Do you feel any pressure?

[Corvin Alstot]

Installing recessed hardware often is very tedious. There is
often no way to hide mistakes and this process is often late
in the game with lots of hours already expended. I take it nice
and slow but I wish it went it quicker with better results.

Plus the brass hardware is very soft, and the screw heads show
any force or scratches that happen with the installation. Any
pros know of any tricks to minimize mistakes, and have a perfect
and tight appearances.

[John Miliunas]

Certainly NOT a pro here, but a couple things I might recommend. First, for the mortise to be nice and flat, I invested in a LN Butt Mortise Plane. In this case, you would still need to be extra careful in getting the rounded area cut out and for that, I would resort to a DP and Forstner bits. For the brass screws, a self-centering drill bit and then run the same thread *steel* screws in first. It acts as kind of a tap and the brass screws go in much easier then. (A little soap or wax helps, too.):cool:

[Ted Shrader]

Corvin -

Ditto John's comments about using steel screws to "tap" the holes. I stick the screws (steel and brass) into the can of Johnson's Paste Wax prior to driving in the wood.

Do you have a set of Vix bits yet? If not check into them. Real easy to get the holes exactly were you want then to be.

Regards,
Ted

[Dave Brandt]

Stating the obvious here...after running the steel screw in and out, make sure you use a screw driver that fits the slot properly. DO NOT use a powered driver!

[Mark Singer]

Basically there are 2 ways:

1. Make a tempate for the thinner curved part, route out on scrap to check. Drill and chisel the larger portion.

2. Screw the piece on the syrface with temporary steel screws ...scribe the perimeter with an awl. With a brad point or forstner bit drill the to curves...with shallow holes. Connect with a large chisel...bevel in . Small shallow chops both directions with a small chisel and remove the waste by paring . Drill the center as in #1.

Installinng hardware is not a place to rush....it shows and if not done well makes the whole piece look bad.

Use a tappered drill for the screw holes.