In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Brian G wrote:

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

Another thing to be aware of is that internal doors are usually hollow.
Taking 10mm off shouldn't be a problem unless the door has *already* been
shortened on an earlier occasion, but taking much more off is likely to
result in losing the bottom piece of framing altogether. If that happens,
you need to get another piece of wood of the right thickness, and glue it
between the two hardboard (or whatever) skins - clamping it together until
the glue has set.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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