Four projects worth sharing this week — small tweaks, not new tools.
Hinge Not Flush?
Even a slightly proud hinge can keep a door or lid from closing cleanly. This time I worked out a way to recess hinges perfectly flush.
The jig is held with masking tape bonded together with super glue, so it leaves no marks on the wood and comes off easily afterward. It's reusable too — clamp both sides in place and you can repeat the same cut anywhere else you need it.
Simple tricks like this can save a lot of people. Anyone can pull this one off.
How to Cut 90° with a Hand Saw
I've built plenty of saw guides before, usually relying on magnets. But if all you need is a clean 90°, there's a much simpler way.
What matters here is getting the front and back guides perfectly square to each other, and keeping the gap as tight as possible for whichever saw you're using — just make sure it's a saw with no set to the teeth.
The saw really has no choice but to follow the guide straight through. That said, I found it still helps to stay conscious of cutting square yourself rather than leaving it entirely to the jig. Simple as it is, it holds up as a genuinely useful dedicated 90° guide.
A Twist on the Dowel Jig
I thought it'd be handy to have one dowel jig that works at 90°, 45°, or anywhere in between, so I tried making the angle adjustable.
A regular hinge was my first idea, but the pivot kept running into the inside corner. So I switched to the barrel hinges I always use for box builds — and it worked out really well. The jig itself shifts with the angle of the material, following along smoothly whether it's 90°, 45°, or something else entirely.
You'd expect a moving jig to lose accuracy, but the barrel hinge has surprisingly little play, and the hole placement came out solid. A simple dowel jig, with just a small twist added.
Dowel Marker Tips
Transferring dowel positions accurately comes down to two things. First, use a dowel marker that fits the hole tightly — even markers of the same listed size can have a bit of play, and that tiny gap is enough to throw off the transfer.
Second, make sure the marker itself transfers accurately. Since the marker has some thickness, the two pieces can't sit flush against each other, which can shift the position. So I set angle stock on all four sides to hold everything in place while transferring. I did this by hand, but masking tape works fine too if you need a temporary fix.
A Note from Taku
Looking back at this week, none of these were about adding a new tool — every one came from tweaking how I use something I already had. Masking tape, a barrel hinge, some angle stock — nothing special about any of them. I'd love to hear what you've discovered too!
— Taku and Masa
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