Squaring up a door frame

[RaceDiagnostics]

You not got a wider brush....

Mrs normally does all the wood painting, but she was out! Thought about braking out a roller.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Out of interest, did you establish what shifted? Assuming the house hasn't tilted (!) I guess either the wall on the right has sunk or the porch/atrium floor has heaved.

Well the outside wall/floor of the porch has sunk, there is a 10mm fall on both the terrazo threshold step and also the top of the door frame from the house side to the outer wall.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I was planning to use my 1/4 inch router to cut the three window openings but can't find any 1/4 inch straight flutes that are 44mm deep.

Looks like I will need to buy a 1/2 inch router to get the flute length I need.

Like this.

I don't want to use a jig saw as I never get good perfectly vertical cuts with them and the plunge/circular saw is not really suited.

Any thoughts on using the 1/2 inch router or some other method?

 

[DanZac]

There's some long 1/4 bits on e bay and amazon. No idea on the quality, and I wouldn't expect much at that price, but they might be good enough if you cut the majority of the waste out with a jigsaw and just use the router to tidy up / square up the cut edge.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TXHF-Straight-Cutting-Trimming-Woodworking/dp/B08C335FTB/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=long+router+bit&qid=1694667314&sr=8-7

 

[Onoff]

I don't want to use a jig saw as I never get good perfectly vertical cuts with them and the plunge/circular saw is not really suited.

Same here when doing letterbox cutouts in wooden doors. I always use a router nowadays.

 

[mtt.tr]

Out of interest, did you establish what shifted? Assuming the house hasn't tilted (!) I guess either the wall on the right has sunk or the porch/atrium floor has heaved.

Knowing the glass hasn't crack good chance it was installed like it.

We often say how wonderful old houses but they are often miles from plumb and level

 

[Screwdriver]

Knowing the glass hasn't crack good chance it was installed like it.

We often say how wonderful old houses but they are often miles from plumb and level

We will have to agree to disagree on that...

 

[Keithmac]

None of my door frames were square, I cut the doors to suit the frames (7 of them).

Chap was fitting our windows and was chocking toilet one up with a spirit level from outside, luckily I was about as it looked completely wonky from inside!.

Asked him to fit it to the inside aperture.

The joys of an ex council house..

 

[Gritineye]

I would use my Festool rail plunge saw to cut the window openings in that door, super accurate, quick and a perfect finish.

If cut from the outside only the inside corners would need to be hand sawn and finished.

I would then use a 45 deg chamfer bit with a bearing to finish.

 

[OJCar]

Knowing the glass hasn't crack good chance it was installed like it.

We often say how wonderful old houses but they are often miles from plumb and level

I own a house built in 1925
and another that was built over 350 years ago, extended about 1910 and extended again in early 2000s.
While there is nothing straight and plumb in either of the houses,
by far the worst workmanship is the 2000s extension.

 

[mtt.tr]

I own a house built in 1925
and another that was built over 350 years ago, extended about 1910 and extended again in early 2000s.
While there is nothing straight and plumb in either of the houses,
by far the worst workmanship is the 2000s extension.

My 1600 property was all over the place
My 1950s current house is hilariously bad.

The number of extensions I've built are all dead true

 

[gaz1]

I was planning to use my 1/4 inch router to cut the three window openings but can't find any 1/4 inch straight flutes that are 44mm deep.

Looks like I will need to buy a 1/2 inch router to get the flute length I need.

Like this.

View attachment 417080

I don't want to use a jig saw as I never get good perfectly vertical cuts with them and the plunge/circular saw is not really suited.

Any thoughts on using the 1/2 inch router or some other method?

a bit of advice use your circular saw to cut the windows out and finish off using the wood saw, use the router with a straight edge to trim out the top of the windows

less wear on the router bit and the circular saw will be straight enough for the downward cuts through the door router half way spin over and trim halfway again if you dont want tear outs

you will also need to fit window trims so you can seal the door blank all of these want gluing

router to be used for finishing detail

as goes for your panels

my advice is build an insert panel and make them fancy if you want, if you cut into that door its made of strips of wood and will interfere in time as it will get wet badly

a panel built and inserted and glued will look better and will give a much better seal for the outside

 

[Ton-up]

When you cut the holes in the door and also your parts like trim, beading etc,, paint as much of the parts that are not being glued as you can, before putting them on, because water will find any shrinkage cracks or seams however small.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

That's us secure now, Mrs just picked up the new router so will have a go with that on some scrap to get a feeling.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I was planning to use my 1/4 inch router to cut the three window openings but can't find any 1/4 inch straight flutes that are 44mm deep.

These are good for router bits, they do some deep ones but not a 44mm cut.

https://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_1_4__Shank_237.html

 

[gaz1]

wear goggles with a router

start the router away from the material then ease gently into the wood for plunging into wood start it off sideways whilst holding it well lift up and gently edge into the wood until first depth is reached lower the router blade to get deeper each time until required depth

hold it tight always use guides if possible as gives straight cut lines

note routers are like grinders when they bite wrongly they can have you at speed handle with care and hold tightly

to turn off move router into a blank space and turn off for single router depths you can also do the same or remove from the wood and turn off

if no guides remove from the wood then turn off as a simple movement can mark the sides that you have just cut

 

[mike os]

1/4 router bits that deep is going to be tedious and brine to breaking.

1/2 inch is the correct tool

The cutter doesn't need to cut right through, you need to take several passes... about 5-6mm each time if you use the router to cut it out. As long as the shank is bong enough

I would be making a frame and using a bearing guided cutter to finish the openings.

Cutout to within about 10mm of finished size with a jigsaw will make life much easier

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Router worked well, three passes for each side. Door cutoff used as a straight edge.

Window openings finally done after a few hours.

More primer.

The lower panels will be done with beading attached to the surface.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

Forgot this one.

 

[Gritineye]

That seems to be working well, I'm sure you will but just to remind you to prime and properly paint the bottom edge of the door as it sits close to the cill and will get a lot of splashing, even with a drip rail on it.