Box lid hinge placement

[John Bush]

I am making a box: 11.5" x 8.5" x 6.5"; for a cremation memorial urn, and I get the hinge/lid placement within a whisper of perfect, but can't seem to get it exact. The slightest misalignment really shows. I am using good Brasso hinges and I have drilled, plugged, and redrilled several times and I can't figure a way to make simple, very slight, adjustments. I am within a thous. or two, but it needs to be perf. This is for my MIL, and I would have the curse forever if it's not just like the ones she saw in the catalogue!!

Any suggestions???? Thanks, JCB.

[Bill Huber]

I have problems with hinges myself, getting them just right is always a problem.

The best luck I have had is to mount the hinges on the lid and then put double back take on the hinge, lay the box on its front and line up the sides and then push the lid into the box.

Then I use a self centering bit to drill the hole or start it.

[Chip Lindley]

I am making a box: 11.5" x 8.5" x 6.5"...I am within a thous. or two, but it needs to be perf...

Um.."a thous or two" should be undetectible on a box of this size. That is .001"-.002". But, if you insist, make sure the lid is absolutely square with the box before you blame the hole placement.

IF the mortises are in the right position, the hinge holes will follow. Fill the holes one last time. The hinges can be epoxied into mortises and the lid aligned and clamped. After epoxy has cured, open the lid and drill centered holes. Insert screws.

[Ethan Sincox]

I hear there's a pretty good jig for mortising hinges in the Tricks of the Trade section of the April 2010 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine...

(sorry... I hate tooting my own horn, but in this case it IS an appropriate answer to the question.)

[john bateman]

Is this the type of box where you make it as one piece, then saw off the top for a lid?

If so, you can clamp the lid to the box, as if it's in the completely open position. Then using a template rout all the mortises on both pieces at the same time. Insert hinge.

[Paul Atkins]

Sand it square after the hinges are on. I'd bet it would move a thousandth seasonly anyway. Newsprint is about 2 thousandths.