I need some input about selecting a router for the occasional hinge mortise. I have 3 or 4 routers now, but they’re all too big and heavy for this task.
I once had a small ryobi plunge router that was just right, but I couldn’t keep it running. It had switch problems, and a trip to the authorized service cost me $80 and gained me about 3 minutes of router time.
I don’t think I have to have a plunge router, I’m just looking for a smaller model with a convenient on/off switch. (that works!)
Replies
How occasional?
(a guest appearance from my wife). If you dont hang doors that often couldnt you just use one of the routers you already have?
Well, yeah, that's what I been doin'. :-)
I hate it every time. The router I have been using for this is a heavy Porter-Cable with the switch placed somewhere it takes three hands and 5 minutes to turn on and off.
Gives me rigor-mortise!
Occasional means maybe none for months, and then a whole houseful of doors to hang/rehang. From time to time I also need to rout even smaller mortises for cabs and furniture.
I really liked the small ryobi, except it didn't work.this is an anti-tagline
I'm like you. Occasionally i'll do a whole house of doors. I just use my Bosch 2.25hp router free hand. I trace a hinge and run it. I dont have a colt but I get by with my regular router. Much easier than a hammer and chisel.
Yeah, I really don't like doing a bunch with a hammer and chisel, although it is fun playing with sharp chisels. this is a tagline this is an anti-tagline
Heck, If you want to send that router my direction; I would love to try my hand at fixing it for you.If there is anything I -can- do, it is fix broken tools. If it CAN be fixed at all, I can fix it. And I have fixed many tools that the repair centers were unable to fix.You pay S&H both ways, and pay for parts if needed.
Yeh... That'll work.
Surely you have a laminate trimmer?
I like my venerable Stanley trimmer for those type jigs. Switch isn't particularly convenient but the router is real easy to control. Finger guides readily available at the time.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I had one of the first laminate routers that came out, don't remember what brand now, back when we did our own laminate tops.Don't know what happened to that tool, it may have been in the bunch that got stolen back around 1990, or the other time in 1998.
I have looked at those and wondered if they are stable enough, but I guess they all have supplemental bases for that? Are they powerful enough for a 1/2" bit in oak or hickory?
1/2" works fine with a shallow mortise. May run into a problem with the finger guide that large. Make sure you can get all the hardware you need. PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
What type hinge template do you use? I have an old alluminum Stanley, you know, the type every carpenter used in the 60s? And a few years ago I tried using my laminate trimmer for just the reasons you stated - lighter, easier to control with one hand (plus my 1hp had died an I didn't want to use the behemouth tha mostly lives upside down under a table).
Problem with the laminate trimmer was the base is so small it doesn't always span the box on my template. A couple times it actually tipped into the box, making it more trouble to operate with that template. Of course, you could always make a larger foot for that trimmer, but I always reach for my PC 690 for hinge morstising.
Other templates? Maybe they would work fine with a laminate trimmer, I don't know.
Huck said it first. I just agreed with him.
I used to have one of the mortising kits that come in a case, don't remember what brand, that you could set it up for doors up to 7' tall. At that time, I had a mostly plastic B&D router that lasted a few jobs.
I think it cost over a hundred dollars circa 1983. Now I use a plastic porter cable (I think) or I make my own.
Like you, I am concerned about stability with the laminate trimmers, but the ones I have looked at all have add-on wide bases.this is an anti-tagline
Check out the new-ish Colt router from Bosch. Nice size and weight, easy to operate with one hand if you choose to, less cumbersome than my PC or Triton. It's quickly becoming my go-to router for anything where I don't need a huge amount of power.
second the Colt...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
I bought Bambam a Roto Zip with a router attachment. It works great for mortising hinges. Use it all the time.My brain + his brawn = a perfect team
I just checked and the Bosch Colt comes fairly bare or with 4 bases and some other junk. Is the "kit" with the extra bases worth an extra $80+?
yup...
if yur gonna do a detail and laminate work...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Heck,
I use a Bosch Colt for hinges and I made a 6" square clear polycarbonate base for it just so it wouldn't tip into my template. The kit is worth the extra $80 if the is a chance you would ever need anything in it. Trying to buy the pieces seperately is a pain. I've used the offset base a few times and it makes getting into tight corners a breeze.
Thanks, I will be looking at the Bosch Colt.this is an anti-tagline
I had your same problem and tried the DeWalt trimmer. It was okay....but when I tried the PC 310...I had one dedicated to just hanging doors. Best one out there to adjust and control. You might think about a base plate from Pat Warner as I did. Never looked anywhere else.
