Carpet was fitted today and I need to trim about 15mil from the bottom of the bedroom doors, 3 of them. I bought a planer (Ryobi) battery powered on the recommendation of B&Q. He said a circular saw would shred the door as its hollow, also looks and feels like an office door. Shiny brown, highly polished.
Any tips on doing a good job please?
Thanks yet again Sam
Samantha Booth coughed up some electrons that declared:
Watch for pins, nails and staples. Nicked the blade on my planer doing exactly what you are about to.
Also, work from both ends towards the middle. Classic schoolboy error with planing, but it was the first use of an electric for me. Somehow I thought it would be different. It wasn't - knocked a sliver of wood off the corner on the way out.
I would also mark it up in pencil too, both sides. 15mm is a lot off and what starts off as a nice 90 deg level base won't be after a few passes, unless you have something to work too.
I don't make many mistakes, because I usually worry a lot and plan well, but that job was a total c*ck up, mostly because I thought it would be easy.
Turned out OK, but I had to fiddle around correcting mistakes I need not have made.
You might actually be better off using a good hand saw for 15 mm, then a couple of light passes with the plane to tidy the edge.
Despite it being hollow, as mine were, there's usually a good bit of solid wood at the bottom IME.
HTH
Cheers
Tim
Yes, take the planer back and get a (mains powered) circular saw.
Cordless planers are designed for taking off a light pass (1mm or less), and a little skill is required to produce good results. Trying to take lots of passes to take off 15mm would be tricky.
Yes the door is probably hollow, but you're trimming off part of the solid timbers that make up the outer edge of the door and to which the two thin "faces" of ply either side is attached.
The CC should come with a fence so you can set it to take off 15mm. Or you can clamp a batten on for the saw to follow. Set the depth to to just cut right through. Be careful to avoid any screws or nails. Be highly aware of the blade protruding through the bottom of the cut, and what it may come in contact with. A CC is a but fierce the first time you use one, but with very little practice it will produce consistently good results.
As always, practice with a new tool on some scrap first.
I am completely cack handed with an electric plane so I won't offer you any advice. But I do admire you for trying so many new things almost at the same time.
I don't think I have ever known one person to be on so many steep learning curves at once!
Good luck.
Yes, use a circular saw. A handsaw will suffice, but will be hard work, take a lot longer, and gives a poor finish. Be aware that you may hit screws/nails when you cut through, so it could damage a saw tooth, or damage the planer if you use that.
If you do cut off the bottom rail of the door, then you will need to fit the cut off piece back in the door to give it some strength at the bottom, otherwise it will quickly start separating the 2 outer panels at the bottom. Alan.
Put a pencil line along both faces (front and back) of the door at the point you want to stop planing. Plane from door edge to centre from each side. This will prevent the plane from splitting the timber on the exit side of the cut. You might end up with a convex curve, but this is of no consequence as the plane can still bite in to remove it, by starting somewhere along the door away from it's edge. There will be a problem if you take too much off at the middle of the door (concave shape) as you can't put it back if you take too much off.
Ideally, the door should be held firmly and have the edge to be planed at about waist, or chest height, so a work mate vice might be of help. Be warned that an electric plane will throw wood chips out at 90 degrees from the direction of planing, unless it has a dust bag, so do this outside if there if no dust bag. And get some goggles, just in case.
Also, look at the end of the edge you are planing, just to make sure that it is square to the face of the door, and keep an eye on the pencil lines. I tend to wander off at an angle when I have a lot to trim off.
I've got to ask...
How thick is the carpet?
Dave
Remove the door first!
You have had pretty pmuchj all te advice.15mm is far too much for a plane,and its either circular saw territory or a nice new sharp cheap handsaw.
15mm is also pretty close to ripping off the internal bit of frame: consider taking 7.5mm off each end, and then revrsing the door and making new hinge slots, or sod it and get a better door and start again.
