Newbie Door Question....

Alright, so - I thought this would be real easy - I just wanted to replace my cheap bedroom doors with slightly less cheap doors. I picked up some 'slabs' from the Home Depot (just the doors, not prehung).

Anyway, it turns out, the new doors are about 1/4" bigger than the old ones (old doors were 29.75" new doors are 30").

I want to cut the new doors down to size - but I don't know how.

I don't have a table saw, but I do have a circular saw. I'm NOT at all confident that I can cut off .25" off the door in a perfectly straight line.

I've also heard of door 'plainers'. Is that my best bet?

The replacement doors I've bought are not solid- but it looks like there is about a full inch of wood on each side, so I think trimming it should work. I'm just not sure how to do it.

Can anyone help me?

 

You only need a straight board and some clamps to cut a straight line. If you have no clamps you could screw the board to the door if you do not mind the holes to fill later. You measure the base of the saw from the blade to the edge that is under the saw motor. Measure and mark the door that measurement plus the 1/4 inch more you want to cut off. Clamp or screw the board on these marks. Then when you cut it will be straight. Don't have a straight board? Then use the old door!
The thing is to have the saw on the door and the small side of the base over the part you are cutting off. That way the saw is supported by the door and will cut easily.

 

Forget the circular saw altogether. You're going to butcher your doors. Get a power planer with sharp knives in it and take the 1/4" off the butt(hinge side) of the door. No matter how good and straight your cut is you are going to chip the door surface be it veneer or moulded. This is exactly why they invented the power planer in the first place.

 

On your new door decide what is the top of the door. Example on a six panel door the small panels go to the top. On a slab door the top may be marked if it isn’t then it will make no difference.
I have hung about 200 doors as a repair not construction. I will try to help you as best as I can.
With your old door in place check the fit. Most fits are OK. Fit is the reveal on the top bottom and sides of the door. With the old door still in place mark it top and back. The back is the side with the hinge pins. Mark the new door top and back this is for your reference it is very easy to get turned around doing this. Pull the pins on the old door and remove all the hardware including the hinge leafs. Do not remove hinge leafs on the door jamb. Measure the old door and cut the new one to that length be careful not to splinter the new door, score the door or clamp a piece of scrap wood on the side where the saw blade leaves the wood.
Set the old door on the side with the hinge mortise up. Line up the new door at the top of the old one. The back of one should be against the front of the other. With a combo square scribe the mortise of the old door to the new door. Now take one of the hinge leafs and trace the hinge between the mortise lines you just drew remember the pins on the hinge go to the back of the door. The hinge leaf is probably marked on the back side from paint or varnish, use this line to guide you when tracing the hinge. An interior door is 1 3/8”The hinge will set about 1 1/4” across the door. Use a router to cut out the mortise if you use a chisel be careful cut only across the grain of the door style or you will split it.
Install the leafs on the new door with only one screw on each leaf make sure to drill a pilot hole for the screw or you WILL SPLIT the door. If the door has 3 hinges , leave the middle one off until you fit the door.
Place the new door in the jamb put the top pin in first then the bottom pin, you may have to adjust the bottom leaf a little tap it up or down to make it fit. That’s why I use only one screw at first. With both pins installed, drill your pilot holes and put in the rest of screws in the top and bottom hinges.
Put a screw on the front of the door where the knob will go, you need the screw to pull the door closed so you can mark the door where it hits the jamb. Remove the strike plate off the door jamb. With a pencil mark the door where it hits the jamb. Remove the door and plane down to the line, take your time. You may have to mark the door 2 or 3 times to get the fit.
With a pencil, mark on the back side door casing, the center of the hole located on the door jamb used for the door lock Close the door and transfer the mark to the door. With a combo square use that mark to scribe a line on both sides of door about 3” long and across the style.
Now find the back set of the lock you are using. A new lock will tell you, if you use the old lock, measure the old door from the edge to the center of the hole. 2 3/8” and 2 3/4 are common sizes. Measure also the size of the hole you will need 2 1/8’’is common.
If the back set is 2 3/8. On the line you drew on the door make a mark 2 3/8 on each side of the door. If the hole is 2 1/8, use a 2 1/8 hole saw, cut half way through the door and finish the cut from the other side do not plunge straight through you will splinter the door. Mark the center of style and drill a hole to fit the door latch use a small as possible hole to fit the latch you don’t have much room to spare. Some latches need to be mortised to fit if this is the case put the latch in the hole and trace the face of it then remove the needed amount of wood and install it. Remember to drill pilot holes. Install the lockset and the third hinge if needed. Now wasn’t that easy?

Good Luck, Woodbutcher

 

Thanks everyone!

What a mess this turned out to be.

Anyway, I bought a new blade for my circular saw and gave it a shot. I picked up a 'saw guide' that sounded great in the store; but when I tried to use it...it didn't work so great. I cut about 3" in and my line was already visibly crooked.

But I also bought a cheap hand planer for $10 dollars.

I clamped together the old door and the new and planed down the new one to match the old.

The hinges are a lot harder than people make it sound...

Anyway, it took me about four hours, in total, to do it - but here it is....


I think I 'got lucky' as the door opens and closes fine...the bottom of the door seems a bit high but once I have carpet in the bedroom, I think it'll be great.

1 down....
7 more to go

 

4 hours for your first door is just fine...don't sweat it.

You can trim doors as was posted before. Even with a little chipping its not a big deal, since most doors have a beveled edge anyway. The edge guides for circ saws are ok for rough cutting, but I've never been able to get a real straight cut..I'm sure the Pro's can.

As woodbutcher said..if you put the fat part of the shoe on the door (put painters tape or masking tape on the bottom to prevent scratches) and use the old door as a straightedge You can get a pretty good starting point. Minor sanding afterwards makes it good.

I've cut doors with the panel saw at a Big Box store and chipping was a non issue. Break the edges with a plane or sandpaper..and it was like factory.

A hand plane or power plane will work...but it takes longer than a saw cut and minor touchup after.

 

Hi, Looks good. The gap at the bottom isn't a big deal. Where I live our centeral heating and air have no return air ducts and the gap under the door is the return air duct.
Good luck Woodbutcher

 

Looks like it turned out well. I had the same problem on another house I had. I found a cabinet shop that helped me. I took my old doors and my new doors down there and they cut the doors to fit and matched up the hinge areas for me. 5 doors fixed for $100.00 is what I paid.