Which to get? The Bosch or PC hinge jig?
Lateapex911
| Posted in Tools for Home Building on
OK, I have a few doors to hang coming up, and I have gotten prehungs in the past, but I’m using suare hinges that are heavier than the prehung set up, so I ned up redoing a lot of the work. I think it would be faster and better to just start fresh…
So…..I am considering gettting eihter the Bosch or the Porter Cable hinge jig tool.
The advantages to the Bosch, small case, and they say it flips from the jamb to the slab, both right and left handed, with no resetup.
The Porter unit seems like it maintains it’s setup in storage, and has been around for a long time.
I know you guys have some experience and thoughts…help me! Thanks!
Replies
I have the PC, read good things about the Bosch although I can't remember why I chose the PC to be honest... I'm very happy with it. Poor destruction manual but it's easy enough to figure out.
PaulB
I have the PC as well and like it a lot.
Doug
I have the Bosch and like it. Got it used from a BT'er. If you want to do 4-hinge doors prepare to shell out for the extra parts.
what is bt'er? I am overseas so i don't know al the lingo anymore....
Joel
I am assuming it means BreakTimer...as in "I sold it to another BreakTime-r".Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
Yeah, once upon a time I was asking about these jigs and a fellow poster offered one for sale, $125 I think.
Have the Bosch, most of the other door hangers I know have the same. I've seen but never used the PC. Bosch has 2 styles, if you are interested the best one has heavier pins.
There is another group of door hangers that make their own jigs out of a 4" strip of 3/4" plywood. If precisely made and not abused, the plywood jig is superior to any of the knock down metal jigs.
Gord
Good point, there are also the Templaco jigs and a lot of people like them. I have one and used it for a large job but have not used it since getting the Bosch. Also I was not aware that there are two Bosch models.
I don't do a lot of doors, but I use the Templaco, and like it (I have two, for different hinge sizes). Bought their boring jig also, later found it appears to be overpriced when in comparison with comparable models sold on amazon.
Looked up the Templaco site, cool jig, the price is right.
Bosch has regular and deluxe models. Model 83003 uses little nails to hold the jig in place, they are forever getting bent and its good to have a bunch of extra pins handy.
Model 83038 has a heavier flat headed bolt in a bushing set-up to drive the pin and secure the jig. Mine has done 400+ doors and the pins are still working though I must admit one is getting a bit stiff on take-out.
Unless a person is hanging doors on a regular basis a plywood jig will suffice for 30-40-50 doors. Though I will admit it is nice to go back 2 years later for a rehang on a door that some kids drove a bike through, and once again, pull out the Bosch jig.
Here's another, albeit more expensive, option: http://www.virutex.com/catalog/c5_p1.html
I own the PC, but use it very infrequently, and am looking seriously at the hinge mortiser: http://www.virutex.com/catalog/i18.html Seems to will do the same thing as the PC/Bosch, and includes a router setup as well.
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
That's one nice lookin' jig. The only question I would have... can it reliably connect to a door jamb where the casing reveal is tiny, say 3/32" as is often done with profiled casing? Of course all the others do it with pins that leave holes.
If you bought the Bosch and the optional 4-hinge kit you'd have spent about the same as the Virutex.
Yeah but the router is a one trick pony.
My vote is for the bosch. I have used both and I own the bosch.
I figured it wouldn't be black and white!
OK, so far, it seems pretty even, LOL...equal votes for the PC, the Bosch, the Virtuex and a plywood!
I looked at the Virutex site, but frankly I was confused. Seems to me that the Bosch and the PC are fames that register the hinge templates to each other an d fasten to the slab and jamb for the seperate operations, correct? I didn't see such a thing on the Virutex site. I am sure I missed it .....and is only available with the router?
My desire is to set it up once then slide it on the slab, then the jamb, with only a spacer, I would assume, inserted for the gap. And hopefully it can work on opposite handed doors without major resetting. It seems like the Bosch and the PC SHOULD do that, but do they?
Finally, the plywood version seems tempting due to pricing, but does it have the same flexibility? And accuracy? Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
My desire is to set it up once then slide it on the slab, then the jamb, with only a spacer, I would assume, inserted for the gap
The Templaco comes with a spacer - a little plastic button at either end of the jig. Line the edge of the jig up with the edge of the door, but when you push the jig up tight in the jamb, the button creates a small gap.
I'll second making your own. Originally, I started making my own because I couldn't afford the premade template, but now that I bought a template, I find the homemade jig is easier to use.
Making the template is simple, and takes about 10mins.
Stacy's mom has got it going on.