"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
I will check it out, thanks.this is an anti-tagline
Check it out.
http://www.patwarner.com/pc310_special.html
http://www.amazon.com/Porter-Cable-0310-Production-Laminate-Trimmer/dp/B0000222Z4"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
Looks like the Bosch is the most versatile:
Bosch Coltâ„¢ Variable-Speed Palm Router Installer Kit
Model PR20EVSNK
SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL WARRANTY
The Bosch Difference
Pro Installer Kit
1 HP - Highest rating among small routers
Great for trimming deck planks, hinge mortising, edge forming, slot cutting, dovetailing, window cutouts, decorative inlays, laminate trimming and more
Power and precision in the palm of your hand
Features
1 HP, 5.7 Amps, 16,000-35,000 RPM
Rugged aluminum fixed base Durable, solid and precise
Fast and precise depth adjustment system Allows both macro and micro adjustment
Unique finger support pockets For additional stability, especially when trimming hedges
LOL! This is from the CPO Bosch site.this is an anti-tagline
Armin aka Riverman aka the Amazing Stair Guy was saying he hated that colt, might want to type him in here.I'm in the same situation as you: don't do any then do a bunch. I use a PC 690 that I put a big rectangular ply base on...it rides on a homemade hinge jig.Never fails that every time I have a door to do, I swear I'm buying a cheap router just dedicated to door hanging... damn this CRS<G>I had that same little Ryobi, great little router... I have such fond memories of it's curved little base...LOL Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
But the colt does Hedges! Hard to beat that! LOL
Maybe we should go in together on a router, and hope we don't have door jobs at the same time...this is an anti-tagline
If we do, I'll just send you the doors<G> Someone's got it in for me, they're planting stories in the press
Whoever it is I wish they'd cut it out but when they will I can only guess.
They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy,
She inherited a million bucks and when she died it came to me.
I can't help it if I'm lucky.
The problem with doing hedges with the router is that you need
the special bosch hedge template which is very expensive.
I've been saving for years to buy one, putting what I can
afford each month into a hedge fund.
ROAR! this is a tagline this is an anti-tagline
Don't forget these guy's:http://www.betterleytools.com/
View Image
Cordless and quiet,,(G)
Edited 8/21/2007 9:22 am ET by Sphere
But everytime I go to use one of those the battery is dead.And the 15 minute charger won't work on them..
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
In your case Geritol may be needed...
G,D&R..fast..LOL
You're just not hooking that charger up right. One wire to each testicle should get you going. :-)George Patterson
Dang...I worked one summer doing nothing but hanging doors on apartment remodels in Ann Arbor Mi. The senior carpenter I worked with had one of those and he was a madman with it! I've never seen one like it, but I'm sure they are out there. He just planed out that mortice and we blew through doors like crazy. I never thought I'd see another one!
BTW the way, his name was Bill and he could cut multiple miters on trim with a handsaw on site. Never saw anything like it since!!"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
I have the smaller one without the wood handles, used it about twice I think, handy for cleaning out a slot in a chilidipper mandolin for inlay...don't ask.
okay, I won't ask..but l'd sure LIKE to!!"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
I have the bigger Stanley hand router with the rosewood handles and when I made cabs & furniture I used it constantly for cleaning the dado cuts. I also have the little one and have used it only a few times. Haven't used either in years, but I will when I step back from the rat race and leave the cords and batteries.
Go to e-bay, they have 20 of them right now, 71's and 71 1/2's, you can usually buy them for under $100. Just do a search, type in Stanley router planes.
Doug
Edited 8/29/2007 9:40 pm ET by DougU
great idea!...thanks."The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a governmental program" -Ronald Reagan
Next time I have about 20 doors to do, I'll get you to show me how to use that thing, but remember, I'm a very slow learner, you may have to show me over and over and over and.... this is a tagline this is an anti-tagline
Ok. I'd try at least.
That and a chisel is actually faster than ya think it would be.
In the right hands, of which, mine aren't.
For years, my dad used an old Porter Cable Model 100 router with the P-C hinge template system...that big aluminum frame that did two or three door hinges on the door then automatically registered against the jamb. That router was less than 1hp but it was used almost exclusively for hinge routing and worked flawlessly and effortlessly.
I'm still using it today...and if it's still available, that might be a good option.
tony b.
