Hanging Doors

[bourbon]

and remember, your missus will get you 20% off at screwfix for any tools

 

[baldkev]

A good trick is ( if the lining looks good and door #should fit # ) you can tack the stops roughly in place and the put the door in the hole to check ( making sure the hinge side of door is on the correct side, as lighweight doors usually have the lock side marked clearly on the top of the door, bacuse they set a block of chipboard in that side for the latch )

By trying it in place, you get to see if the lining and door look good before cutting hinges. You just bounce your hand off the door top to make it spring back out, or, if your worried, stick a gaffa tape tag to the top so you can pull it out easily.

 

[Jacob]

..... ( dont close the door unless youve fitted the handles ) ....

but if you do - cheapo steel cutlery may fit if the handles are thin enough. Just been painting a door with the handles and hardware off, but a fork on one side and a spoon in the other - jammed in handles first, work fine to turn the latch. Might just leave them there, who needs knobs!

 

[Doug71]

£400 isn't the cheapest but it also isn't over the top for making a good job of hanging 4 awkward doors.

I have a Trend hinge jig but it only comes out if they are brand new doors and casings and then there needs to be at least five or six of them to warrant it.

 

[baldkev]

but if you do - cheapo steel cutlery may fit if the handles are thin enough. Just been painting a door with the handles and hardware off, but a fork on one side and a spoon in the other - jammed in handles first, work fine to turn the latch. Might just leave them there, who needs knobs!

Ages ago, i had some spare spindles hanging about and welded 2 together in a T shape. I keep it in my pocket, so if a door blows shut of i close it without thinking, ive got a quick easy way to open it again
I used to use a big flathead and wedge it in the latch spindle hole diagonally

 

[Chris70]

I'm no chippy, but I made these purchases to help me hang 14 doors. First, I recommend buying these:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/winbag-inflatable-air-wedge-160mm-160-x-160mm/1363k
My doors seemed very heavy for an old git like me, but the Winbags definitely lightened the load - they made hanging the doors 'a doddle'. These were the exact doors I'd bought:

OAK COTTAGE PRE-FINISHED

I strongly recommend buying two Winbags - together they work really well.

I did like the "fighting chance" comment from @baldkev about Spirit Levels. I now use my biggest Level in conjunction with my next size down Level, as my biggest Level is not accurate - now I just use it to check for straightness. (With a 'dodgy' Level you can drive yourself mad, checking and re-checking).

And another thing, when us DIY-wallies tackle small jobs, like hanging one door, there'll be no room for error. I'd say Tradesmen typically 'have a big advantage' simply because they'd often be hanging a dozen or so, which means if (as I did) they ****-up one door, say, they fit the hinges on the wrong side, they can re-purpose that door elsewhere. I made some mistakes, quite easily done, but overcame those by relocating the faux pas into another door lining. Something you just can't do if you're hanging one door!

I confess I got my chippy to install the door linings in my refurb, but did the hanging of the doors myself. I reckon I did a brilliant job, even if I say so myself This time, I had the advantage because his team would have done the job in hours, whereas I took months - but being a perfectionist, my work is spot on.

And I used a 'Makita' palm router with Robin Clevett's hinge jig. Again, not essential, but very helpful.

https://www.robc.co.uk/product/the-76mm-hinge-jig-uk-only/
Some might scoff at the price, of two bits of mrmdf and a router bit, but I'd say it was money well spent.

Chris

 

[Jameshow]

To give yourself a fighting chance.....

Start by checking your levels are in fact level in all bubbles and your square / squares are truly square.
Get each level and place it against a flat surface ( horizontal and vertical need to be checked )
Look carefully at the bubble placement, then rotate the level round 180°, keeping the vial in the same location ( i.e dont spin it end to end, just rotate it ) then recheck the bubble carefully. If the bubble is in a different location, its not level.

Put your square against a properly flat edge, mark along the square. Spin the square over 180° and hold it against your line. If they dont line up properly, it isnt square.

Now the linings.... start on the hanging side. Check it for level.... i mean really check it. Take in any bow in the frame, look across it's face from one edge to the other from top to bottom to check it isnt twisting. If its good, check the head for level and hold your square against it for good measure. If its out, make a note of how much and which way. I.e if it rises towards the latch side, you need to allow for trimming that when you mark your hinges.

