INCRA HingeCrafter User Manual

INCRA

®

Hinge

Crafter

OWNER’S MANUAL

Any Hinge, Any Size, Any Project!

Please read this owner’s manual
and keep it at hand for reference.

So you’ve designed and built

the ultimate jewelry box or

cabinet, and it is with some
apprehension that you

approach that final step,

installing the hinges.
Metal hinges are a pain.

Let’s face it. It’s not so
much the hinge itself, it’s
those darned brass screws.

When you finally do get the
pilot hole centered properly,
the head of the screw is

sure to twist right off during

installation. It makes you

wonder how many brass

screw heads are actually

glued instead of screwed in
the hinge.

What’s the solution? Well, you
could avoid the problem completely with
a lift-off lid, or perhaps a sliding dovetail
top. But let’s not sidestep the issue. The

following set of plans detail step by step

how to shape and cut a wooden hinge

that looks just like the metal version. It is

then glued, not screwed, into mortises cut

into your project. The resulting wooden

hinge makes both the craft and the

craftsman look pretty good.

SAFETY

Important safety instructions for using the INCRA HingeCrafter

■ Before attempting to make wooden hinges with
the INCRA HingeCrafter, read and follow all of the
instructions and safety information in this manual.

■ When using the INCRA HingeCrafter in conjunction
with any tool, first read and follow all instructions and
safety information in that tool’s owner’s manual.

■ Use appropriate safety devices. Keep hands clear
of the blade or bit at all times.

1 INCRA Woodworking Tools & Precision Rules

■ When appropriate, always use a push stick, rubber
soled push block, or other safety device to keep your
hands safely away from the cutting tool.

■ Always work with a full-sized hinge blank. Do
not attempt to cut blanks smaller than the sizes
recommended.

■ Always wear safety glasses and follow all normal
shop safety practices.

SUPPLIES

Begin by gathering the necessary supplies to produce your hinges:

■ INCRA HingeCrafter (included)

■ Router Table

■ INCRA Fence Positioner

■ #30 (.128”) x 6” long drill bit (included)

■ Hardwood for hinges

■ 1/8” brass rod (available at some hardware and craft

stores, as well as all welder’s supply stores)

■ Fixed INCRAment™ Templates for 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8” and

3

/4” spacing from the INCRA Master Template Library

(Templates # 45, 47, 48 and 49)

■ 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8” or 3/4” bull nose router bit
(Bit size corresponds to hinge barrel diameter)

■ 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8” or 3/4” straight router bit
(Bit size corresponds to hinge barrel diameter)

■ Rubber soled push block

GETTING STARTED

To better understand the process descriptions to follow, let’s first take a look at Fig. 1 showing the various stages of
production.

FIG. 1

Stages of
production

Prepare wood blanks

➀

Cut hinge knuckles

➄

Fig. 2 describes the finished
hinge in terms you will see
referenced later in this booklet.

Note:
Width always refers to
measurements across
the grain, while length
measurements are always
parallel to the grain.

Bull nose-first round

➁

Drill hinge knuckles

➅

FIG. 2

Hinge terminology

overall length

width

Bull nose-second round

➂

Crosscut ends from blanks

➆

knuckle

hinge leaf

hinge leaf

length

length

Increase hinge leaf length

➃

Rip hinge to desired width

➇

barrel

diameter

hinge leaf thickness

2 INCRA Woodworking Tools & Precision Rules

grain direction

Choosing Your Hinge Size

Your INCRA HingeCrafter will allow you to produce four
hinge barrel sizes with hinge widths up to 10 1/2”. Use
the full-scale hinge profile illustrations shown in Fig. 3
to select the hinge size that you want to make for your
project. The larger 5/8” and 3/4” hinge barrel diameters
can be used for vertical hinge applications such as
cabinet doors, while the smaller 3/8” and 1/2” sizes are
better suited to horizontal applications, such as jewelry
boxes and humidors. The hinge barrel diameter you
select will require the same diameter bull nose bit and
straight bit. For example, if you select the 1/2” barrel
diameter, you will need a 1/2” diameter bull nose bit and a

1

” straight bit for the required cuts.

/2

PREPARE WOOD BLANKS

When selecting stock for your hinges, use close
grained hardwoods such as maple, cherry, walnut
or mahogany for best results. Avoid
highly figured woods such as bird’s-eye
maple or anything “curly”. You’ll need at
least 6” of width in your selection and at
least 12 1/4” of length in order to produce
two blanks. In general, the wider the
wood blank, the more hinges you’ll get.
If you want to make extra wide piano
hinges, prepare stock up to 10 5/8” in
width. (Trimming cuts made later in
the process will remove about 1/8” of
material width.) Thickness plane the
stock to match the hinge barrel diameter
that you have selected. For consistent
results it is important to thickness plane the stock
as accurately as possible. A machinist caliper
is very helpful in producing precise thickness.
Crosscut the stock to yield two 6” blanks, Fig. 4.

FIG. 4

Prepare blanks

6” minimum

width

Caution: Always thickness plane the 12
before cutting to (2) 6” long pieces.

FIG. 3

Hinge size

3

/4” barrel

diameter

5

/8” barrel

diameter

6”

1

/2” barrel

diameter

3

/8” barrel

diameter

6”

1

/4” long blank

BULL NOSE - FIRST ROUND

Bull Nose Bit And Fence Setup

Install in your router the bull nose bit that
matches the hinge barrel diameter you have
selected. The bull nose bit creates lots of
chips in the process of hinge making so
dust collection is a must. If you do not have
a split fence with dust collection capability
such as the WonderFence or the IntelliFence
mounted to the front of your Incra fence
positioner, it will be necessary to make
and attach the wooden auxiliary fence
shown in Fig. 5. This design allows for dust
collection using a standard shop vac wand.
Dimensioned plans for this user-made
auxiliary fence are shown on page 8.

INCRA HingeCrafter 3

FIG. 5

User-made auxiliary fence