I have two solid pine prehung doors (purchased at a great price) and need to install them in framing members that are 2x6, therefore I'm going to need extension jambs. The jambs don't have a recess to accept a kerf and the jamb is not wide enough to pull apart and rip one on my table saw. To make things a little more complicated, the door jamb has a slight reveal. What do I do about this since I need the pine stock to mate with the jamb perfectly since they are being stained? Should I cut or plane the jamb first so the pine stock mates without any gaps?

As far as fitting the pine stock goes:

The big box has this dowel kit that clamps both the jamb and the stock together then allows you to drill holes in each piece of stock ensuring the holes are lined up perfectly. This seems like it would work in theory except for the reveal on the jamb. Does anyone have any experience with this method?

Are there any other suggestions besides taking the doors back and getting two that accept premade extension jambs?

 

I have one of those doweling jigs. They work well for alignment.

On the other hand I wouldn't spend the time nor money widening jambs if they will be stained. Pine jambs are too cheap (inexpensive), and hanging a door is too easy, to waste time and money “making do”. And why would you extend the face side in the first place. Wider jambs are available.

 

Hang the door with the side the door opens towards flush with the face of the drywall. Then rip extensions whatever size is needed. Attach the extensions to the stud with nails using shims to keep it paralell to the jamb, (no dowels) leaving about 1/8" reveal between the new extension and the face of the original jamb. I assume when you say the jamb has a reveal you mean bevel. If you want you can plane off the bevel to make your jamb flat, but it is not neccessary. This procedure is done all the time and looks and works just fine.

 

Not sure how this helps me since it is a prehung door and if the jamb was extended on the opening side, the lockset would strike the jamb besides the fact it would not look very nice. Also, I did mention I would like to avoid taking the doors back

If you are recommending that I fabricate my own jambs, that is not an option since my finish carpentry skills brought me here in the first place.

 

Prehung or not, you purchased the doors either knowing that the jambs were too narrow, or you didn't check the width required. Given that, both prehung doors are situationally useless. So, where is the net gain in prehung doors?

The opening side the door and the face side of the jamb are synonymous.

Fabricating jambs is a option. If patch work suit you, extend the jambs.

 

Extending the jambs is NOT patch work. I have supervised the construction of multi-million dollar homes for the last 10 years and there are always instances where the jambs get extended on the jobsite.

 

Bill62 I won't argue, I'm sure they turned out fine. But any sort of new construction should know what the wall thickness is going to be. Ok, plaster can add some, and I can see 1/4-1/2" extension, but 2" is a lot. We had to do lots of extensions at my last job as well (old houses), but anything over 3/4" or stain grade, we special ordered the frames. Painted and stained jambs are a big diff. Guess it depends on the expectation of the final product.

But this is a homeowner with not so great finish carpentry skills (thats why he came here, he said). And he has beveled edges on the frame, thats going to be very noticeable when you add any extension to it, unless you plane those off perfectly flat, as you said.

Either that or step the extension (again, as you suggested)and make it look as if you intended the step, as opposed to trying to get it perfectly in line with the jamb. But, no way the grain will ever match after staining.

I have to agree it would be easier to buy some jambs and cut them to fit if required.

Guess it all depends on what the OP is expecting as a final result.