jpg
This is the completed mortice. Not my best work at the rear end – this Tasmanian Oak is interlocked and a bit crumbly.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Furniture/Dovetail%20Cabinet/Hinge%20Morticing/14Finishedmortice1.jpg