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How to even out the edges of joints for a door?

Hi,

I am currently making a door for my house which is quite high (about 2740). I had the wood cut at bunnings store and due to the wood not being perfectly straight I can see there is a gap of 1-2mm between the edge. My question is how do I even it out? Should I use an electric sander (already have) or use a hand planer (have to buy, need suggestions which one to buy)??

Also door is getting quite heavy, do you think there will be any issues while hanging it on bard door hardware??

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Comments

Jason

Great project @tarun1arora!

Our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts will be happy to help, but a couple are taking a well-earned break at the moment, so there might be a bit of a delay before one of the team can get back to you.

Let me tag a few experienced community members to share their thoughts in the meantime: @Nailbag, @TedBear, @DIYGnome.

Jason

Nailbag

Hi @tarun1arora

The sander will be fine, just try and keep it as fast as possible and avoid tipping it on any edge to not to round over or create dips.

Use wedges on either side of the door with a helper. Tap them in to get the right height of the hinges. or you can use an air wedge to raise the high which you pump up with your foot. I would still use a helper if you can. These are handy things for other tasks.

Nailbag

Jewelleryrescue

Hi @tarun1arora

You can use a sander but it will take a while and start rounding the door egde which is ok i own a hand plane they work ( a bit fiddly) but would use a electric planner for that job as it is quick and easy. You can also use a table saw with good accuracy, Hand power saw not so much.

You can also cross draw with a wood rasp for smaller level fixes but quite labor intensive.

The thing you have to watch is you keep the door square in shape not take off more at the top than the bottom is a real possibility, I would draw a parrallel line down the edge to be smoothed as to keep things square.

The barn door hardware normally pretty strong so just make sure the barn door weight rating matches or exceeds your door weight.

EricL

Hello @tarun1arora

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Nailbag and @Jewelleryrescue. If you do decide to invest in an electric planer, I propose having a look at the Ozito 82mm 750W Planer. It's a corded unit and has a maximum planing depth of 2mm. It should just take a few passes to remedy that misalignment on your door.

However, before you start, I propose doing a practice run on some timber off cuts you might have lying around. This will help you with blade alignment and familiarize you with the operation of the planer. The electric planer will generate a great deal of dust and noise, I recommend wearing personal protection such as ear muffs, gloves, goggles and a heavy-duty dust mask when working on your project.

In regards to your door installation, due to its height and weight, I strongly suggest getting an extra pair of hands to help you on the day of installation.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

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