Ray Dunn wrote:
What is the best way to align and attach hinges on a jewelry box? I
have
made several, but after cutting the top off so that the grain aligns,
which
looks great, I struggle with attaching the hinges. Usually after
attaching
the hinges and closing the box, the top is a little to the left or
right or
not quite flush to the front. It's a pain to do all this work and
not have
the top line up.
What methods are being used to make the cuts for the hinges and how
do you
hold the base and top to ensure precise alignment.

Thanks,

Ray

I place my hinges by hand, and then mark the outlines with a sharp
knife. I set depth with a small mortising gauge, and set the depth to
half the thickness of the hinge barrel. Then I carefully pare with
sharp chisels, set the hinge in the socket, and mark the center of the
hole with a sharp awl. Then drill a pilot hole, use a waxed stainless
screw to tap the hole, and then as the last step install the brass
screws.

Also, it helps if you mount the hinges prior to final sanding ... then
if you are off a hair with any of the screws then the difference gets
sanded off. If you are careful with the marking, mortising and screw
installation then it doesn't much matter.

Brusso hinges are by far the nicest but also fairly expensive.
Cheers,
Nate