Now measure the width, top, middle and bottom. If its equal and the latch side isnt twisting etc, you need to bone the lining.
No, i dont mean rub yourself against it
Stand offset to the lining so you can eye through the leading edge of one side to the back edge of the other ( like in my photo, excuse the mess )
This shows if the door is likely to sit flush along the closing edge of the latch side, or if it'll stick out top or bottom.

Hopefully now you know what the lining is like and what needs trimming.

Assuming youve made any relevant allowance on the head if its out of level, next you mark your hinges.
Normally we measure 6" down from the top of the door and 9"up from bottom and i centre any middle hinges between the other 2.
If your linings already have hinge recesses, match those on your door. If not, cut the door ones, check your measures, then transfer to the lining, adding 3mm gap at the top. I.e a 150mm hinge position on door means 153mm down from head of lining.
Cut them out. Mark the screw holes and predrill 1 screw hole in each hinge. Try it for size, fixing off the first screw in each hinge. It worked? Great, drill out the other screw positions and fix it off. If not, at least you only have 1 hole in the wrong place on each hinge and not all 4!

I have lots of wedges around and i usually put a pair of wedges under each side of the door and lift the door to height using the wedges, so you aren't fighting to align a door and screw it home at the same time.

Packers are fab for aligning too.

We need a video kev!!

 

[Mark65]

Thanks baldkev, thats informative, 2 doors already have hinges but one was faced the wrong way in and the casings are already in so its making the best of what's there, there's nothing straight in this house lol, walls run out horizontally and vertically, I thought a house built in the 60`s would be bob on.... but not.
the original hardwood doors were not faced or planed but the joker who put the new ones in had planed half way down on side one leaving a step on two doors so its a rescue really just to try and make them look ok.
Tools to buy so far:
Makita RT0700CX4 1/4" Router £65, Plunge part maybe later £60
Robin Clevett jig with bit ( a tad pricey £52) or alternative
Windbags x2 £24

 

[Doug71]

@Mark65 it says the Robin Clevett jig works on linings without the stops fitted but you say you have casings so it would only work for the hinge cut outs on your doors.

For the few you have to do I would just mark around the hinge with a Stanley knife, chisel the cut line a bit deeper then route out to within a couple of mill of that line. It helps to use a bit of MDF or similar to pack out the rebates in the casings to run the router on.

 

[Doug71]

I use the trend lock jig to make the hole for the latch but to get the depth you need a big 1/2 router to get down 70 mm.

The Festool Domino 700 makes short work of cutting mortises for latches and locks, great tool, really quick and accurate to use

 

[Mark65]

Hi Doug71, yes I thought that might be the best way after looking at it thanks. that small router bit looks good, I will practice on a few pieces of timber first. The domino is out of my range, that's something I cant justify lol.

 

[Chris70]

@Mark65 it says the Robin Clevett jig works on linings without the stops fitted but you say you have casings so it would only work for the hinge cut outs on your doors.

For the few you have to do I would just mark around the hinge with a Stanley knife, chisel the cut line a bit deeper then route out to within a couple of mill of that line. It helps to use a bit of MDF or similar to pack out the rebates in the casings to run the router on.

@Doug71 Only yesterday, I discovered the Robin Clevett jig doesn't work on linings without stop fitted but with architrave fitted, but I guess that's obvious if you think about it. Just saying.

You may wonder why I fitted architrave before hanging my door. Well, it was to firm up some springy engineered flooring which was hindering me fitting a homemade threshold bar. (I've made all my threshold bars out of engineered flooring off-cuts. When I saw the price and quality of what B&Q and others were offering I decided to make my own. What's more, they really match perfectly. How could they not? )

 

[Doug71]

@Doug71 Only yesterday, I discovered the Robin Clevett jig doesn't work on linings without stop fitted but with architrave fitted, but I guess that's obvious if you think about it. Just saying.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear.

As I understand it the jig has to be used on linings (which are just flat) before the stops and architraves are fitted. The OP refers to his casings which will already be rebated for the doors so the jig won't work with them.

 

[XTiffy]

I have a Souber DBB door lock and latch morticer, unfortunately you are a bit far from me or I would lend you it. It uses an electric drill (3,000 rpm, so battery drills are not fast enough, I use a really cheap 240 volt drill)). If you look on Utube Robin Clevett demonstrated one on a build. I have built four houses and it is real time saver with great accuracy. I believe they are stocked by Axminster tools. When installing locks it is important that the recess is only just wide enough for the lock to keep as much material either side of the lock or latch as is possible.

