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Brian G Brian G is offline
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Default Best way to shorten internal door?

Lord0 wrote:
Hi guys,

I got new carpets fitted. As a result I need to shorten two internal
doors by *about* 1cm.

What is the best way to do this? I have a DIY book (don't we all?)
that recommends using a manual plane.

I am a complete novice at carpentry - should I be trying this? What
tools should I be using? Etc etc

Cheers

Lawrence


Lawrence,

Simply a hand saw, plane, craft knife and glasspaper.

The method that I would use is simply to mark the bottom of the door with a
pencil on both sides and then to avoid any spalling - score along both marks
with a sharp craft knife.

Once that is done, use the saw to cut just inside the line and holding the
saw at a fairly 'flat' angle to reduce spalling - remember to take care when
approaching the end of the cut to hold the waste and saw slowly. This is
best done using a new 'throw away' crosscut saw from one of the 'sheds' for
the reason stated under Warning below.

Once the waste is removed, clean up to and just 'take out' the scored line
with the plane and use fine glasspaper rubbed along the cut edges to take
the arris off - voila job done and rehang the door.

Warning:If they are flush doors, you have a good chance of hitting a couple
of staples holding the frame together on both edges of the door - if you
'hit' these then they will certainly blunt the saw/plane and will require
removal before you can proceed further. If you do hit these, there are
several different methods to remove them using a thin bladed, flat
screwdriver and a pair of pincers or simply cut through them with a hacksaw
blade.

Brian G