What should you do when shaving a wood door with an electritc planer to avoid splitting pieces off the ends. ?

Question

Am shaving doors after installing carpet. When shaving the doors, the ends are tougher than the middle and I've chipped pieces off of two doors. How can I avoid this??

Answer 1

You've got a choice of options...

First, as someone already mentioned, go from the ends towards the center.  This will have your planer blades cutting INTO the wood at the edge, instead of OUT of it, which is causing the chipping (aka blowout).

Another method is to use a 'sacrifice block'.  Literally, you clamp a scrap piece of wood to the edge of the door, so the planer runs off onto the scrap block.  This will help keep the door edge from blowing out, because it is clamped by the block.  (I like to use long pipe clamps, or a ratcheting strap clamp for this type of project)

One other option, is to use a different tool... a circular saw, for example, instead of a planer.  I find it is handy to tape the door where the blade will be cutting thru, to help prevent chip out, especially if the door has veneer faces.

Finally... Don't cut the door down at all, instead, raise the whole door assembly.  Most interior doors have at least an inch of space above the top jamb, and you can easily move a pre-hung door up enough to clear the carpet... and it gives you a chance to adjust any doors that are not hanging properly anyway, hehehe.

Have Fun

Answer 2

Work from the edges to the center also use masking tape on both faces of the door

Answer 3

clamp down a straight edge,( level, 1 x 4 or something like it,) on the line that shows how much u want to take off and run a razor knife along the edge a couple times on both sides.......

lic. gen. contractor

Answer 4

clamp apiece of scrap wood to each end of the door edge, then when you plane it they will chip, not your door edge