Trimming door bottom

[Mark18PLL]

I purchased a Dewalt planer some time ago to take the bottoms of some doors but tbh i think its actually not that good. Is there a better and cleaner way to do this? i do have a track saw that do a nice clean cut and think that might be the better solution.

 

[Ollie78]

Yep, the track saw followed by a light pass with a hand plane.

Ollie

 

[Rorschach]

Plane is good for anything up to about 3 or 4mm, after that track saw is faster and easier.

 

[Sandyn]

Track saw, yes. I don't have a track saw, but I just use a straight edge clamped to the door and cut with a saw with a good blade. Always get a clean cut. I can never hold a plane square to the door, even with a guide, it's just too awkward with a door.

 

[Doug B]

Track saw as has been said, if you are cutting the bottom off veneered doors a saw with a scribe feature is beneficial.

 

[Mark18PLL]

Cheers, think i will sell the planer and put towards something else more useful.

 

[owen]

Out of interest, why don't you think the planer is any good? If you've only got a few doors to do, and they need more than about 10mm off a handsaw is a load cheaper than a tracksaw, then you could just finish with the planer.

 

[Mark18PLL]

I already have a track saw but when I have used the dewalt plane I find it a bit aggressive. It might just be me but I just don’t like the tool. I am thinking of just sticking with the track saw and a hand plane if I need to tweak a little but I might manage without having to use the hand plane if I do it right.

 

[Just4Fun]

How much do you need to take off the bottom of the doors?

 

[owen]

I already have a track saw but when I have used the dewalt plane I find it a bit aggressive. It might just be me but I just don’t like the tool. I am thinking of just sticking with the track saw and a hand plane if I need to tweak a little but I might manage without having to use the hand plane if I do it right.

Hand held planers do take a bit of getting used to. Especially on the ends of doors you have to work in to the center from either edge. If they're solid wood doors I'd suggest getting a rip blade with less teeth for the tracksaw and taking your time.

 

[Doug71]

When I use my electric plane on the bottom of doors I work in from either end but the cuts never seem to line up, I always seem to plane slightly out of square, not sure if it's me or the planer.

 

[Mark18PLL]

How much do you need to take off the bottom of the doors?

Not much, maybe a mom or 2. I did use the dewalt on another and made a right mess. I know it’s probably user error rather than tool, a hand plane would give me more control I think.

mom another note,when scribing the bottom to match the floor, what’s the easiest way to do this?

 

[Just4Fun]

Not much, maybe a mom or 2. I did use the dewalt on another and made a right mess. I know it’s probably user error rather than tool, a hand plane would give me more control I think.

mom another note,when scribing the bottom to match the floor, what’s the easiest way to do this?

Yes, I woud use a hand plane for that but you might consider a power sander with 60 grit paper if you are not too handy with a plane, but it would be a slower method.

I would probably not bother scribing the bottom of the door because the clearance is likely to be different at various degrees of the door being opened. I suppose you could scribe if the clearance is least when the door is closed. To do that I would get it somewhere close with a hand plane so you can hang the door to scribe it. Then either remove again to plane the last bit off or swing the door open & closed over rough abrasive paper or a rasp.

 

[Mark18PLL]

Do you think a block plane would be best as its small and easy to handle?

 

[Just4Fun]

Do you think a block plane would be best as its small and easy to handle?

I have never used (and do not have) a block plane. People who do use them seem to really like them. Even if I had one though I would probably use a #4 or #5 plane as the bottom of a door is a long enough stroke for a longer plane to register so I think it would be easier to maintain a straight edge. I'm not sure that is too important on a door bottom though so if all you have is a block plane I would give it a go.

 

[andy hamilton]

I purchased a Dewalt planer some time ago to take the bottoms of some doors but tbh i think its actually not that good. Is there a better and cleaner way to do this? i do have a track saw that do a nice clean cut and think that might be the better solution.

Not sure what a track saw is and I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks. I've been restoring sash windows for donkeys' years and often have to take small amounts off the edges of the sash stiles and sash rails. The quickest way to do it is with a portable circular saw. First make a simple a jig costing next to nothing from two pieces of ply (6mm is ideal), one about 30mm wide making sure one edge is dead straight, the other about 300mm. Screw the 30mm piece to the wider piece, positioning it so that its straight edge is at least 5mm more than the distance from the saw blade to the edge of its baseplate. Then run the circular saw baseplate along the straight edge to cut off the excess from the wider piece. The jig edge can now be clamped along the line of whatever you want to cut as long as it's within the capacity of the circular saw. For cutting across the grain you'll need to score a line with a sharp knife. We do dozens of these cuts and when the jig gets damaged, as it inevitably will we either reposition the narrow piece and recut the edge of the wider base piece or chuck it away and make a new jig

 

[monster]

Andy! - I think you have just described perfectly what a Track Saw exists to replace! The track saw is a brilliant invention and saves all the messing about making up the jigs you describe. Sounds like the perfect tool for you, i'm made up with mine and used to find it such a hassle finding and clamping straight edges with the correct offset in order to use a portable circular saw.

 

[Rorschach]

Not sure what a track saw is and I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks. I've been restoring sash windows for donkeys' years and often have to take small amounts off the edges of the sash stiles and sash rails. The quickest way to do it is with a portable circular saw. First make a simple a jig costing next to nothing from two pieces of ply (6mm is ideal), one about 30mm wide making sure one edge is dead straight, the other about 300mm. Screw the 30mm piece to the wider piece, positioning it so that its straight edge is at least 5mm more than the distance from the saw blade to the edge of its baseplate. Then run the circular saw baseplate along the straight edge to cut off the excess from the wider piece. The jig edge can now be clamped along the line of whatever you want to cut as long as it's within the capacity of the circular saw. For cutting across the grain you'll need to score a line with a sharp knife. We do dozens of these cuts and when the jig gets damaged, as it inevitably will we either reposition the narrow piece and recut the edge of the wider base piece or chuck it away and make a new jig

you just described a track saw.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Out of interest, why don't you think the planer is any good? If you've only got a few doors to do, and they need more than about 10mm off a handsaw is a load cheaper than a tracksaw, then you could just finish with the planer.

The problem with a planer on a long section with a deep cut is that it’s very easy to get a cut that isn’t perfectly straight, taking of a little more in one place than another. Also since the OP already has a track saw that is the perfect tool for the job when trimming anything from a millimetre to several centimetres over any length that you have a track for. Why use a second best tool when you’ve got a perfect one?

I've recently trimmed 4 doors to size the larger ones being 1.2 X 2.2 metres with them being trimmed on all 4 sides. My track saw made the trimming to size a trivial part of the process.

Here is one of them being pre-hung since I also made the door casings

 

[sometimewoodworker]

you just described a track saw.

Also it’s an inferior version of one since it’s really easy for the saw to deviate from the guide DAMHIKT something a track saw can not do.