I recently bought a new door, but it doesn't fit properly in the frame. I've already tried sanding it down, but now the top section sticks out about an eighth of an inch, so I have to lift it a bit to close it. I initially thought I'd just clamp it down on a level surface and use a belt sander to get it leveled, but my dad wants to use a table saw and a bunch of clamps, which makes me nervous since we've had bad experiences with that before. I don't want to end up with a janky cut. Can anyone give me some safer and more effective methods to evenly trim that eighth of an inch off my door?
3 Answers
Definitely avoid the table saw! If the door's off the hinges, can you shim it in the frame to see where it’s hitting? Often, it’s all about adjusting the hinges a bit. If the door's still hitting the jamb, that’s when you need to plane down those areas. You could also use a belt sander if necessary, but be cautious with it!
If you can, take the door off and use a hand plane to shave off that 1/8 inch. I've done it plenty of times, and it works great even when the frames aren't perfectly square. Good luck!
What if I don’t actually have a plane? I'm pretty sure I won't be flying anywhere soon!
Going for a hand plane, whether manual or electric, would be the best bet here. Using a belt sander might give you some uneven edges, which you definitely want to avoid. The key is keeping it smooth and even!
So you're saying I should skip the table saw altogether? That's a relief!
Got it! I'm definitely thinking shims might be the way to go.