Hanging/Trimming Door Slab

[Buck Turgidson]

I have some cheap beat-up luan doors in my house that I want to replace. I can buy the 6-panel pine slabs for about 1/2 the cost of pre-hung solid pine, and will probably go that route since the existing door casing and frames are in perfect condition, and the underlying framing should support the extra weight.

I suspect that the edge will have to be trimmed by a 1/8 or 1/4, and I know that the strike side of the door should be bevelled 3 to 5 degrees.

So I am debating in my mind the best way:

1) Can I get by aggressively sanding the edge with a random orbital sander, taking off wood, and bevelling at the same time? Time consuming, no doubt. But will it be effective?

2) Should I carefully rip with a skilsaw set on a bevel using a clamped straight-edge, and then sand the saw marks? In theory, it sounds easy, but I doubt that would hold in practice, having to worry about the kerf, any accidental wiggle in the saw, etc.

3) Buy an electric planer (about the cost of 1 pre-hung door)? I've never used one. Obviously they can shave down the edge, but can they bevel at the same time?

4) Belt sander?

Thanks for any advice.

[Eric Scantlebury]

I've replace three luan doors in my house so far with the pine. I use option 2 but don't bevel the edges (The luan wasn't beveled). It works perfectly. You can buy a straight edge at the Borg for this purpose (it's an aluminum edge guide for a circular saw). I used an 80 tooth smooth plywood blade made by dewault and got a perfect edge on all the doors.

[mp]

You might consider bevelling the hinge side as well. About 1 degree or so.

Any of those methods will work. The concern with the sanders is maintaining a consistent edge. It can be done but you have to be careful and keep the sander moving constantly. . The skilsaw still needs to have the cut cleaned up and you risk damaging the finish on the door as you slide it across. For a small trim and bevel I'd just mark the door on on either side (one for the trim and one to define the bevel) and remove the material with a handplane.

[Buck Turgidson]

Thanks for the input. I am ebarassed to ask: What is a "Borg"? Is it a store?

[Tom]

Buck wrote:.>I have some cheap beat-up luan doors in my house that I want to replace. I

To make the trimming cuts, use a "sawboard", a couple of clamps and your circular saw. Here's how to make a sawboard, just mind the text wrap:

Tom Someday, it'll all be over....

[Eric Scantlebury]

(Big orange retail giant) - Home Depot.

[Mike Marlow]

You should not have to bevel your edges. A door will open and close just fine with a square edge as long as there's enough margin between the jam and the door. I wouldn't lose any sleep trying to get a 5 degree bevel if it were me.

[Patrick Olguin]

Check the new door - it may already be beveled. If not, then use a marking gauge to set the depth of the bevel (you're basically marking one face of the door. Mark the ends as well, and then use a jack plane to plane down to that mark. If you're nervous about planing unevenly, scribble pencil on the edge of the door, and then plane off the scribble marks (you'll want to make your scribbles beginning on the leading edge of the door or you're going to take the whole thing down, sans a bevel, and you don't want that).

For the other side, where you're going to have to trim, if you've got

1/4" or more, it'd be easier to use a skilsaw with its flimsy fence (they don't work that bad, actually), and then plane the rest down with a.... you guessed it, a jack plane.

A decent jack plane can be had on ebay at any moment, for about $25 + shipping. Even the most hard-over Normite can use a jack plane for something besides a paperwight.

O'Deen

[DanG]

Mike, I sure hope you never try to hang commercial 1 3/4 doors with hard wood stiles with your method and hope to get them past the inspector, architect, or owner.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

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[Buck Turgidson]

Oh. In my area we call them Bforg.

[Mike Marlow]

Well - I've never hung commercial doors for architects but I've hung a ton of standard residential doors and I know that you do not need a bevel on the leading edge. Standard margins allow enough room for the door to swing without contacting the jam. The OP was asking about residential doors so I suppose your 1 3/4 door really does not apply to his question.

[Greg Millen]

you know something Paddy, you're right as usual. An old $5 jack, two screws through the base into a piece of scrap makes for a mighty impressive push stick - thanks!

Groggy

[Eric Ryder]

I usually skilsaw them to a line and finish up with a block plane ('cause that's the only one in the truck:)