Manufacturer: Hinge Mate
Model: HM-1100W
Rating: 
(11 reviews)
| List Price: Offer Price: $119.99 |
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Features:
- Door hinge template; 5-inch maximum hinge capacity; 1-3/4-inch maximum jam thickness
- Accurately set hinges in minutes; doors, strike plates, boxes, or edge routing projects
- Made of durable, lightweight anodized aluminum
- Includes 1/2-inch diameter bit with top bearing
- 4.65 pounds; Handy storage case included
Amazon.com
The router is every carpenter’s tool of choice for cutting hinge mortises. However, to cut mortises precisely and quickly, you must use a template, especially if you’re hanging several doors. The Hinge Mate HM-1100W Door Hinge Template II combines fast, easy set-up with the versatility and capacity to handle nearly all hinge-installation jobs.
The rugged, yet lightweight, aluminum template comes with everything needed to rout mortises, except the router. And unlike most other mortise-routing templates that must be nailed or screwed in place, the Hinge Mate clamps directly to the door or doorjamb. The template will cut mortises ranging from 1-inch to 5 inches long, and it has a maximum clamping capacity of 1-3/4 inch thick. Be aware that the template won’t clamp to jambs that are already installed.The Hinge Mate Door Hinge Template II can also be used to rout hinge mortises in wooden boxes and chests, and to cut mortises for strike plates. It comes with a hinge-setting gauge, guide pins, 1/2-inch diameter carbide-tipped router bit, and storage case. Note that you’ll need a 5/8-inch diameter. bit to rout matching mortises for hinges with rounded corners. –Joseph Truini
What’s in the Box: Hinge Mate Door Hinge Template, 1/2-inch diameter ball-bearing-piloted router bit, storage case, instructional booklet
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5 Comments
There aren’t that many professional grade models to choose from. For a hundred dollars less then the Porta Cable & Bosch, this is is a good pick. If you have a stick or can use a tape measure, you don’t need the three hinge erector set type template contraption. Solid Aluminum construction is great. It’s the only model I found that clamps to the door. The others you have to nail in which is the last thing I want to do to a new door. For a few dollars more or in place of the 1/4″ radius bit provided with a 1/4″ shank, the Hinge-Mate should include a bit for 5/8″ radius hinges. All I seem to see are 5/8″ radius hinges and Amazon doesn’t carry the bit. The catch is the 5/8″ radius bit only comes with a 1/2″ shank. A smaller router with a 1/4″ collet is more than enough to route the door but you need to get yourself a big router to accomodate the 1/2″ shank. I called DC Precision tools and there is no plan or other accessory offered to make a 5/8″ radius with the bit provided nor are there plans to make a 5/8″ radius bit with a 1/4″ shank.
I purchased this item a couple of years ago and didn’t get around to using it until late March of this year. It did a fantastic job. The only problem I noted was the same as others have commented on: the lack of the 5/8″ radius bit to rout the curved corners of my hinges. However, I had previously purchased the Porter Cable $25 plastic template (which did not work well at all) and I was able to use the appopriate radius curved pieces of that template with this one. Would recommend this product to anyone who has a significant number of doors that need to have hinges mortised. As noted by others, this will not work for mortising the door frame but I didn’t need that feature.
I have used this on 10 doors and it is very easy to use. It is well made, easy to adjust, and you get great results every time. A little spendy, but if you have very many doors to do, well worth the investment.
This product was easy to use, the instructions were clear and easy to understand.
I replaced 12 doors in my house, and had to fit them to another person’s idea of how they were fitted. If you know anything about installing doors in an older home, you know of the potential for problems. Anyway, with this tool, mortising 11 doors (22 mortises) and a front door, 3 more, I was able to do the job in quick time. I hung the new doors and we sold the house a week later. Hooray!