Is an electric planer right for trimming a door (Ed.)

[Gilwern]

Hi there,

I need to take a very small amount off this door: around 2 mm. Would an electric planer be the best fit for this?

I am a little concerned that a planer wouldn't be right for the green and yellow sections.

I am beginner though, so may be completely wrong.

Many thanks
Gil

 

[johnny2007]

Yes, planer is the right tool.
Plane a little at the time, not 2mm all at once, so you'll have less sanding to do.

 

[foxhole]

You have to plane from the ends towards the centre or a power plane will rip the end.

 

[Gilwern]

Thanks for the help. I'll give it a go tomorrow using this advice.

 

[Diver Fred]

Check the hinge side of the doorway is upright with a level (or plumb bob). Hopefully the floor will be square to the hinge side door lining - check if you can.
Carefully mark up the door with the amount you wish to remove. Is it top or bottom? I think from your picture it's the bottom you are trimming back.

If it's square starting from the hinge side of the door mark up the amount you wish to remove. Draw a line SQUARE to the hinge side (3/4/5 triangle).
Do that both side of the door.

Make sure the door is supported securely.

Start planning by only planing the outer 100mm/4in from the door edge to towards the middle - once you have removed the material down to the line on both sides/edges then you can carefully plane off the middle section. Once at the line chamfer off the sharp edges.

Measure carefully, twice; work slowly.

 

[mrrusty]

It's far easier with a track saw. Keeping an electric planer perfectly flat on the end of a door takes a very steady hand.

 

[opps]

It's far easier with a track saw. Keeping an electric planer perfectly flat on the end of a door takes a very steady hand.

Agreed.

A track saw only needs the track to be clamped to the door. A planer will often require the door to be clamped to prevent it moving.

That said, if the OP only has a planer, buying a track saw might be an unnecessary expense.

 

[johnny2007]

Yes, yes, yes...
Even easier if you use a laser industrial cutter...
It's the bottom of a door ffs!
The floor might not be perfectly levelled, so maybe it needs a bit more shaven on one side.
Op, if you haven't done it before, follow these instructions.
1. With door hung, use a 3 or 4 mm spacer and pencil to mark your cutting line, so that once planed, the door will be 3 or 4 mm off the floor.
2. Check that the line you've marked is ok with door closed, half way open and fully open. Adjust line accordingly (or leave it if it's fine).
3. Take door off and secure it horizontally in a workbench or improvised device, as long as it is at least 8 inches off the floor and steady.
4. Report your mark on the other side of the door if you haven't done so.
5. Set the planer to 0.5mm or near enough (some do 0.4)
6. Hold your planer FLAT with the bottom of the door by the plate knob.
7. Start the planer and, keeping pressure on the plate knob, pass it all along the edge to shave. Don't rush.
8. If your line is parallel to the existing bottom of the door, keep passing the planer all along and you'll be fine. If your line tells you to shave more on one side than the other, plane straight until you almost hit the line at the shortest point. Then pass the planer again starting from where it needs more shaving and lift it off once you reach the point that it's already planed enough. Make sure you're almost hitting both marks on both sides of the door, in other words, keep the planer plate flat.
9. Once you've planed all along the line, do one last pass at the smallest setting to flatten it all up and reach the lines that you ALMOST hit.
10. Give the sharp edges a little sanding and re-install the door.

You could skip point 9 and use a sander for this, but it gets dusty.

 

[aveatry]

It's far easier with a track saw. Keeping an electric planer perfectly flat on the end of a door takes a very steady hand.

Yes I must have planed "miles" of 2 inch wide type stuff and am always conscious of trying to keep it square but i still manage to plane it slanted. But if the poster is only doing 2mm then he wont have time to plane it slanted, its only when i am taking a lot off that the slant becomes visible.
I now keep checking the angle and swap over let to right also sometimes i scribble on the wood so I can tell if I am not square.

 

[opps]

Yes, yes, yes...
Even easier if you use a laser industrial cutter...
It's the bottom of a door ffs!
The floor might not be perfectly levelled, so maybe it needs a bit more shaven on one side.
Op, if you haven't done it before, follow these instructions.
1. With door hung, use a 3 or 4 mm spacer and pencil to mark your cutting line, so that once planed, the door will be 3 or 4 mm off the floor.
2. Check that the line you've marked is ok with door closed, half way open and fully open. Adjust line accordingly (or leave it if it's fine).
3. Take door off and secure it horizontally in a workbench or improvised device, as long as it is at least 8 inches off the floor and steady.
4. Report your mark on the other side of the door if you haven't done so.
5. Set the planer to 0.5mm or near enough (some do 0.4)
6. Hold your planer FLAT with the bottom of the door by the plate knob.
7. Start the planer and, keeping pressure on the plate knob, pass it all along the edge to shave. Don't rush.
8. If your line is parallel to the existing bottom of the door, keep passing the planer all along and you'll be fine. If your line tells you to shave more on one side than the other, plane straight until you almost hit the line at the shortest point. Then pass the planer again starting from where it needs more shaving and lift it off once you reach the point that it's already planed enough. Make sure you're almost hitting both marks on both sides of the door, in other words, keep the planer plate flat.
9. Once you've planed all along the line, do one last pass at the smallest setting to flatten it all up and reach the lines that you ALMOST hit.
10. Give the sharp edges a little sanding and re-install the door.

You could skip point 9 and use a sander for this, but it gets dusty.

Keeping a planer level at 8 inches off the floor is incredibly difficult. Waist height, IMO, is ideal.

I don't see the point of trying to scribe the underside of a door to the floor. If the floor dips when the door is closed, on the balance of probability, the middle of the door will (potentially) hit the floor as you open it.

I get your point about opening the door as wide as possible though.

 

[johnny2007]

If the floor dips when the door is closed, on the balance of probability, the middle of the door will (potentially) hit the floor as you open it.

That's why you scribe it in different positions and find the best compromise.