How to fill hinge and latch recesses

[Ray K]

I'm permanently removing a door. How do I fill the recesses that the hinges fitted into? They are about 1/8" deep by 3.25 x 1.25". They will be painted. Can't just smear it with wood filler, because I'm also trying to get a sharp corner at the 1/4" reveal at the casing.

On the other side of the door, I have to fill in the deep holes required by the deadbolt and doorknob latches. Can't use a dowel for the deadbolt latch because it's like a big circle with flat sides. On second thought, maybe I should use a large 1.5" dowel and sand the sides to the 1" width of the hole. Then just glue or nail in in place and use wood filler to make everything flush before sanding and painting.

Thanks,

Ray

[hrhofmann]

If it is to be painted, sawdust and wood glue mixed to a paste will fill in and stick, just wait a few days for it to really set up before sanding it down.

[fftt]

Bondo or an epoxy structural repair product (like abatron.com WoodEpox); once cured either can easily be worked like wood

or

SIKA Sikadur AnchorFix #3 (10oz standard caulking gun form factor) available at SoCal Home Depot's

you have to let it set up a bit so you can form it and have it hold its shape.

AnchorFix #1 sets up VERY fast but its "sanded" so its a bit harder to get smooth.

cheers Bob

[RicodJour]

Bondo. You can get sharp corners with Bondo. Use a strip of something taped to the casing to give you the reveal, sand the Bondo until it is smooth and matches up.

R

[David Nebenzahl]

On 5/18/2009 8:51 PM hr(bob) [e-mail] spake thus:

Yuck.

You could do it that way; you could also do it right. Cut wood pieces to fill the mortises. Glue them in, sand down flush, fill any gaps with filler, sand again, then paint.

A little more work; a much better result.

[dadiOH]

Bondo

dadiOH

[aemeijers]

I think Norm Abrams calls it a dutchman. Square up the hole to be filled with your sharpest chisel, and glue in a thin slice of similar wood, fitted as tightly as you can. Make the slice slightly thicker, and if it is on an edge, slightly wider than the hole.When the glue has set up hard (patience is called for), plane, sand, and trim till the glued in block is flush. Do it well, and no putty is needed, and once primed and painted, it vanishes. Had to do that on a new exterior door frame down at my other house over Xmas last year. Came out great. Putty alone is unlikely to work- even if you get it smooth, it expands and contracts at different rates than the wood, and usually cracks. I have seen bondo used, but the results were not as good as the traditional method. No need to fill the deadbolt hole itself unless you want to, just fill the square hole where the striker plate went.

-- aem sends...

[RicodJour]

I've seen Bondo on cars flake off in big chunks. If you apply the stuff correctly, it will be invisible and will last as long as the door will.

If the door was stained, I'd go the matching wood Dutchman route. Then it would be worth the extra time and effort.

R

[fftt]

Isnt he filling the "holes" in the frame?

cheers Bob

[RicodJour]

Yep, punting the door and patching the jambs. I thought wood but typed door. Thanks for the pick-up.

R