Cutting Door Bottoms To Clear New Carpeting

[Skeezix]

I rarely use my BT3 (actually from Sears) table saw. Would be practical to use it to cut about 1/4 inch off the bottom of two standard width doors and two sets of bi-fold doors so that they clear the new carpeting I installed?

I am concerned because I won't have any support for the 5 feet of door that will hang off the left edge of the table and if I did, I wouldn't be able to get the hanging part to move smoothly enough to allow a nice perpendicular cut across the doors.

One alternative is to place two doors on top of each other across two sawhorses, clamp a guide of some sort to the top one and use a circular saw. Problem there is the bottom of the saw motor usually bumps against and doesn't clear the clamps that hold the guide and I haven't worked that out yet.

I have a saber saw but I've yet to cut a straight line with it .

Comments?

[LCHIEN]

last time i trimmed a door i used a circular saw and a guide.
If the saw motor hits the clamps you need a wider guide.

there's some commercially available or its easy enough to make your own on the table saw.

[cabinetman]

Don't even think of cutting the bottoms on the table saw. You can use just about anything for a guide, like plywood, MDF, etc. When you cut a guide, you only need one straight edge, and it should be wide enough for the clamps to clear the base of the saw.

When you adjust the depth of cut for the blade, make sure the bottom of the saw motor clears the guide. It could be as thin as ¼". Place the "important side" down.
.

[eezlock]

cutting door bottoms to clear new carpeting

Skeezix, If you want to butcher up a couple of doors go for the tablesaw
method...if you want it done right do as others have suggested...use a
straight edge and a circular saw. Go to HD or any other big box store and buy
a piece of flat metal in the hardware aisle or buy yourself a good 4' level
and a couple of good clamps and use that. That is something that will last a long time and will be used over and over again on other projects. Another thing,
mark and cut only one door at a time...sure it takes a little longer but the end results are worth it. I would only trim off about 1/8" or less the first time, rehang door and try it before cutting anymore off the bottom of the door.

Be sure and mark the bottom of the door before taking it down...may save confusion later as to which end really is up or down!
If you cut too much....you will be left with a big gap at the bottom of the door.
A small cut 1/8" or less usually does all that you need to clear the carpet especially after a few days of walking on it and it starts to compress down.
Hope this helps...........eezlock

[BobSch]

All I can add is use a sharp blade otherwise you can really rip up the veneer on the door.

[sparkeyjames]

Please don't use a saw to butcher a door. Use a hand held planer with a right angle attachment. My Ryobi came with a right angle attachment. Take multiple passes 1/8". The only reason to use a saw on a door is to cut it up so you can throw it in the trash.

[Richard in Smithville]

Beside making a mess of the door, it's dangerous!.

[chopnhack]

Since no one has mentioned this yet, make sure that you prescore the top side skin as this is the side that may experience the rip out with your sidewinder. I have used the straight edge with clamps method to trim many doors and it works like a champ. Just be careful how you hold your saw as you enter and exit cuts and make sure you stay level while making the cut otherwise you will but a bevel on the bottom of the door. Good luck.

[herb fellows]

Check carefully for nails! I have no idea why, but I often find nails in door bottoms and tops. No practical purpose, just someone with a hammer and a nail and spare time on their hands I guess.
Ideally, an electric hand planer is made for this job, but I would use a plane of any kind rather than a circ saw. It's real hard to put wood back on!

[Pappy]

Couple of mentions/cautions about damaging the veneer. Scoring is one way to prevent damage, but if your cut goes beyond the score line it was for naught.

Wrap blue tape around the bottom of the door, pressed down well, no matter what you use for the cut. When you remove the tape, peel it in a downward direction, toward the cut.

[DrChas]

I have done this on several occasions. I have a "saw guide" that I made. These are wonderful things that everybody should have. All you do is get a 1/4 inch thick piece of plywood, and cut it so that it is wider than the width of the skill saw plus about 4 inches. Mine is 8 foot, but cut the other way for a 4 foot guide. Glue a 1X2 strip of pine the length of the guide a bit further from the edge than the width of the saw. When the glue is set run the sill saw along the 1X2 guide and you have a saw board that is exactly set for your saw.

To use it clamp the saw guide (using the 2 inches of plywood on the non-saw side) to the door ON THE GOOD SIDE. Line up the saw guide exactly with the cut line. Run the saw over the saw guide, and voila an exact cut. The saw guide presses the wood on the good side minimizing tearout, and it is better than the commercial guides since it is customized to your saw and setup is so easy.

It also makes sense to get a good blade. The Diabalo saw blade is a good choice (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...F7JKB3FE1AT5J1)

To finish up, if you want to do it right, I have a couple of sheets of 1 inch styrofoam insulation that I lay down under the sheet to be cut. This makes the perfect cutting table since it fully supports the door, won't hurt the saw blade, and is semi-disposable.

edit

Here are some simple web plans:

http://wayneofthewoods.com/circular-...ing-guide.html

here is a slightly different design for a saw board. Same idea, however.

http://www.benchnotes.com/Skillsaw%2..._guide_boa.htm

[DrChas]

To add one quick point: If you are worried about veneer tear-out run a sharp knife along the saw guide before sawing it. This will score the veneer and further reduce the tear-out problem.

[mineengineer]

If the saw motor is in the way.......

flip the saw around and cut the other way and you should clear the clamps, just less support for the saw that way.

[JSUPreston]

I did this recently with a replacement door at my house. The floor isn't level (drops 1/2" over a span of 5'), so I had to trim to make fit since the opening wasn't standard.

Like others have said, make a sawboard guide first to use your circular saw (I think there is a video for making one at woodsmithshop.com - free to view, just give e-mail addy). Also, use Pappy's suggestion about the painter's tape. Not only does it cut down on the tearout, but you can also draw on it very easily.

Be sure to save your cutoff. If you are doing this to a hollow core door, you may need the block that is in the cutoff to put back in the bottom of the door.

FYI: I TRIED to trim a set of doors on a table saw once. Never again. It's just too easy to mess them up. The sawboard works a lot better. If you do your sawboard right, you can use one side with a circ saw, and the other side with a jig/saber saw or router - a two-fer-one special.