Tool preference for planing long edge of doors

[Ken Nagrod]

Ok, so let me start by saying over the past 12 years I've planed doors with hand planes, power planes, belt sanders and hand sanding.  Most of the power planing has been done with the Porter Cable 9118 model 126 with a carbide angled rotary cutter.

I would like other member's opinions as to whether they favor using the Festool HL 850 with the guide when you want to plane with or without a bevel OR do you prefer a large jointer plane like a number 7 or 8  or a 7 1/2 low angle jointer and have a home made guide for beveling with it?  I understand the number a doors being planed at a time may affect your decision and opinion, so in that case give me more than one opinion for different circumstances if you'd like.

Thank you.

 

[chrisrosenb]

For me it depends on how much I need remove from the edge of a door. I hung 8 doors just before Christmas.
6 of the doors had to have at least 1/4" trimmed off each edge. A couple of the doors were wider on one end then on the other. I used a TS55 & guide rail to trim & bevel the edges. I then took a light cut with the HL 850.

In pre Festool days I used a Makita hand held planer to trim the edges.
I do not miss those days.  

 

[Guy Ashley]

The TS 55 with guide rails to trim the leading edge and then a lightly set block plane to smooth over the TS 55 teeth marks.

Can use the EHL 65 but by the time I have taken it out of the van, out of systainer, plugged in etc, I personally find it quicker.

 

[rookie08]

I recently customized 6 solid doors.  Like the others I did the bigger cuts with the rail and saw.  For the final adjustment I have the original Rockwell 126 door planer.  It's built incredibly well and the "shoe"? is so unbelievably long it makes planing doors super smoooooooth and a pleasure.  However I did see Gary Katz at his show plane a couple of doors to his specific scribe marks with the Festool 850.  With that motorcycle grip adjustment,  I think that is the only one out there I'd trade my 126 in for.

Cheers!

James

 

[billg71]

The Porta-Plane with the carbide cutter, hands down! It's just a shame they don't make it no more...

Bill

P.S. James, I have the Rockwell version as well, you can't wear these things out!

 

[Chris Hughes]

You would not believe my luck...  This fall on my way home from work I drove past a yard sale.  Something caught my eye so I went back.  I though I saw a shop vac and wanted an extra for my bosses shop but it turn out to be nothing but I was there and what the hey.  I looked around a little and sitting right there in front of me was an old 126 with price tag of 40 dollars. [eek] [eek] [eek]  Well as per the rules of "yard sellin" I low balled the old guy and offered 30 bucks and he accepted.  It is a very nice tool and for door work you would have to look hard for it's better.

That being said I would do like Rosenberger said and on cuts deeper that 1/8" I would use a rail and TS and clean up with a block plane or block sander.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Good for you Chris!  Guess you'll be doing more yard sales.  Funny how the 9118/126 has actually gone up in price over the years and has held its value quite well.  Odd for Porter Cable.  That's more like something you'd expect out of Festool.  By the way, if anybody wants one in great cond. with brand new cutter and a resharpened cutter and the metal case, I might be persuaded  [smile].

 

[Holzhacker]

Even though I bought an 850 not long ago to specifically replace my Bosch and do doors, it has yet to do a door. Since I bought the bench unit the 850 remains clamped to the MFT and has been getting used to scribe trim pieces. I fixed the old Bosch. For HC and no big deal doors I use the regular Bosch planer. For SC, nice doors I have an old Makita 1100 which is just over 15" long. The length works out really well for nice, consistent planing. A little planing say at the top or bottom corners or thin cabinet doors I'll use a hand planer.

 

[tDot]

I use the 850 for anything up to 1/4".  Up to 4 passes with the 850 and it's quicker the setting up the door to cut with a TS saw and the plane to clean up. With a little practice and the accessory angle unit I have zero snipe and a quicker cut time then using a TS saw and planer.

Depending on how my tools are set up, I'd usually use the 850 for even a single door. I never really loved my Bosch planer, the results were too inconsistent and a hand plane isn't quick enough for paid work.

 

[Sparktrician]

On the two doors I've done since buying the TS55, I just take a careful measurement of the long edge, then tilt the TS55 over to 4° and make run at it.  The edge is usually very sharp, so I hit all the cut edges with light pass of the RO125 and either 120 or 150 grit Brilliant, and it's ready for the finish.  End of problem. 

[smile]

 

[Ken Nagrod]

4 degrees seems like a little much for a bevel on a door edge.  I've heard of carpenters going 3 degrees.  I typically shoot at what looks like 1 1/2 degrees on my planer's scale.  Over the thickness of the door it provides a good enough bevel to keep the door from binding and that's the only purpose to adding a bevel, to compensate for the swinging arc of the door on the latch side.  If you're happy with it, I'm ok.  Just not my preference.

 

[Sparktrician]

The relatively tightly fitted but thin (1 3/8") interior slab doors get a 3° cut, but the thicker (1 3/4") exterior wood doors get 4°.  Interestingly, the steel exterior doors in my house have NO bevel whatsoever, have a relatively larger perimeter gap and and rely on thicker weather seals.  The steel doors were in the house when I bought it, and will be changed out before summer.  I just like closely-fitted doors. 

[smile]

 

[Ken Nagrod]

Willy,  I don't put a bevel on exterior doors either because I cut enough for clearance and for the weatherstripping.

 

[Sparktrician]

I like to keep the right-left gap to 3/16" or slightly less, which pretty much mandates a slight bevel.  On a wood exterior door, with expansion and contraction anticipated to be so much more than an interior door, I can't usually get away with gaps that small unless I use a fiberglass or steel door, and have to use weatherstripping to make up the difference, not to mention keep out the stinkbugs, especially with the steel doors. 

[smile]