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Review on 🚪 Milescraft 1213 Complete Door Mortising: Ultimate Solution for Precision Door Hinge Installation by Paul Monzon

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Virtually useless on door frames with existing trim and doorstops

I already had a Ryobi for the door grooves and door strike plates. Purchased for door jamb and strike plate. Turns out it's pretty much useless for finished frames (like trims and stops). The standoff knobs are thicker than the typical 1/4" gap between the post and trim, so the block cannot sit flat on the post even if you remove it. Instead, you'll need to create shims (as indicated) that still hold the jig in place continue to raise away from the post face to the point where the template cutter is no longer in contact with the template. So you can just drill the mounting holes. But it's all so high from the post that it's impossible to get the jig centered exactly (see comment on parallax in other reviews). Then you have to remove the strut handles (took some effort, cracked handle in progress - note the small spring) as instructed. Then screw the device back onto the post, aligning with the holes in the previous step. Only after that you can use the router. Then reattach the handles (they're pretty wobbly now), reattach the spacers and repeat for each additional loop. However, since the nubs loosened, the next slot was moved too far back without my knowledge (the template leaned deeper into the stop due to the thin nubs). The end result was a groove that was too low vertically (because it wasn't properly centered) and too far back on the stopper. The whole process took forever to set up and take apart everything for the mounting holes (gaskets etc.). for routing just to do it again. It would be infinitely faster and more accurate to just use a tape measure and chisel. Very disappointed. However, it comes with many templates. I hope the butt plate softens. Sigh.

Pros
  • Reusable packaging for storing stencils when not in use
Cons
  • There are other interesting options.