Best palm router for hinges

[LBCarpentry]

Hello!

I’m going to purchase a dedicated router for cutting out hinge slots in doors, casements and on frames.

Wondering what most people use. I currently use my festool OF1400.

I currently like the balance of a larger router and also realise that it needs to have a big clearance hole in the base, so it’s easy to see the cutter and not go over the lines.

Anyone have any preferences or suggestions?

Louis

 

[Trevanion]

Wait, wait, wait... You're doing all your hinges by eye?

Are you mad?!

Make a bunch of jigs and buy some cheapo routers (I've got a bunch of Bosch POF 500As, they used to be very cheap on eBay at £30 a router or so) each set up for their particular task, they don't need to be a particularly good router if they're in a constantly fixed position with the cutter pretty much permanently in place.

 

[Doug B]

I bought the Makita cordless for hinges & love it, depending on which cordless brand you use it’s definitely worth trying a cordless router if they do one, mine has a light on it which is a real bonus.
I have jigs for new installs but as most doors I fit are replacement ones I scribe round the hinge & cut with the router by eye.

 

[LBCarpentry]

Wait, wait, wait... You're doing all your hinges by eye?

Are you mad?!

Make a bunch of jigs and buy some cheapo routers (I've got a bunch of Bosch POF 500As, they used to be very cheap on eBay at £30 a router or so) each set up for their particular task, they don't need to be a particularly good router if they're in a constantly fixed position with the cutter pretty much permanently in place.

I do worse than that - I spend 30 minutes looking for the correct router bit first!
I still enjoy the process of marking with a marking gauge, but you're right - Need to streamline more so bearing guided jigs are deffo the way forward. We always use the same size hinges for casements so makes sense. Shall have a look at the Bosch!

 

[LBCarpentry]

I bought the Makita cordless for hinges & love it, depending on which cordless brand you use it’s definitely worth trying a cordless router if they do one, mine has a light on it which is a real bonus.
I have jigs for new installs but as most doors I fit are replacement ones I scribe round the hinge & cut with the router by eye.

Cordless routers, whatever next?! Cordless chop saws?? Now that does sound fancy!

 

[Doug B]

Fancy as hell

 

[Cabinetman]

Not an expert on routing, but I use that Bosch palm router it’s not the easiest thing I’ve ever used to set the depth but it’s pretty good, again jigs, I use a bush not a bearing Ian

 

[Trevanion]

Need to streamline more so bearing guided jigs are deffo the way forward. We always use the same size hinges for casements so makes sense. Shall have a look at the Bosch!

I don't even really bother with bearing/bush guided jigs much, I tend to make jigs that use the base of the router as the reference because they don't really clog up with shavings as bad as jigs using bushes or bearing cutters which can affect the accuracy.

For cranked stormproof casement hinges, it's literally a just piece of wood screwed to the base of the router with a notch cut out of it for cutter clearance set at the correct depth for the hinge.

It's very easy to get over-technical which'll cost you time more than anything, keep it simple as possible and there's less to go wrong and it's quicker. Is it pretty? In most cases certainly not but it gets the job done and it pays for itself in minutes rather than hours. The work needs to be pretty not the tools performing said work, best craftsman I ever saw carried his tools to site in a complete mess of a plastic bucket but produced top-quality results.

 

[Droogs]

I find this to be "my Sunday best" palm router for hinges

 

[ScaredyCat]

Katsu!

 

[stuartpaul]

Katsu!

Bless you!!

I use the corded makita and like it a lot for little jobs. Is the balance on the battery version difficult with the additional weight up top?

 

[Doug B]

Is the balance on the battery version difficult with the additional weight up top?

I thought that would be the case & held off buying one for that reason until recently, I had the opportunity to try a friends & bought one straight after as I found it so easy to use.

 

[doctor Bob]

Stop messing around and use a 1/2 inch cutter and a big router, Jig up as mentioned.