Interior door cut top to bottom

[PeterT]

I have a dewalt table saw and the guide is about 25" maximum. I am trying to install an interior hollow core door, the door is 30" wide and I need to trim off 1/4" of an inch? Should I use a plane and take off 1/4" , my concern would be it wouldn't be a consistent 1/4", I don't see how I can use my table saw to cut it given the guide limitation.
Any suggestions? Can I buy a 29 3/4" x 80" door from a lumberyard?

 

[RegeSullivan]

Add a sacrificial strip of wood to the fence and cut a 1/4 inch off the door. If you have a router with a deep enough straight bit and a long straight edge that would be easier.

 

[PeterT]

Good idea RegeSullivan, I've been reading online, sounds like pre-hung doors are slightly smaller than the 'slab' or just the replacement door. My existing door is 29 3/4" and the only thing I can find is 30". I've already tried cutting one (free hand), I botched it up $26 at lowes. I tried HD, they won't cut doors in store, not surprising, as there cuts are rough cuts, and usually some pimple faced high schoolr.
I might go price out a pre-hung and either pull out the existing frame & door or just pull the door of of it and scrap the frame.

 

[CNGsaves]

Rig up a homemade track saw by clamping long straight edge to door and using a circular saw.

May need to also have sacrificial piece of wood to prevent tearout from blade.

 

[rsanter]

Run it through the table saw. Do not cut all the way through the door.
I would do it in two steps.
First cut about 1/2"-3/4" deep
Next pass will go most of the depth but shy about 3/16"
This will give enough that you will still be able to guide along the fence and not risk
Skyping the end of the cut on the door.
Use a plane to remove the remaining uncut section

Bob

 

[truckman5000]

the hollow doors only have 1/4 of wood glued on the top/bottom

 

[mark11]

Rig up a homemade track saw by clamping long straight edge to door and using a circular saw.

May need to also have sacrificial piece of wood to prevent tearout from blade.

This is easier than using a tablesaw. Especially a smaller tablesaw.

 

[Toolfool]

Bring it by, I'll cut it for you.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Bring it by, I'll cut it for you.

This is why the Garage Journal is so great! People helping each other just because they can, not because they want something for it.

Jim

 

[Shade guy]

Don't most doors have a 2 degree bevel for a closer fit?
I always used a hand plane

 

[ishiboo]

I'm confused why this is an issue. Get a second person and run it through the table saw at 1/4"? You don't need a sacrificial strip, you don't need anything else.

If there's a guard you might have to flip the side up or remove it to get that close to the fence. You can leave the riving knife up though.

 

[ishiboo]

This is why the Garage Journal is so great! People helping each other just because they can, not because they want something for it.

Jim

Well, it's a 34 hour drive for the OP to take him up on that...

 

[PeterT]

I'm confused why this is an issue. Get a second person and run it through the table saw at 1/4"? You don't need a sacrificial strip, you don't need anything else.

If there's a guard you might have to flip the side up or remove it to get that close to the fence. You can leave the riving knife up though.

Well first off, I don't have a second person. I could remove the guard all together, but I'd prefer not do that.

 

[ShadowRuleZ]

Rig up a homemade track saw by clamping long straight edge to door and using a circular saw.

May need to also have sacrificial piece of wood to prevent tearout from blade.

This is how I've done this before.

 

[ripperd]

I have a dewalt table saw and the guide is about 25" maximum. I am trying to install an interior hollow core door, the door is 30" wide and I need to trim off 1/4" of an inch? Should I use a plane and take off 1/4" , my concern would be it wouldn't be a consistent 1/4", I don't see how I can use my table saw to cut it given the guide limitation.
Any suggestions? Can I buy a 29 3/4" x 80" door from a lumberyard?

Use a circular saw. Clamp a straight piece of wood to the door to use as a fence/guide. It'll take a little measuring to get the straightedge clamped perfectly, but after that its a piece of cake and will result in a very good cut.

 

[PeterT]

Yeah, Ok tomorrow I will use the old door (or better yet the new one I butchered, it still has one good side) as a guide, clamp it down and use my Makita skill saw.
Thanks !

 

[ishiboo]

Well first off, I don't have a second person. I could remove the guard all together, but I'd prefer not do that.

Well, you can still push it through yourself... just set up something to guide it.

Why don't you want to remove the guard?

 

[AndrewDouglasBird]

Trimming 1/4" on a table saw can be dangerous due to kick-back. The 1/4" wide strip (actually more like 1/8", blade is about 1/8") turns into a projectile and can shoot out the table saw.

I would just set the blade of the table saw up against the fence and take two cuts. Blade is about 1/8", so two passes would make 1/4". This way you won't have a thin strip.

 

[manwithtools]

Rig up a homemade track saw by clamping long straight edge to door and using a circular saw.

May need to also have sacrificial piece of wood to prevent tearout from blade.

This is the correct answer, look up "home made circular saw guide" Be aware that the teeth on the handheld circular saw will want to tear the top surface when cutting - more so across the grain than with it as you are planing to do. I've sometimes cheated by placing a piece of masking tape the length of the cut such that you cut through the tape. It's not fool proof, but its a pretty good aid..

Anothers comment about the 2 degree bevel is spot on. Take a look at another pre-hung door and you will see that the striker side of the door has a bevel cut to compensate for the radius a door swings. The narrower the door the more important this is - you have a narrow door. After you make this cut, don't forget to set your saw back to 90 degrees - you must not ask how I speak of this fact.

