How To: Measure wood by relative dimensioning

The Wood Whisperer demonstrates how we can install hinges on a cabinet without a tape measure, using relative dimensioning. In this example, we use center lines instead of marking the top and bottom of each piece that needs to line up. Using shims at the bottom and top of the door, we center the door on the cabinet to the desired spot. At this point, it's as simple as marking the center lines where you want your hinges to go on both the door and the cabinet frame. Now we can simply attach our jig and use the router to create the holes for the hinges. The hinge mortises will line up perfectly.