What would have been a professional way to carve the shape of this door for a good fit?

[Metspitzer]

What would have been a professional way to carve the shape of this door for a good fit?

[Ed Pawlowski]

Very thoughtful of someone to do that. Sure gets lot of attention and brightened the day of many passer-by.

[nestork]

Well, the first rule of any DIY project is that whatever way you think up that gets the job done is fair game.

If I were doing it, I would simply measure the width and height of the opening and take a picture of it with a digital camera.

Then I would use software to enlarge the photo so that the opening in the photo was the same size as I had measured.

Now, print the picture. Most printing companies have large format printers that will allow you to print onto paper much larger than legal size.

Mark the opening on the large format print and cut it out. The cut out is the correct size and shape of the opening you have to work with, and can serve as a template by which to make the door.

You'd still have to do some carving into the tree or around the door to improve the fit, but using a digital photograph would at least give you a good first stab at it.

But, your point is well taken. Where there is no regular geometry to guide you, fitting a door to such a random opening would be largely a trial-and-error exercise whereby you make a crude door and measure how far out it is, and then make another, and gradually zero in on the correct size and shape.

[micky]

I don't think elves use professional methods. They live a communal life where each helps the others. Also no use of power tools, because large humans kept tripping on the extension cords and accidentally ripping them out.

[Jim Elbrecht]

I'm with micky-- The whole idea of 'all elves are master craftsmen' is off base. They have more important things to do than to make perfect corners and tight fits. After all, before the door, there was *no* door there.

And next week the tree will change its shape. Better to concentrate on bringing whimsy to the world than to obsess over things being perfect.

Neat article-- I was sure it was going to end with an arrest.

Jim

[Jon Danniken]

I would think using cardboard and newsprint stock would make a better practice template than the final material the door is made of, but then I'm not an elf.

Jon

[DerbyDad03]

Do they have little tiny 20% off coupons?

[nestork]

The problem is that as soon as you start pressing the cardboard against the tree to make a door template, that cardboard won't be vertical anymore but will rest againste the tree at the same angle as the base of the tree. And the resulting profile will be different than what you'd need for a vertical door to fit the same opening.

Maybe the elves just hire wood nymphs to do their carpentry.

[DerbyDad03]

Call these guys and ask...

[micky]

These may be New Order Elves.

They've dispensed with fairy dust and so their doors don't fit magically anymore. (Their leader, Elf Ron Elf, calls it "progress".)

[The Daring Dufas]

It's a fake, real elf doors and windows magically fit any opening. I didn't see any sparkling fairy dust around the door either. o_O

TDD

[The Daring Dufas]

You mean it's one of those make work jobs programs from the EGC, Elf Governing Council? Lazy unskilled elves are being put to work doing jobs they're unqualified for? Well I suppose San Francisco elves tend to be the most Liberal of all and an EGC Un-magical Action program to put the stupid slacker elves to work is no surprise. o_O

TDD

[Harry K]

Shade tree method: one or two pairs of pliers, wire coathanger.

Harry K

[krw]

I wish HF would stop spamming me with them. ;-)