Jigs for drilling cup-hinge holes come in a variety of designs. Some offer stark simplicity at a low cost. Others are more sophisticated and come with a price that reflects that refinement. But all of the jigs have a couple of things in common. They get their power from an electric or cordless drill. And they serve as a surrogate tool for the drill press, supporting the 35mm bit when a drill press can’t be used. Without that support, a large bit like this will skitter around the wood. These jigs are especially handy when you’re faced with drilling cup-hinge holes in a door that’s large and unwieldy, or if you’re at a remote site where there’s no access to a drill press. We gave seven of these jigs a workout to see how they would perform.

Among the jigs tested, the Euro Easy Drill is unique in that it must be screwed to the door before drilling can begin. Then, once the cup hole has been started, the jig is removed, and the hole is completed by eyeballing the final depth. Backset adjustment is possible with the Euro Easy Drill, but it requires fiddling with screws and a square to make sure everything lines up.

If you don’t have a drill press and have only a few hinges to mount, this jig will do a decent job. But the lack of a mounting clamp and a depth stop slows down everything, so you’ll need to bring a good measure of patience to the shop.

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