So I'm fairly new to carpentry and will be hanging 10 new doors in our house. I've read Gary Katz book on door hanging and have already hung the jambs. Now I'm getting ready to fit the doors to the jambs and have a question about what tools to use/buy. The traditional method for trimming the long sides of the doors seem to be to use a power plane, and trim the tops and bottoms with a circular saw. I'd prefer not to buy both the TS55 and a power plane for this project (well actually I'd love to buy both but...) So here's my question, could I use the TS55 to get close to my scribe line and then clean up any irregularities using a jack plane with a jointer gauge attachment? or is this asking for trouble? I tried to set the jambs as straight as I could, but I'm sure there are some irregularities.

Again, this is a personal project, so time is not as big a factor. But I would like to get it right as the doors are pretty nice/expensive.

Thanks
Alamont

TS 55 with either the 48 tooth blade and the 28 tooth blade or just the 28 tooth blade, preferably on a locked down guide rail and tape the area to be cut just to make sure to avoid splintering.  Use a belt sander carefully to touch up any areas that need further "working" or use a belt sander belt on a flat block of wood and do it by hand.  Make sure when doing the top and bottom to sand from the outside edge in to avoid tearout/splintering of the sides.

It's not just about speed.  It allows you to take miniscule but necessary amounts down in different areas of the door while leaving a sharp edge.  Better control than a belt sander or belt used by hand, typically and dependent on the user.  With a small budget and a single power tool, I feel the TS 55 is the best choice for this application.

It takes practice to be able to use a power planer on a door without destroying it and you really need the planer's bevel attachment accessory (Festool angle stop) for doing that kind of work.

Practice on some scrap and get the hang of the TS55 before going to your expensive doors.
It's very different from other saws until you get use to it, then you're happening.

I don't know how much you need to take off the sides of the doors.
 If you've fitted your new liners properly and they're plumb and true you shouldn't really be needing to do much of anything.
Buying an electric plane is a little overkill what ever.
Invest in a quality hand plane. A nice No.4 smoothing plane will be more versatile than a jack for the home owner. Plus you'll find it easier to use if you're a beginner. You don't need attachments. You're new doors will have square edges, so as long as you've adjusted the blade correctly you'll be fine. There will be a lot less messing about with extractors and hoses in the hallway

As for trimming the length of the door the 55 will give you a finished edge. Just get a small block plane and knock of the edges all round the door. If you leave the edges at a sharp 90 deg you'll find that any finish I.e. paint, lacquer etc will chip off very easily.

Since I got my EHL65 I find I barely use my smoothing plane when fitting doors, I just use a block plane or a bit of sandpaper to ease the corners off.

I still don't think I'll be using my track saw to fit doors though, other than if the head is out or if the bottom needs chopping off. As I work mainly as a site contractor the Trend hinge jig/EHL65/Magic Gripper trio means a fire door can be swung in 20-30mins, the casing would have to be a long way out before I broke the track saw out! I can certainly see the advantages when trying to fit to an old/irregular size casing though.

That Lie Nielsen butt mortise plane is sweet! Might get that instead of making a hinge template and buying a router guide bushing set.

One question about the TS55 saw blades. I thought blades with a lower tooth count cut faster but more roughly. Are you guys seeing the standard 48 tooth blade burning due to more teeth?

alamont

I found the stock blade (48t) does not clean out the waste quickly enough and it results in burns and binds. The 24t blade works fine and makes a nice smooth cut. You might have to do a cleanup swipe with a plane or a bit of sanding. You have to relieve the edges anyway so planing or sanding is no big deal.

I try to buy or build doors that fit in the first place,  but as others have said,  you're going to get much better results with a TS