Drilling holes for face mount hinges

[Pat Barry]

I need a tip or two on how best to drill pilot holes for screws to secure face mount hinges accurately. The problem I have is that the pine material I'm mounting the hinges to has hard streaks and soft streaks due to the growth rings and for the life of me I can get the drilled hole to go where I need it. As a consequence the hinges end up looking skewed and the doors don't close evenly.

Here's what I do. Clamp the door in place to the frame where I want it to be. Place the hinge and mark the hole centers with an awl. Remove the hinge and drill the pilot holes with a HSS drill. The problem is the drill deflects when drilling the holes due to the woodgrain.

Is there a better drill or better way to do this?

[Jamie Buxton]

Look into self-centering bits. (AKA Vix bits.) They make a pilot hole in the wood exactly in the center of the hole through the hinge.

[George Bokros]

Vix or there are center punches that has a tip like a vix bit and exactly mark the center of the hole.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/tools/Hammers1/punches/58-011-self-centering-nail-set?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CPj18dXO6sgCFQINaQodC-ENtA


(http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/tools/Hammers1/punches/58-011-self-centering-nail-set?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CPj18dXO6sgCFQINaQodC-ENtA)

[Rich Engelhardt]

+1 to Vix -

[David Eisenhauer]

Vix bits are the "sliced bread" of the wood working world. I hated hinges until I found them years ago. Ditto for their spring-loaded center punch as well. Never leave home without them.

[pat warner]

3 holed drill templet.
2 for the screws and a pilot hole for the hinge cup = No guess work.