Trimming Doors: TS55 vs 850e Power Plane

[alamont]

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

 

[Tim Sproul]

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

For a solid wood door, the plane doesn't work so well for end grain (the top and bottom of a door) so a saw was used.  A plane works very well for long grain (the side of a door).

The TS55 will work fine for both.  You will probably want to clean up the side of the door after sawing as you are likely to leave at least a few saw marks.  Clean those up with sanding or planing.

The stock TS55 blade will rip wood but for a typical interior 1 3/8 thick door, I would rip in 3 or more cuts rather than a single cut.  Me?  I use a rip blade rather than the stock blade.  I take the crosscuts slower, especially at the end of the cut to leave the wood intact.

 

[Ken Nagrod]

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.

 

[alamont]

I see, so the power planer is basically for speed. Strange that Festool makes two models of power planers but they seem be super specialized. I mean, they look like awesome tools, but unless all I did was hang doors I can't see who would get them. Good to know that the TS55 can be used so accurately, looks like I'll be picking up one of those up tomorrow. It seems like a much more versitle tool.

alamont

 

[Ken Nagrod]

I see, so the power planer is basically for speed. Strange that Festool makes two models of power planers but they seem be super specialized. I mean, they look like awesome tools, but unless all I did was hang doors I can't see who would get them. Good to know that the TS55 can be used so accurately, looks like I'll be picking up one of those up tomorrow. It seems like a much more versitle tool.

alamont

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.

 

[sancho57]

Not seeing the install or taking a level to the jambs, If everything is square and plumb not cross legged etc you should be ok with a TS 55 w guide rail

 

[waho6o9]

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.

 

[semenza]

Yes, TS55. And yes it is very accurate.  You will need to do one of the following when you buy it.

A). Upgrade to a longer rail than the one that comes with it for the price difference. (This is somewhat dealer dependent)

B). Get a second rail, and connectors, to join two rails together.

C). Buy a second long rail. 2700 or 3000

I'd go with C.  and 3000 as long as you have a place to store it and don't need to transport it much.

You may also need the Panther or universal blade for the long rip cuts on your doors. And rail clamps for this job to make certain nothing moves and ruins  the door.

You can pretty much use any sander  to clean up the blade marks.

Planing even with power takes practice and  really the TS55 is about  ten times faster and easier IMO.

Seth

 

[Umbro]

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.

 

[kfitzsimons]

I hung 8 solid poplar doors last fall. I tried using the stock blade on the TS55 and it was awful. I bought the 28 tooth blade - much better. I refined the fit with a No 4 plane. Worked like a charm and beautiful fit. I used a Lie-Nielsen Butt Mortise plane to cut the hinge and lock plate mortises. Much cleaner and accurate than using a router. Go to the L-N site and watch the video.

 

[Dominion]

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.

 

[fisheye]

It's not nearly as versatile as the 850e, but a cheaper option for planing your door is the Bosch line of power planers. I bought one prior to learning of Festool. The Festool 36mm hose works great with it, and it's great for general home repair/upgrade work.

 

[alamont]

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

 

[hockey_magnet]

As some others have said, if you built the jambs, I'm surprised you would have much trimming to do, unless your doors were a deal that would not fit the openings but you bought them anyway. Having said that, a power planer would be my choice if I was doing 10 doors - no need to spend a lot of money, you can get a cheap one as a throw away and it will likely still do a good job, just wan't last for years. Heresy I know, but I bought a cheap B&D which works ok when I need it, which is very seldom

Chris

 

[kfitzsimons]

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.

 

[Derek]

I agree, if your jambs are straight then the track saw will do the trick, the planer isn't necessary. This is actually one of my favorite uses for my TS75, trimming doors. If it's not too late I would recommend getting the TS75 over the TS55. There have been many times when I was glad I made that choice and had the extra power and cutting depth, one of these instances is when trimming doors. Also, you can set the saw to 3 degrees to get a bevel on the strike stile. Use a block plane or even a sanding block to break the edges and sand any teeth marks. Like Seth said, get a long rail and clamp that sucker down.

Speaking of teeth marks, I have used the fine 52 tooth blade for the TS75 to trim doors both cross cut and rip, it works beautifully. Very little sanding required. The doors I've trimmed have all been soft woods: fir, pine, redwood, alder.

 

[stairman]

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

 

[alamont]

Thanks for all the input everybody. I ended up buying a TS55 with a 75" and 55" guide rail today. The idea being I can join them to do the doors and afterward have two different sized track for other projects.  Thought about getting the TS75, and I'm sure it is in fact better for trimming doors, but since woodworking is a hobby for me, and I only have so many doors in my house, I went with the TS55. Hopefully I installed the jamb legs straight enough to get away with not needing to do much hand planing. But I've been looking at all that gorgeous Lie Nielsen stuff, and that No.4 is singing the sirens' song.

I'll post some photos once some doors are hung.

Thanks,
Alamont