If you have a lot of these to do in your future, a track saw is worth the investment and works for ton of other things too. I'll let others argue of which is the correct track saw to buy

 

[Off-Street Parking]

Why not just use a rip fence on the circular saw? They're super cheap, and a lot easier than finding a long enough straight guide and clamping everything together.

 

[manwithtools]

Why not just use a rip fence on the circular saw? They're super cheap, and a lot easier than finding a long enough straight guide and clamping everything together.

Yes, that's a possibility. Problem is that rip guide works about as well as the $1.47 it took to make. If you are doing rough carpentry it's fine. It's not meant to work for trim work, that's why they throw it in the box with the saw.

 

[truckman5000]

no reply to my post...ever try cutting down a hollow door...there is at most 1/4inch of wood holding the sides of the door in place.

The way to do it is to have 2 clamps, and a strait edge. clamp the strait edge on the door. Rip down with a circ. saw.
But at the end, depends on the type of door. There wont be any material holding the front and back together.

 

[sayoda]

Yes, that's a possibility. Problem is that rip guide works about as well as the $1.47 it took to make. If you are doing rough carpentry it's fine. It's not meant to work for trim work, that's why they throw it in the box with the saw.

I disagree, with enough practice you can become good enough for trim work. The trick is mounting a piece of wood to the guide, making it longer and more accurate.

I only use a circular saw and guide to trim doors to fit the opening.

 

[sayoda]

And truckman, usually hollow core doors about 1/2-3/4" on the sides

 

[manwithtools]

I disagree, with enough practice you can become good enough for trim work. The trick is mounting a piece of wood to the guide, making it longer and more accurate.

I only use a circular saw and guide to trim doors to fit the opening.

The OP does not seem to have the time and resources to "practice". He already botched up one door and the "guide" method will work this time and the next time and will work for things other than doors. It's simple and accurate and takes the least operator skill to give the desired results. It's difficult to know a posters skill, but when they ask for help and report a failed attempt or two it's safe to assume they don't have the experience to use a method requiring practice to master.

It does take some time to build a guide, but it can then be used from that point forward on other projects.

 

[lightn95]

I was a finish carpenter for 18+ yrs, hollow core doors have about 1" piece of solid wood all the way around the perimeter. If there wasn't the hinge screws would never bite and you couldn't secure the knob. You'll be fine taking 1/4" off. If it were me, I'd cut it off the hinge side. The knob side does have a bevel and the reveal is more noticeable on the knob side.... that's my $.02...

 

[mark11]

The masking tape on the cut line is a good tip. I've also run down the cut line with a sharp utility knife before putting the saw to it. The knife will cut through the outer bit of veneer and leave you a cleaner cut.

 

[Zeke]

the hollow doors only have 1/4 of wood glued on the top/bottom

no reply to my post...ever try cutting down a hollow door...there is at most 1/4inch of wood holding the sides of the door in place.

The way to do it is to have 2 clamps, and a strait edge. clamp the strait edge on the door. Rip down with a circ. saw.
But at the end, depends on the type of door. There wont be any material holding the front and back together.

That's because you're mistaken. The sides will have a half inch each for the hinge mortise and latch mortise on the opposite side. The proper way to trim this door is to take an eighth off each edge and slightly bevel the edges so the short dimension is toward the stop. IOW, the door should be close to 29 3/4 short point and 29 7/8 on the long point.

AFA meat on the top and bottom, you should find 1" at the top for scribing to the head jamb and 2" at the bottom to cut for carpet.

Makes me wonder how many doors most GJ members have hung and done the job properly. I've hung literally a thousand or so. The one thing I can tell you about doors is just like snowflakes, there are no two alike. This goes for prehung sets too. Once they are installed, try swapping one LH or RH door for the next one.

Door stops should be removed and re-set once the door is hung. Always hang the door with the bow facing the stops so that the door hits the top and bottom before hitting mid jamb. This makes for a door that clicks into place closed and doesn't ever rattle. All doors have a slight bow. Never seen one that didn't after it was leaned against a wall for a bit. Do that in the sun and you will have a surfboard. Yo can actually bow a cheap door by priming one side first and letting it dry.

 

[ishiboo]

I was a finish carpenter for 18+ yrs, hollow core doors have about 1" piece of solid wood all the way around the perimeter. If there wasn't the hinge screws would never bite and you couldn't secure the knob. You'll be fine taking 1/4" off. If it were me, I'd cut it off the hinge side. The knob side does have a bevel and the reveal is more noticeable on the knob side.... that's my $.02...

Agreed. I've seen some bifold doors with less on the sides (since they don't need the hinge support) but hollow core doors have all had way more.

I disagree, with enough practice you can become good enough for trim work. The trick is mounting a piece of wood to the guide, making it longer and more accurate.

I only use a circular saw and guide to trim doors to fit the opening.

Sure, with enough practice that's a possibility. I think the finish carpenter I last used did this kind of work by taking a circular saw, holding the bottom plate with his fingers and using his hand as the guide from the edge. OP has obviously much less experience, is afraid of his table saw, and doesn't want to practice on 100 doors. So using a guide or fence is probably a pretty good idea.

The circular saw guides in my experience DO work, but you have to make sure you are pushing the saw evenly forward, which sometimes means one hand on the guide and one on the saw. A straight edge even if it's just a 1x4 is a better option for this scenario, IMHO.

I won't ever install a hollow core door again. They're junk.

 

[jhelrey]

Rip guides work well! I do it all the time. Sometimes I use my planner depending on what I am doing. A planer is less likely to screw up.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Well, it's a 34 hour drive for the OP to take him up on that...

I did not see that! I guess a quick trip back and forth with some beers is out of the question...

Jim