Hi agin Sammy,you got any clamps? clamp two pieces of wood the lenght of both sides of the door at the rquired amount to take off...this will then stop any splintering of the sides. On the end of one side of the door pin a piece of wood at the same level of the other two pieces,this will stop the plane shattering the end of the doors side. Use the plane at a slight angle to the door,this will stop you gouging the end of the planes sweep. Try to sweep the plane across the door edge in one continuous sweep without stopping.
I prefer to use a router for trimming the end of doors,gives a better finish without damage.
My TC blades are quite happy to take on nails and screws if I go slowly :-)
The bottom rail of the door is about 2 or more inches deep, at 15 mm of removal, there will be no danger of cutting it out.
Dave
Well you could hire a door saw so you don't have to take the door off it's hinges. 15mm with a planer is a lot of work and as others have pointed out keeping the thing square might be tricky.
Personally I'd check if the door is hollow or not, tap it... Then remove it, a hollow door is nice and light a solid ones are surprisingly heavy. If hollow I'd remove the bit of wood in the bottom first, 15mm is going to reduce the bit left that considerably. Removal might be fun depending on how well it is stuck to the skins, thin blade tapped along might be required. Cut the 15mm off with a hand saw, check that enough has been removed just a screw in the top and bottom hinges, then glue the bottom rail back in and rehang the door properly.
Looking at a door catalogue the other day, think it said 6mm is the max. they recommend you remove from any one side/edge! Mind, there is a fair chance you will get away with it.
If you haven't used it yet, I would take it back and get a mains one. A planer only works welll when the blade is running at very high speed. I suspect that a battery one will not run at full speed after just a few minutes of use.
If the door is hollow where you are cutting, how will the planer not shred it? IMHO (and please do tell me if I am wrong folks) a circular saw with a fine toothed blade, guided by a batten clamped to the door, is your best bet. If, having done that, the door still needs a little adjustment, that is when a planer becomes a sensible option.
You are likely to cause some splintering along the edge of the door whatever you use. Suggest you at least apply masking tape along the line of the cut.
The door catalogue was also explicit about sealing all edges as soon as they have been cut - with paint, varnish, whatever makes sense.
Unless it was trimmed to fit,
LOL Thanks Bruce. Thing is if I dont ask and do it myself I will never learn. I have done three of the bedrooms, gloss is perfect now, filled walls, plastered one, made my own T&G bath panel from white pvc t&g which really looks nice, fitted an outdoor socket a waterpoof one and also fitted a tap outside today. I have made mistakes, loads but with everyones help here I feel I can do it right. I have opened the planer now, I wonder if B&Q will have it back???
There is an easier way Sammy...rising butt hinges :-)
I think you'll do a faster, and better job if you got yourself a mains plane rather than the battery. It may also be worthwhile using a saw (circular or hand) to take off the first 10-12mm. If you use a circular saw take care not to mark the face of the door as the sole-plate of the saw travels across it.
Draw pencil lines on each of the door's faces to mark how much to take off, work from the edges inwards (unless you want to knock splinters off the door edges) and use a carpenter's square to check how square and flat the edge is as you go along: it'll almost certainly be convex after a couple of runs with the plane.
All the above still fresh in my mind after replacing all 18 internal doors last year!
Best of luck.
Hi dave
Very thick pile, good foam underlay too. two are just snagging, one door needs between 1cm and 2 off. I dont want to damage the carpet by dragging the door all the time.
They have a very good returns policy, so It shouldn't be a problem
Understood.
Dave
Forgot to say....
There were three CS I liked. First DeWalt-mains powered, secondly Makita Mains, thirdly was a evolution. He said this will cut metal, nails screws etc no problem so if I hit one on the door its not a problem. He did say a CS wouldnt be any god as the cut will be terribly jagged and would look bad with a cs.?????
If it did is there any kind of trim I can buy, or plastic cover that goes on the bottom, getting worried not I have bought the wrond tool.
Anyone know if B&Q will take it back unused??? but opened
Tell the you wish to swop it for a circular saw as you have had a few recommendations that the CS is best for cutting 15mm off the door rather than use a planer. ;-)
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