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I have several interior wooden doors that no longer close properly due to settling and swelling of the various components. I've decided my best option is to plane the edges of the doors where they rub against the frame.

I've read a jack plane or belt sander will do the trick. I'm leaning towards a hand plane because I think a belt sander won't give me a straight edge and it could create indentations if I don't know what I'm doing. I don't.

Now I'm seeing all kinds of tools called jack planes, sweetheart planes and various angle planes. What will work for me? I'm not a woodworker, so it may be a single use tool, but who knows.

Thanks!

I have several interior wooden doors that no longer close properly due to settling and swelling of the various components. I've decided my best option is to plane the edges of the doors where they rub against the frame. I've read a jack plane or belt sander will do the trick. I'm leaning towards a hand plane because I think a belt sander won't give me a straight edge and it could create indentations if I don't know what I'm doing. I don't. Now I'm seeing all kinds of tools called jack planes, sweetheart planes and various angle planes. What will work for me? I'm not a woodworker, so it may be a single use tool, but who knows. Thanks!

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[–] • 1 pt

I agree. I'm not an expert with woodworking by any stretch. The idea of using my skill saw occurred to me. The saw can easily get away from me and then I'll have to replace the door and start over. However, clamping a guide to the door and treating my skill saw like a router may work. I have shaved ends before with it.

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt

Yes, a guided saw really is the best method. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I am an expert craftsman that has milled, assembled, hinged, hung and adjusted literally thousands of doors. Some of them being in the tens of thousands of dollars price tag range, and a guide is really the only way to go- unless you are in a full on industrial shop where you could accurately run it through a table saw or panel saw, etc- but these methods also usually entail taking off the door hardware.

[–] • 0 pt

On a few occassions i have pounded the door frame a bit, using a chunk of 2x4 (as a protective buffer) and a framing hammer. Just wack it a few times n test it. Sometimes it works, but be mindful not to make more problems.

First of course try to tighten the hinge screws, and use thicker or longer screws if necessary.

One trick for stripped screw holes is stuffing 000 gauge steel wool or toothpicks n glue in the holes.

If not a circular saw works. I use a fine tooth blade and tape on the bottom cross cuts.

Yeah some doors are cheap n hollow but there is some wood on the edges n bottom to cut.

Try 1 door and see how it goes.

Good luck bro