How to Make a Simple Door Hinge Jig for Repeated Hinge Cuts

A shop-made door hinge jig is a fixed template built once from MDF or plywood that lets you cut identical hinge mortises across a whole batch of doors without resetting or remeasuring for each one. This guide covers building that fixed template, sizing it correctly for your router bushing, and running an efficient batch workflow when you have several matching doors to hinge.

Why Build a Fixed Jig Instead of Buying an Adjustable One

A commercial adjustable jig is worth the cost when hinge sizes or door types change often, but for cutting the same hinge size into a run of identical doors, such as a full set of cabinet doors or several shop-built doors, a simple fixed template is faster to use. There’s nothing to adjust or accidentally bump out of position between cuts, and once the first test cut is confirmed correct, every following door gets an identical result with zero setup time.

Materials and Layout

Start with a piece of 1/2-inch MDF or plywood, which is stable and easy to cut precisely. Trace your hinge leaf’s outline, then add an offset border around it equal to half the difference between your router guide bushing’s outside diameter and your straight bit’s diameter, since the template opening needs to be larger than the bushing offset would otherwise cut. For example, a 5/8-inch bushing paired with a 3/8-inch bit needs a 1/8-inch offset added around the hinge outline in every direction.

Cutting the Template and Adding a Registration Fence

Cut the mortise-shaped opening with a jigsaw or scroll saw, then clean up the edges with a file so the guide bushing rides smoothly without catching. Screw or glue a straight fence strip along one edge of the template so it hooks over the door’s edge in exactly the same position every time; this single registration point is what eliminates remeasuring, since you just butt the fence against the door edge, clamp, and rout.

Running a Batch of Doors Efficiently

Once your first test cut confirms a flush fit, keep the router’s depth stop locked at that setting for the entire batch rather than adjusting it between doors. Mark hinge locations in pencil on all the doors first, then work through them one hinge position at a time, cutting all the top hinges across every door before moving to the middle and bottom positions, which keeps your setup consistent and your rhythm efficient. For background on the mortise-cutting method itself, see our guide on mortising door hinges with the chisel versus router method.

Frequently Asked Questions

What thickness MDF works best for a shop-made hinge jig?

Half-inch MDF is thick enough to stay rigid under the router base and resist wear from repeated bushing contact, while still being easy to cut accurately with a jigsaw or scroll saw.

Do I need to account for router bushing offset?

Yes, this is the single most common mistake in shop-made jigs. If you trace the hinge leaf’s exact outline without adding the bushing offset, the finished mortise will come out too small because the bushing rides outside the bit’s actual cutting path.

How many doors can one template handle before it wears out?

An MDF template can typically handle several dozen mortises before the edges start to round over from bushing contact. Check the opening periodically against a hinge leaf, and true up or rebuild the template if you notice the fit loosening.