Folks, my house has settled a bit and as such a couple of my doors are jamming and need to be trimmed about 1/16 inch. I've done this before with a belt sander and I've done it with a circular saw. In both cases I was less than 100% happy. The belt sander left an "unprofessional" edge and the Circular saw left some chip out. Is there a secret to this? or do I just pick the lesser of two evils?
Best tool for trimming door
- Thread starter jhendric
- Start date
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I use my track saw if it is more than what a planer can easily do.
For 1/16,i'd probably do it in place with a hand plane.
You can minimize tear out from a saw with painters tape, but a sharp blade helps too
For 1/16,i'd probably do it in place with a hand plane.
You can minimize tear out from a saw with painters tape, but a sharp blade helps too
Use a guide that's firmly attached to the door, a fine tooth blade on a circular saw and either apply masking tape to the future kerf line and/or score the door's outer skin with a sharp utility knife to avoid tearout. You could also use a router with an edge guide but you might need to work both sides unless you have a long bit.
thr3squared
Well-known member
Is it a 1/16" the entire length of just in a spot? If only in one area I would use a planer.
I've always cut doors with a circular saw but I am VERY PICKY (just how I was taught) with how I do it. Here's my method for a primed or finished door. Never had a piece chip out on me.
-Remove door and rest on saw horses
-Mark desired amount to cut with a pencil on all 4 sides
-Use blue masking tape and set tape just above your line on all 4 sides...this protects the door from the foot of the saw. You should only barely see the pencil line
-With a brand new razor knife score the line you made with the pencil on all sides
-Set up saw (new finish blade if you have one) so you will be comfortable the entire cut
-Take a deep breath and make the cut!
I've always cut doors with a circular saw but I am VERY PICKY (just how I was taught) with how I do it. Here's my method for a primed or finished door. Never had a piece chip out on me.
-Remove door and rest on saw horses
-Mark desired amount to cut with a pencil on all 4 sides
-Use blue masking tape and set tape just above your line on all 4 sides...this protects the door from the foot of the saw. You should only barely see the pencil line
-With a brand new razor knife score the line you made with the pencil on all sides
-Set up saw (new finish blade if you have one) so you will be comfortable the entire cut
-Take a deep breath and make the cut!
WWheeler
Well-known member
If the house has a crawlspace perhaps you could use a bottle jack and shims to raise it until the door doesn't need any trimming.
Shiftless
Well-known member
The last time I did this, I used a power planer.
Check straightness of the floor to see if you need to plane off the whole length or not.
Remove door and place on sawhorses. Draw a pencil line to mark area to be removed,
Plane off to the line. Using a sanding block, gently round off the sharp corners.
Consider removing more than you really need to prevent future problems.
Check straightness of the floor to see if you need to plane off the whole length or not.
Remove door and place on sawhorses. Draw a pencil line to mark area to be removed,
Plane off to the line. Using a sanding block, gently round off the sharp corners.
Consider removing more than you really need to prevent future problems.
RTM
Well-known member
I use a hand plane for that little bit (1/16"), and more. I can do a door in place by blocking it from moving, and cutting uphill if the bind is on the top edge and cutting out into space. #4 or #5 plane
For the top end, I often use a block plane to allow the end grain from the vertical board to cut cleanly. Low angle preferred for the end grain.
Bottom edge, or near obstruction, or bottom of the vertical, I take it off and hold it on edge, can use a bigger plane once the door is off the house.
And I own a belt sander, circ saw, jig saw etc, but not a power planer.
For the top end, I often use a block plane to allow the end grain from the vertical board to cut cleanly. Low angle preferred for the end grain.
Bottom edge, or near obstruction, or bottom of the vertical, I take it off and hold it on edge, can use a bigger plane once the door is off the house.
And I own a belt sander, circ saw, jig saw etc, but not a power planer.
