Thread: My first attempt using a quadrant hinge

Paul when it comes to trying to get your head around using router template guides there is no such thing as a thick question! Ask me a question about turning - I'm dumber than dumb!

The accessory you have pictured is a template guide. Unfortunately it's only one and that doesn't leave you much scope for having the versatility to achieve much. As an aside my neighbour was asking me about cutting mortises for a heap of shutter doors he was putting up and I suggested he use his router and template guide that I knew he had (looks to be the same generic job that you have). He asked me to describe the template guide and then informed me that he thought he had thrown it out. Luckily he hadn't, so he made a template and knocked out those hinge mortises in no time at all. He was pretty pleased with himself. Most routers would require you to replace the base plate to take a set of Porter Cable (the unofficial standard) template guides, although there are exceptions, Makita make some beauties, one of which I aspire to own.

If you look at the template you will see that I've marked the guides and bits I use with it. To make the hinge mortise template choose your guides and bit/s so that changing the guides/bits will change the cut from outside to inside. For small pieces like these hinges one of these inlay kits works very well and that's what I've used - Freud FT1500 Inlay Template Guide Set with Router Bit - Butterfly Inlay Template - Amazon.com. There's lots of different ones available. The template is made using the hinge to guide the template guide, and therefore the bit. With small parts like this it's best to screw the hinge to the template stock, double sided tape allows too much flex to create an accurate template. Use a piece of material with a cutout to fit over the hinge to support the router base. Make sure that the material is of a suitable thickness to allow close to full depth engagement of the guide bush against the hinge.

For the stay mortise I found it easier to cut the template on the router table using a 1/2" upcut bit. I have an Incra fence system on the router table so accurate setup is not a problem. I can then use a 1/2" guide bush and the 1/8th cutter to cut the stay mortise.

These same setups can be scaled up to use much larger cutters and guide bushes. I cut the infill's seen in the attached photo's in my 'new' front door using larger guides and bits. If I had a 1-3/8" guide bush I could have used a 3/8" bit and a 5/8" guide to achieve the same result much more quickly. And once you get in to loose tenon joinery a set of guides and bits is the bees knees.

Have a look at a few online video's and it'll help to build your understanding. Template Tom, a forum member, has written books on the subject, there's almost nothing he can't make with a router. He has made excerpts from his publications available for free at times. Do a Google search.

Most of the stuff I sell is listed on EBay at - stores.ebay.com.au/aldavsstore. I offer a discounted price on all my products to forum members.

Cheers,
David