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Fitting
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Begin
by removing the existing door and detachable threshold, and check
the height of your new door, reduce if required so that it is about
6mm less than the opening height.
When
the fitting procedure is complete, a 3mm gap will exist around the
top, and both sides of the door. Initially though, we will only be
concentrating on fitting the door into the opening, so that it's a
snug fit. There are a number of ways of going about this, the
more experienced would place the door up to the opening and remove
the appropriate amount until it fits, but if this is your first
attempt, it would be safer to measure the width of the opening across
the top, middle and bottom and transfer the sizes onto the
door. The door can then be gradually reduced to the correct
width by planing equal amounts from each side, (so by maintaining its
symmetry). The door should be offered up to the opening to check the
progress, and at the same time visual checks can be made between the
top of the door and the frame head. If it is found that the head of
the door and frame are not parallel, adjustments can be made in the
early stages (if the difference is minimal) by planing the door in
such a way that it is 'tilted', which will at the same time correct
the difference at the top. |
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The
likelihood is that you will be fitting the new door to the existing
frame, so that the recessing for hinges may not be necessary.
However, if you find that the existing cut-outs are not suitable, or
do not match the new hinges in some way, you may need to 'make good'
the areas first by splicing-in new sections of timber. |
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Mind
Your Head
If
the frame head is out of level, correction can only be made be
scribing the top of the door so that it matches the 'out of level'
frame head.
To
do this, the door should be raise it up so that it touches the head
of the frame and place wooden wedges under it to keep it in
position. An evaluation can now be made of the door's shape in
relation to the head of the frame. If the frame and door are
true, the top of the door and the head of the frame will be parallel;
if they are not, a diminishing gap will exists between them and the
top of the door will  need
to be adjusted by scribing
to the frame so that they match. To do this, the door should be
kept in this same position and a  pencil
mark placed on the door just below the gap. (At the point were the
gap is greatest) From this mark, scribe a line across its width,
maintaining the same distance from the frame head at all times so
that the pencil line and frame head run parallel. To aid this
procedure, you could make a simple hardboard or thin plywood guide as
shown here on the left.
Alternatively,
measure the distance of the mark that indicates the gap from the
frame head and place a second mark at an equal distance down on the
opposite side of the door.
Regardless
of the method used, remove the door from the opening and place it
(outside face down) onto the trestles and by using a suitable straightedge,
draw a definite line over the scribed line, or if using the second
option, use the straightedge to draw a line between the two pencil
marks and using a saw, cut along the pencil line.
When
the door is replaced into the opening, the top rail of the door and
both stiles should now run parallel at all points to the frame.
You
can now confidently remove the required amount from each side of the
door so as to achieve the correct 3 mm gap to each side. (Do not
remove anything from the top of the door to achieve a gap.)
Now
that the door has been tailored to fit the opening, you can now
proceed to fit the hinges, a task that's equally important if you are
to maintain the correct clearances. |
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