I don't know if you can hire one, though I thought I saw one for sale on this forum recently. Robin Clevett also shows how to fit doors and its trim too.
I have also used the traditional spade bit and chisel method but it takes very accurate drilling and careful chisel work. The hinge recesses are easy with a sharp chisel and mallet, no need for a router (though I have done that too!), only use a hammer if the chisel is designed for it.

 

[Mark65]

Hi, I didn't think that jig will work after a closer look, I may just free hand it and finish with chisels, or look for a smaller jig, the wife says try someone else but I'm getting tired of the messing, as two doors have handles and hinges and gives I would think it would be a day rate job, about £250. I'm still planning on having a go though.

 

[rogxwhit]

I wouldn't worry about jigs or special tools for just four doors. If your craft skills are still in embryo you're going to have to learn them on the job but hopefully you're a fast learner?

The work with tools is only half the story. The knowledge of procedure (the work plan) is the other half, and in a way comes first. In other words, you do things in a certain logical order which lead to a satisfactory conclusion. Certainly, for the sides and top of each door I'd be aiming to end up with an even 2mm gap. The trick is how you get there. (Though you will relieve the latch stile after fitting the door to allow closing clearance during the swing.) And the bottom depends on the clearance needed for the floor and any floor covering.

Number one is sharp tools! A couple of chisels, a mallet. A combi square and a pencil. A hand &/or a power plane for edge trimming. A straight edge, a couple of g or f cramps and a circular saw if you have to trim the height. A power drill and some bits.

If you can work out the logic you're away. But there's a lot to think about.

 

[Doug71]

Hi, I didn't think that jig will work after a closer look, I may just free hand it and finish with chisels, or look for a smaller jig, the wife says try someone else but I'm getting tired of the messing, as two doors have handles and hinges and gives I would think it would be a day rate job, about £250. I'm still planning on having a go though.

It is often easier starting with a brand new door rather than one which already has hinges etc fitted as chances are the hinged one won't fit the opening without some adjustment, this generally means removing the hinges etc and it can be a real faff doing things like moving handles back a few mill.

The edging laths on a lot of the veneered Oak doors are awful to plane, really dodgy grain, sometimes only a sharp electric plane will deal with it (maybe I just can't sharpen a hand plane properly ).

 

[cowtown_eric]

I really wish I could teach you to hang a door properly in 1k words, but I can't.

but it's really about square,level/plumb; and then it's to do with fitting hardware. And I don't mean ALMOST square/level/ plumb, but dead -on
Cutting hinges.....if I've got more than three or four doors, I'lll use the router and a guide, but for one-off's it's chisels and a but marker.

get the door hung and if the hinges are off, there's always shims. Learn what they are about on youtube

And that takes u half way there, then there's setting door stop with suitable clearance., drilling, fixing latch plates

Of course yu've lmaybe realized that your door may be labelled hinge side-probably on the top-. Yu may ask "who cares-all looks the same" but put a square on the other side, and yu might discover it ain't square-ain't a defect-it's designed that way to close for specified swing ,

My door kit is not accesible tis late at night, but joke is next week one of my jobs is to make 8 out of 10 doors close properly in a recent ly completed (and obviously)blotched reno where 8 out of 19 doors don't close at all! Contractor has likely ghosted the client, or he's gonna file suit! Dunno. Eric will fix!

Oh Ya I'm gonna take a ton of phtotos!

 

[clogs]

cowtown_eric.....
when I last fitted new doors in the UK....
the hinge side of the door was because that was the only side with a decent thickness of wood to take hinge screws the lock side was pitiful thin edging....

just fitted a couple of hand made doors here...
use a Stanly knife to mark the 3 hinges, a tiny router to hog out the wood to the line then clean up with a razer SHARP chisel....
as for the lock, mark a center line and drill out whats needed with a batt drill in forstner bit, then clean up with a chisel...
unless ur fitting 6 or more doors I feel all the jigs are a waste of time....

 

[Spectric]

If you are not a door hanger and are not looking at making door hanging part of your trade then even for a few doors make a jig and get a nice job, all to easy to make a right mess if you don't have the handskills to cut out the hinge recesses or rebate the lock / latch. It is one of those jobs someone can make look real easy but ask them how many doors they have hung or how many they can hang in a day and you realise they have had a lot of practice. I just got some jigs and made others because my chisel skills are akin to a beaver or woodpecker and making a mess of doors at £225 a piece was not on my agenda especially as I hate anything bodged. Once finished I will just sell on the jigs and accept some loss which will be less than paying someone to do the job.