Replies

1. 
   davidmeiland | Mar 21, 2010 09:20am | #1

   There needs to be a gap on the hinge side, and it's determined by the hinges. If you examine one in closed position you will probably see a ~1/16" gap when the two leaves are parallel, if your hinges are typical. Don't know why a door would be bevelled on three sides, it only needs a bevel on the latch stile. A slight bevel on the hinge stile won't hurt anything, but I wouldn't usually go to the trouble.

1. 
   housenut1 | Mar 21, 2010 11:44am | #2

   Thanks David for the advice, I had a feeling there was a gap and the your tip made a lot of sense. 

   Sincerely,

   Mike 

1. 
   calvin | Mar 21, 2010 12:56pm | #3

   nut

   A gap is necessary continuously up the hinge side.  If there's just one spot where the door edge rubs/touches the jamb, the door closing will be affected.  The thing David mentions about the closed hinges is meant to produce that slight gap.

   Door weight will usually pull the door away from the hinge jamb, thus closing your 1/8'' on the latch side.  Same goes for cheap sloppy hinges.

   If hanging one door, always better to err on the side of caution.  You can alway plane down the hinge side (or latch if you didn't install the lockset.  Once done-and if you are hanging a bunch-you can apply the firsts finished clearances to them all.  Prehanging is always easier than doing the process after a jamb has been set.  But, you'd better be right (or at least paperboard shim close).

1. 
   DaveRicheson | Mar 22, 2010 05:58am | #4

   >>(or at least paperboard

   >>(or at least paperboard shim close).

   That's the thickness of the paperboard box the hinges use to come in right?

   Not sure, but that may be a green point if you recycle the box. :-)

1. 
   calvin | Mar 22, 2010 06:51am | #5

   Dave

   Stanley used to pack shim material in their boxes of commercial hinges.  Those were scored and several on a paperboard sheet.  Very handy.

   Now I use note pad backs-several saved on the dashboard filing system.  For some reason (I guess in the making of the box) that paperboard cuts easier to size than the boxes and is a bit thicker.

   Green by design, that's my dashboard.  Whatever salvage won't get filed in the back of the van just might find a home up there.

2. 
   rdesigns | Mar 22, 2010 10:14am | #7

   Playing cards are good for shims. Single, doubled, tripled, etc. They're almost exactly 1/100 in. in thickness, if you need to know what you'll be getting.

   2's and 3's are equal to K's and Q's, so you get that egalitarian glow when using them ;-)

   And they slide around nicely on the dash if you forget to put them in your toolbox. 

3. 
   calvin | Mar 22, 2010 10:21am | #8

   Fine for an engineer

   but this dumb carpenter finds them too thin and the plastic finish doesn't allow for easy gluing to the mortise.........

   So the painter doesn't loose 'em.

4. 
   davidmeiland | Mar 23, 2010 10:44am | #9

   Maybe we are twins separated at birth. All my clipboards, behind the pad, there's cardboard from previous pads, and other cardboard besides. Cut shims, glue them into the door and/or jamb mortises as necessary. Took my 20+ years to decide I should glue them in.

   IMO lots of hinges have too small a gap between leaves. You have to under-mortise the hinge just to have paint clearance in your installation.

5. 
   calvin | Mar 23, 2010 11:10am | #10

   Well David, there's often variations-but this one doesn't have..

   Many.

   Took my 20+ years to decide I should glue them in.

   I must be the older twin, hence minutes more experience.  I fell upon the glue after having removed a whole lot of OLD HEAVY doors on a reno a real long time ago.  Noticed the shims that were behind or stuck to the hinges.  Well, after the doors were stripped and refinished it came time to rehang...............

   I suppose some of those shims stayed intact where they were, but not many.

   At that time I had a stash of Stanley leaf shims (Commercial Door Hinges used to have these in the box....perforated/creased in full strips/halves/narrows that you could tear apart according to the task at hand-full shim, rocking the hinge, etc)

   Well, used those all up and started in on the paperboard notepad backs.  Glued 'em that time and ever since, seeing as how those old doors fit sweet when we started and were so out a whack when first rehung.  Couldn't blame it on the removed finish.

   I suppose when you remove a door you put the pin in the jamb leaf?

   So, how's cousin Henry?

2. 
   housenut1 | Mar 22, 2010 09:39am | #6

   Thanks for the tips.

   Mike