Father Haskell said something like:
On Apr 29, 9:38 am, "Thomas G. Marshall"
. com wrote:
Sorry for this, but this has always mystified me.

Given a small box that I can put a lid on with either a piano hinge
or two smaller hinges, how on earth do I align it so that it closes
perfectly?

I envision using some kind of double sided tape to attach the hinges
until by experimentation it closes right, but I am not quite sure
what else to do.

It'd be *less* of a headache to mortise them than surface
mount them in a case like yours. Let the scratch gauge
set the hinges dead parallel.

To get the screws dead center, spot glue the hinges
with superglue, then drill and recountersink .

I use "hinge bits", or self centerring bits----I can't seem to get a
centered hole without them, even if I use a punch awl dead center, then
drill with normal bit, it is always "off" by just enough to nudge the hinge
out of alignment.