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Bill[_47_]

wrote:
On Tuesday, August 27, 2013 5:12:41 PM UTC-5, Bill wrote:

Robert,

I just wanted to thank you again for the guidance above. I surely helped

the appearance of my work and made the work much less aggravating then

it would have otherwise been. Without your suggestions I confess I

probably would have worked out 45-degree miters on the ground, and then

struggled from there... probably clockwise (LOL!)

Bill

Anyone reading this who may encase a door, take note of the

technique--especially concerning the top piece.
Certainly glad to help. Someone showed me that about 35 years ago when it wasn't considered a trick, it was the way to do it! Precut trim was unheard of, and there were no "motorized miter boxes". We cut trim with a miter saw and it wasn't always dialed in for perfect miters after going from job to job, so we went for the best fit. I must say I am surprised that no trim carpenters I see these days do that.
If it improves your spirits, I used a motor-less miter box that was
at least 35 years old! But I'm pretty sure the miter box was more
dialed-in than the door frame. I will be up to the challenge when my
next door comes around.

Cheers,
Bill

After we all got "motorized miter boxes" we inched our game up a bit. Stained or natural finished wood was still in vogue, so that meant the trim finish matched.

To amp up your Jedi training on door casing, follow the first part of the tip for the side, but make your reveal mark with a tri square or something else that you can use to make your perfectly spaced mark on the jamb, top and sides. Cut the side to fit, again not nailing the last 8 inches at the top.

Cut the trim about 1/4" longer than the outside measurement of the horns. Drop the trim in the space where it will go, overhanging each side of the mitered cuts by 1/8". If the miter joints look good on both sides and they are closed, simply cut the trim to length and nail it in. However, with the same 1/8" overhanging the points of the sides, you can also trim the top piece to fit if you are careful to allow for out of square doors. Just remember, if you trim a side a bit out off of 45 degrees, you MUST cut the entire width of the trim each time (heel to point or point to heel) or you will have a double angled end. When fitting, to get that last bit out of the trim to get the joint closed you can also move the side trims a tiny bit back and forth to make sure your miters are closed.

That method takes some practice, but once you get the hang of it the key is patience and you can get great joints with some patience. This method works great on problem doors when you don't want to caulk our miters. It won't fix anything that is really out of square, but hopefully when you won't run into too much of that when you hang the door yourself.

Robert