Router template for door hardware in door jambs

[Stephen Tashiro]

What's a good (commercial) router template for installing door hardware ( striker plates and latch plates) in door jambs?

I find a lot of products for installing door hardware in the door itself, but I don't see any for mortising in the door jamb.

[lowell holmes]

I shop at Lowes, Home Depot, and Target.
You will know the answer when you see it.

I bought some pipe fittings at Target recently.

[Kevin Jenness]

I've used a Templaco kit which was well designed. https://www.dkhardware.com/bore-master-lock-installation-kit-with-carbide-spur-bits-bj-115-c3-product-488232.html?msclkid=d8fea8c0705712eb500cc945239541 21&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%28ROI%29%20Shopping%20-%20Best%20Sellers&utm_term=4577404348900869&utm_content=Top%20Products

[Phillip Mitchell]

Stephen,

The range of different heights, hinge size and shape, and door thickness come into play here. How many doors do you have to do? I’ve found it useful to make a plywood/mdf template that is essentially the length of the door / jamb and make a bearing guided router template for each hinge. This requires somewhat of a standard hinge location if you want to spread it out over many doors and to make a different one for doors of a different height / hinge spacing. 80” interior doors are pretty standard, though so that’s usually a safe size. Unclear if you’re building then as well or just prepping and hanging a manufacturer door slab that is not pre-hung.

I tend to like using square hinges on my custom doors that I build which requires some corner chiseling, but 5/8” diameter hinge corners are a common standard for a different look.

Edit: I see that Kevin posted the Templaco stuff, which is very nice and used and trusted by many trim carpenters in the field. I haven’t used it myself, though I may look into working that in at some point.

[Tom M King]

I have a number of different ones I use, including some for the lock parts that I made.

If you're not doing many, the single Ryobi one is actually pretty good for hinges. It only does one hinge mortise at the time, but comes with a decent router bit, and self-centering drill bit. If you have a bunch to do, one that indexes all the hinges on a jamb, or door at one time is worth it.

I used the cheap (used to be), red plastic Milescraft set to make the different lock ones in the pictures.https://www.woodcraft.com/products/milescraft-hingemate350-entry-and-passage-door-hinge-jig?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VEoXDjQft8O2Lx8 QhljmdQVpRprolw_9OQbIKHDeOG781RKKqIvGCkaAl0uEALw_w cB

I never used the Milescraft templates on actual parts, but I expect they will be fine. The thin "fence" is so it can be used on a jamb that already has the casing applied, with a 1/8" reveal. Where the router hit the fence, and didn't go all the way through, is out past where the lock strike fits anway, so I never worried about that. I hardened the working edges of the plywood with epoxy. You can see some epoxy on the face in the pictures. They've been used for several decades on the one house a year I built, ending that in 2007, but were called to use last Fall, and still work perfectly.

I bought that Ryobi one, just to see how it worked. It was only in the 20 something dollar range, and it worked just fine. I have some pictures somewhere, but didn't find them.

I don't like to put holes in the door, or jamb, except where they will be covered by the stops, so that's why I made the wooden ones. They've hung well over a hundred doors.

Craftsman made a hinge mortising jig that clamps onto the sides of the doors, instead of like most of them that use pins driven in the doors. They stopped making that jig in the mid '70's, but that's still the one I use for doors. I don't like to convert it to jambs, so leave it set for doors, and I used it to make a wooden one out of plywood, that screws to the jambs where the stops will go.

Once again, if you just have a few hinges to do, and are good at layout, buy the Ryobi. I'll find a link, and edit this post.

edited to add: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-Door-Hinge-Template-A99HT3/312284029?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&&mtc=Shopping-VF-F_D25T-G-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-RYOBI-NA-NA-SMART-2231655-WF-SMARTSHOPPING_Q1Q2PLUS+UP+PL2&cm_mmc=Shopping-VF-F_D25T-G-D25T-025_009_PORT_POWER-RYOBI-NA-NA-SMART-2231655-WF-SMARTSHOPPING_Q1Q2PLUS+UP+PL2-71700000083187721-58700007049582706-92700063451361509&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrJOMBhCZARIsAGEd4VGz7gznZfRIPIvzcjxu qx5Yv8SUAyk5OvrXL1A9kp_57wNxR6CzB9EaAjoMEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I used that to hang a couple of doors, and it worked better than I expected it to. The bits that came with it surprised me too. Just don't overtighten the clamp knob. Even by hand, it will distort the template, if you put too much torque on it. It has "rubber" bumpers that keep is from scarring a finished door, and also make it not slide easily.