I did one recently with a belt sander- had to remove about 3mm on an angle across the top. I marked both sides and went to town with the belt sander; I had the door outside in a Jawhorse. I have a circular saw, but figured the sander would be better since I needed to remove so little. It took more time to R&R the door, round up the tools, set up, put stuff away, than the actual sanding. I am sure it's not perfect, but it looks perfect installed
tyyost
Well-known member
I used to use a Makita power planer, but now I’m in the track saw camp. This is another one of those uses where tracksaws excel. If you have done this with a circular saw I’d suggest painters tape wrap, a nice 40+ tooth blade and possibly a scrap wood backer on the exit side of the cut to get you good low buck results.
A circular saw if it is more than 1/8" as mentioned... It has to be a bit thicker than your saw kerf
or a router bit with a guide bearing (flush trim bits , I think that is the name) if it is less... The bearing will be riding on the guide of cause.... or you can use the D base the flat side as a guide as well...
both are used with a straight edge as a guide.
or a router bit with a guide bearing (flush trim bits , I think that is the name) if it is less... The bearing will be riding on the guide of cause.... or you can use the D base the flat side as a guide as well...
both are used with a straight edge as a guide.
power plane is my go to tool . planed literally thousands of doors over my working years
make absolutely sure the bind isn't just loose hinges. I've seen a lot of butchered doors cause someone planed to fit a door that simply had loose hinges
make absolutely sure the bind isn't just loose hinges. I've seen a lot of butchered doors cause someone planed to fit a door that simply had loose hinges
Ricky Joe
Well-known member
They do make a door planer.
Legion Prime
Well-known member
I've heard tell of one they make for the air as well.
Xcursion88
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Tape is your friend
USNretired
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I get this question all the time from my customers and I always tell them that If the house isn't on a slab, then I would be under the house with bottle jacks & some jack posts before I started cutting on my doors.
It's like painting over rust, it may hide the problem but doesn't fix it.
Sooner or later other parts of the house will have issues anyways if you don't level the house properly. Stuck windows, cracked plaster/drywall, floor tile, etc. etc.
It's like painting over rust, it may hide the problem but doesn't fix it.
Sooner or later other parts of the house will have issues anyways if you don't level the house properly. Stuck windows, cracked plaster/drywall, floor tile, etc. etc.
rlitman
Well-known member
Agreed. The few times I've done planing on doors has been while replacing a slab.
For planing the long edge, I use my cast iron jointer hand plane for up to 1/4" stock removal. It takes no more than 2 minutes to plane off 1/16". Put a pair of bar clamps on one side of the door to act as legs to keep it standing. Place a trash can that's not quite as tall as the door between the door and a wall. Plane the length of the door so the chips fall into the trash.
For planing the short edge (top/bottom), use a low-angle block plane, because you're going across both vertical and horizontal grain.
mark the area need and take down the door via the hinge pins... and do it on a saw horse what ever method you choose to go with.. easy and simple with a hammer and a pin punch.. Unless you have some special thing going on. still not that difficult.
seber
Well-known member
I learned how to do it with a hand plane sixty years ago. It still works great every time.
spatchthepunk
Member
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- Feb 4, 2013
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- 18
Great advice
I'm a locksmith at a small college and I am in charge of maintaining about 4k doors from high tech to 100 plus years old. The first thing I do on any poor fitting door is tighten the hinges. If there is room on the latch side of the door shimming the hinges to move the door is my first move. There are some good articles and videos on how to do this.You didn't say if it's hitting at the top or bottom but if it's the top and the woodwork is unpainted a few taps with a hammer and a block of wood on the frame at the top latch side will get you enough room for the door to close.If the door is hitting at the bottom a lot of fit issues can be solved by longer screws into the top hinge at the frame side.If these ideas don't work we pull the door and either sand or cut.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Put a business card shim behind the bottom hinge on the stop side only. It will kick the pivot side out and pull the door down. Eazy and effective.
TalonFE
Well-known member
"Ryobi Wood Door Trimmer" at HD is less that $20 and works pretty well if things aren't too out-of-whack. Hooks to your cordless drill, has a handle for guidance/leverage, easily stored. Very easy to use, worth considering.