Yes.http://www.toolbarn.com/product/portercable/100/
.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Heck,
A D-handled PC 690 is surprisingly easy to use for hinge work, despite the size. The key is you pick it up, turn it on, use it, let go the trigger, and set it down on its side again, all with one hand. Plenty of power for the job. If you already own a 690 motor, just get the base for it.
Bill
For an occasional door? Why not just use a sharp chisel and a butt-mortise plane? I worked with a guy who was trigger-puller only kind of guy. The house is a stain-grade million + job. The homeowner decided on 2 french doors he wanted installed in a previously cased opening. we had to mortice the doors and the jamb in place. The guy I was working with wanted to use a router, make a jig for the doors and a jig for the cased opening then route them out. I bet him $500 I could do my side faster with hand tools- he wouldn't take the bet. The right approach for the right job. A dozen doors use a router, one or two doors use hand tools.
P.S. If you want a footplate made for it, I can do that as well. Just give me the dimensions of what you want.
Luka, I would take you up on that offer except I didn't keep the router. It was one of the things that didn't make the move from NM to Colorado.
I really liked that router, even if it was a Ryobi, it was the right size and balance. And price.
But I guess you get what you pay for, sometimes.
Thanks anyway.
I really like my PC 310 for hinge and various door mortising, good sized round based that doesn't fall into the template. I also have some of Pat Warner's bases, esp. like the clear round one for the PC 7310 which makes it totally usable for the mortises. Also, get the levers to replace the knobs on these routers, the ones from Reid Tool that Pat suggests!For single door mortises I usually use the plastic PC ones; odd sizes I make my own on 3/4" melamine, plunge cut (raise cut) on the table saw. For all 3 hinges machining on doors and jambs I have a Milwaukee setup, which I'm thinking was originally the Stanley like Blodgett mentioned.
Have you considered a mortise plane instead? For occasional work, they may be as quick or quicker.
Funny, I never knew there was such a thing until this thread.
I will definitely try one.
They're also easy to make - and, in my opinion, you can make a better tool than you can buy. The only currently available at retail hinge mortising plane of which I'm aware, made by Lie-Nielsen, is 1-1/2" wide, with a 3/4" wide iron - so you can't get any closer to the stop on the door jamb than 3/8". If you use metal sides on a wooden body, you should be able to get to 1/16" - or, if you get really crazy, I suppose you could make a rabbeting version, though cleaning up 1/16" shouldn't be hard (and, often, the hinge mortises aren't full thickness of the door and door rabbet on the jamb anyway, so you might not need to). Even cleaning up 3/8" isn't hard, by the way - you've got a good wide surface against which to register your chisel for quick cross-grain trimming.
Also, you can make one with a narrower iron (blade) that allows you to cut the plate mortise for mortise-type locksets and the strike mortise for all types of locksets. Mine (see below) has a 1/2" iron.
With a hinge mortising plane, I can set up and mortise hinges in about 20 minutes; latch mortises and strikers in about ten, a third of which is dragging the tool out of the back of the plane cabinet; and, if I were in production mode, probably five or less.
I made one quickly some years back in an afternoon, and later wrote up how for an article on Wood Central: http://www.woodcentral.com/articles/handtools/articles_114.shtml. I've used it several times since, and have lost all desire for router templates for the purpose.
Full disclosure notes: a) I'm not a contractor, just a weekend worrier on my own house and family houses, and thus b) my experience is focused on remodel/restoration rather than new construction.
One additional benefit of a hinge mortise plane, for remodel: no dust, just chips that fall to the floor; thus, fewer customer relations problems (as my main customer, the love of my life, can testify).
Edited 9/9/2007 3:11 pm ET by Houghton123
ive used a makita laminate trimmer witha 1/4 straight cutter for years, plenty of power even in a hardwood door
I use my PC 1 1/2 hp router free hand, a matt knife and a very sharp chisel.
When I do a jamb that's hung I set the hinges on the door first then cut the top mortise on the jamb and screw in the half leaf of the top hinge, hang the door from the top, then with a matt knife mark the tops and bottoms of the leaves of the other hinges as they lay onto the jamb. I unpin the top hinge, set the door aside and mortise the other two hinges in the jamb. Done to a perfect fit every time.
I know it seems like a lot but I have done hundreds of doors this way and have gotten quite fast.
For the actual mortising, I like to make the outline of the hinge to the correct depth with my matt knife. I then free hand rout to within 1/16" of the line and take a sharp chisel to clean. Takes about 45 seconds.
90% of the doors I hang anymore are prehung. If I had a ton of doors to mortise and hang by hand I would definitely buy the PC mortise guide.