And will no doubt be totally blunt which then leads to acquiring another skill and equipment in sharpening them.
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Cutting and hanging internal doors a DIY job?
- Thread starter markyyyyyy
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You need to measure the door aperture in the door lining (frame) top, middle and bottom. Also measure the height at both sides. Record those measurements. Hopefully the door aperture will be a standard size. If it isn't then you should buy doors the next size up, you have a maximum of 16mm (8mm for each side) that can be trimmed off if necessary.
Use a spirit level to check for the uprightness of the hinge side of the lining and also the head (top) of the lining is level - if it isn't then you need to make compensation in the door dimentions.
The 'lock' side of the door will be marked on the top.
If it's necessary to trim a door width then you have 3 width measurements to use, Mark a centre line of the door and from that line use half the width measurements less an additional 2mm to the hinge side.
Hopefully the hinge side of the casing is upright, use the biggest square you have to check the hinge side to head is square; if it isn't then now you have to mark up the correction, again you 8mm adjustment to 'play with'.
Once you are happy with the mark ups for the head and hinge side then Mark up the lock side and bottom of the door.
You should have a 2mm gap on the head and hinge side, a maximum of 3mm gap on the lock side and 5mm at the bottom.
If you need to remove more than 8mm from any side then I recommend you employ a carpenter.
Use a spirit level to check for the uprightness of the hinge side of the lining and also the head (top) of the lining is level - if it isn't then you need to make compensation in the door dimentions.
The 'lock' side of the door will be marked on the top.
If it's necessary to trim a door width then you have 3 width measurements to use, Mark a centre line of the door and from that line use half the width measurements less an additional 2mm to the hinge side.
Hopefully the hinge side of the casing is upright, use the biggest square you have to check the hinge side to head is square; if it isn't then now you have to mark up the correction, again you 8mm adjustment to 'play with'.
Once you are happy with the mark ups for the head and hinge side then Mark up the lock side and bottom of the door.
You should have a 2mm gap on the head and hinge side, a maximum of 3mm gap on the lock side and 5mm at the bottom.
If you need to remove more than 8mm from any side then I recommend you employ a carpenter.
A workmate (work bench) is all you need.
I found it easiest, to (taking the above into consideration first) - sawing the door down to size, a little bit over size, enough to allow for planing down. Mark and fix the hinges, then hang the door, have someone hold the door closed, whilst I marked it to perfectly fit the top, and lock side of the frame.
The 'keeping the plane square in use', needs some practice, but note - the lock side of the door shouldn't be perfectly square. The edge which enters the frame first, is supposed to be planed a little more, than the inner edge. So the edge has a very slight angle.
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I made use of many different sizes of window packers. I set myself up a homemade jig to router the hinges. I also had a long router bit to go deep for the latch and handle but then after I found latches that use just 1 butterfly bit.
The angled is so slight that I usually plane it square and then I do a last very light pass on an angle.
In my inexperienced days I planed the angle too much and got a beating from the master carpenter
I soon learned.
I guess you mean a palm router for the hinges? If so, yeah I absolutely agree with you.
I use a small makita router with a fence, by eye (squaring the corners with a chisel). I don't hang enough doors to justify a proper Trend/whoever template.
Last summer, I had to hang 8 new doors for a mate. The door liners were all over the place, bowing in or out. He had only recently redecorated so I couldn't take off the architraves and reset the door liners. Most the trimming was done with my tracksaw, but the curves had to be done with an electric planer.
Fortunately- when it came to the mortice locks, I had previously purchased a Souber DBB. Approx £120, but money well spent. On the down side you need a drill with 2000+ RPM. I had an old corded Metabo drill but it was to heavy/awkward to use with the Souber. I ended up paying an additional £300 for a Metabo cordless drill with a 3000 rpm (plus 5.2 amp hour battery and a aircooled charger). The Souber is well worth the money though
Well you can do it with a workmate - but it's 'kin 'ard work. Doing the sides is passable, but the door wobbles a lot unless you clamp it so tight it risks marking the door. Doing the top & bottom means clamping the side of the door, with the workmate cockled over and working high up in the air.
Wedge the far top/bottom end of the door, into a corner, tight against a heavy cushion, with the end you are working on, raised up on a milk crate, with a cushion on it.
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What do I tend to use when hanging a single door? Not a palm router, or an electric planer. My go-to tool for fitting doors is now a track saw.
Place the door over the opening, shim under it whatever you want the clearance to be and mark the head height for cutting. Whip a track saw across. Position the door in the opening and look at the hinge side - if it isn't an equal gap full height, mark it and cut to size with a track saw. Position door. Mark jamb side for desired clearance. Set track saw with a 2 degree leading edge bevel. Cut to size with the track saw for a 2-3mm clearance. Position the door in the opening and check the fit, and then mark the hinge positions on frame and door. Draw around hinges for the recess size. Marking gauge to score the door face for the hinge depth cut-out to stop break out, Tap tap tap with a chisel and mallet. Fit hinges to door and then with one screw in each hinge to the frame to check fit. Tweak as necessary. - sometimes I do tickle a high spot with a hand plane. Mark and cut for door latch/lock and keep.
With a track saw, the door is worked flat and much easier than trying to plane the edge and you can position the track with mm precision - I tend to use some fold-up horses with some sacrificial 2x3's across to rest the door on. I do tend to clamp the track.
If I'm doing a few doors rather than a single, I do sometimes use a palm router and a home made hinge jig, but not always. Like @opps I also have a souber which is an excellent tool. I drive it with an old green corded bosch drill which works fine.
Place the door over the opening, shim under it whatever you want the clearance to be and mark the head height for cutting. Whip a track saw across. Position the door in the opening and look at the hinge side - if it isn't an equal gap full height, mark it and cut to size with a track saw. Position door. Mark jamb side for desired clearance. Set track saw with a 2 degree leading edge bevel. Cut to size with the track saw for a 2-3mm clearance. Position the door in the opening and check the fit, and then mark the hinge positions on frame and door. Draw around hinges for the recess size. Marking gauge to score the door face for the hinge depth cut-out to stop break out, Tap tap tap with a chisel and mallet. Fit hinges to door and then with one screw in each hinge to the frame to check fit. Tweak as necessary. - sometimes I do tickle a high spot with a hand plane. Mark and cut for door latch/lock and keep.
With a track saw, the door is worked flat and much easier than trying to plane the edge and you can position the track with mm precision - I tend to use some fold-up horses with some sacrificial 2x3's across to rest the door on. I do tend to clamp the track.
If I'm doing a few doors rather than a single, I do sometimes use a palm router and a home made hinge jig, but not always. Like @opps I also have a souber which is an excellent tool. I drive it with an old green corded bosch drill which works fine.
It depends how tall (or short) you are.
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