filling hinge mortises?

[N8N]

Hi all

got a used paneled door to hang in my spare bedroom in place of the original one which just wasn't there when we bought the house. I need to fill the mortises for the hinge on the door (or the jamb, doesn't matter, really, but the door needs to be repainted after I'm done anyway so I figured I'd do that) and chisel new ones in a different location. I'm trying to think what to buy when I go to the store; shim stock or shingles could be made to work but would require a lot of planing/sanding, is there any wood product that you can think of that is flat and 3/16" or more thick (but obviously not so thick that it would require excessive planing/sanding when done) I thought of using paint sticks but I think they will be too narrow. (3-1/2" hinges) they did save my butt once on an old paned window though; someone had busted the thin bit of a mullion and a paint stick shaped with a knife was just the right size my landlord thought I was a genius... (he was easily impressed)

thanks

nate

[dpb]

N8N wrote: ...

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A small piece of pine w/ decent grain and a (sharp) block plane will make quick work of it.

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[jamesgangnc]

I too always keep a supply of free paint stirring sticks around for small wood tasks. Lowes has some "big" ones for the 5 gallon cans. They are thicker.

[willshak]

N8N wrote the following:

Go to AC Moore, Michaels, or other hobby store and pick up some hobby/craft Basswood planks (not balsa). They are about 2' or 3' long, 3" or 4" wide, and various thicknesses. AAMOF, I have a left over piece in my hand that is 3/16" thick and 3" wide. This particular piece was cut and is currently 17" long. I built dollhouse furniture with it.

[N8N]

Ah, so they do sell same? I have a Michael's on my way home from work, I will def. check this out. I knew there had to be an easy solution, just couldn't think of it.

nate

[jamesgangnc]

Not a particularly cheap soltion as hobby wood is well made and nicely finished. I used to use it in RC gliders.

[N8N]

if it saves me time, it's worth it. Besides, I think I paid $12 for the door at the architectural salvage (that's a fancy phrase for "house junkyard.") Probably already paid more than that for the hinges, I don't recall.

nate

[Wayne Whitney]

The first thing that comes to my mind is architectural epoxy filler, but I happen to have some lying around. It is fairly expensive, but if you expect to have to do something similar again, or to do any exterior wood repair, it would be worth it. If you get a small quantity and want to conserve it, you can embed any pieces of wood you have that are undersized, like the paintsticks pieces you mention.

My prefered filler is the one from advancedrepair.com, although my experience is far from exhaustive.

Cheers, Wayne

[dadiOH]

You can stick in any wood as a dutchman but you are still going to have to fill in where there is a less than perfect joint. There will be. Instead of wood, save yourself some time and buy a can of Bondo (auto body filler) at any auto store, maybe a borg or paint store too.

Scoop some out on something disposable, add catalyst and mix well. VERY well. Use a broad knife and lay itnto the mortices slightly high. It sets quickly and once it is no longer rubbery but not yet totally hard (maybe 30 minutes) slick it off flush with a chisel or file. Once totally hard, sand. If you wind up with pinholes, just skim on another coat. Once all is flush, paint. You'll never know it is there. And no, you don't need epoxy.

[KC]

Drywall mud.

[Colbyt]

I would do exactly what dadiOH suggests except I would use those famous paint sticks stapled or clamped to the face of the door to create a bridge for the trowel to ride. This creates a finished edge on the door face. Then just follow his directions. If you need to mortise out part of the bondo later for your new hinges, it is no big deal. It cuts and mortises just like wood.

[RicodJour]

It's a toss up between cutting wood or using Bondo. They'd both take about the same amount of time, once you figured in planing or sanding to get a smooth surface, but I'd go with wood because I don't like sanding resins unless I have to.

The Borg sells thin wood in small sizes, as does any crafts store. If you go to a Sherwin Williams store and ask nicely, they'll give you some large paint stirrers that are used for bigger buckets.

Are the existing hinge mortises so far off that you can't re-use the locations?

R

[dpb]

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As OP said, one or the other pair -- it's old work door in existing frame so they don't match up...

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[Nate Nagel]

Yes, I'd have to have a helper hold the door in the exact location to tell, but I'm not even sure if there's any overlap. Definitely at least

2" off on each hinge. (higher on upper, lower on lower - need help because door is a little short but that's OK because I have a nice persian rug in that room so the clearance is helpful)

nate

[RicodJour]

Yes, that was my question. I wasn't clear on your description - whether you were going to move them a bit or a lot. You could of course get some 5.5" or 6" hinges and just cover everything up. ;)

R

[aemeijers]

And we have a winner! Don't over-think this, it isn't that hard. Square up the hinge mortises with a sharp chisel, and cut a square-cornered tight-fitting plug slightly too thick, and glue it in place. Maybe pin it with a brad till glue dries, if you don't have a convenient way to stack weights on it. I think I used Gorilla Glue last time, because it was handy, but yellow carpenter glue is the traditional material. Resist the urge to touch it until the glue tries, and then plane and sand. Once painted, you won't even be able to find it.

[Nate Nagel]

right, but the reason I was asking was that I don't have a table saw, so no way to make thin pieces of pine from scrap 2x4 or what have you. I know, I really *should* get one, but...

nate

[aemeijers]

For a tiny job like this, one of the 5-buck plastic miter boxes and saws will work fine. Just buy a stick of trim at the borg- labeled 'screen mold', probably- and cut the ends square. They will have something pretty close. You can whittle the width pretty close with a fresh blade in a utility knife. For that matter, for pine that thin, you could make all the cuts with a utility knife, if you are patient and have a good square. You only need to end up with one flat face, and 3 flat edges- the rest will be handled by the planing and sanding.

These are the kind of jobs Harbor Freight tools are good for. Something you'll probably only do once every five years.

-- aem sends...

[dpb]

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Hell, for this you could split off a piece w/ a chisel from a piece of wunbafor...

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[Harry K]

Dunno if It has been mentioned. In my 'rehab a shack' project I had several places that need filling. Drywall mud does a wonderful job of it. Takes multiple coats due to the shrinkage and then some sanding. As long as it is only to level the surface for paint and has no stress on it it seems to last forever. I did some in uh....around mid 80s and it is still perfect.

Harry K