How to Make a Door Mortise Template

Cut a piece of 1/2-inch plywood into a 6-by-8-inch square, using a circular saw. Lay your hinge onto the plywood so the plate is perfectly flush against the surface and the barrel sits tight against the edge. The hinge will determine the size of the template, and the plywood will serve as your mortise once cut.

Lay one hinge plate on the plywood, and use your pencil to trace around its outer edge as tightly as possible. Remove the hinge from the plywood and use your jigsaw to cut around the inside edge of the pencil mark to create a hinge-shaped opening.

Cut a piece of 3/4-inch hardwood to the same dimensions as your mortise plate. Place the hardwood plate into a vise so it stands straight up. Line up the open edge of your mortise plate with the upright end of the hardwood plate. Use your power drill to make pilot holes through the corners of the mortise plate along the open edge and into the hardwood plate beneath it. One at each corner will suffice.

Drive wood screws into the pilot holes with your screwdriver. The mortise plate and hardwood guide plate form a sturdy and easy-to-use hinge mortising template. Lay the template onto the edge of a door or the inside edge of a door frame, and use your router to cut the hinge mortise. Install a 1/2-inch straight flute bit into your electric router, then install a 5/8-inch outside-diameter guide. Adjust the router blade to match the depth of each type of hinge you install for an accurate cut.