How do you crosscut an entry door?

[Tom Jones III]

I've glued up my entry door and ripped it to width, now I need to crosscut for the height of the door. The problem is the door is 3' wide, in other words I need 3' between my miter gauge and the front of the TS blade.

Obviously the miter gauge is not going to work. If I make a sled, that is going to have to be a monster sled. Keep in mind that I've got 7' of door out to the right of the blade so that is a lot of weight and the sled will at least need to keep it balanced so that it doesn't tip off the sled. I've got a PM66 with 50" of table to the right of the blade so that part is not a problem.

Is a giant sled my only choice? What other options do I have?

[Scott Loven]

I would clamp a straight edge to the door and cut it with a circular saw with a good blade.
Scott

[Alex Shanku]

Handsaw and hand plane?

[Mike Parzych]

I would clamp a straight edge to the door and cut it with a circular saw with a good blade.
Scott

This is the way to go - done it several times. Put masking tape over the cut line on both sides to minimize tearing the doorskin.

[Heather Thompson]

What Scott said, helped a friend out last year after he had new carpet installed, he did not want windshield wiper marks on the new carpet. I loaded my circular saw, staight edge, fresh blade, misc tools and helped Jeff out, he was home on disablity and could not do it himself.

Heather

[Tony Bilello]

I would clamp a straight edge to the door and cut it with a circular saw with a good blade.
Scott


I have done this hundreds of times with doors and tables.
Sometimes the easiest solution is the best solution.

[Jim O'Dell]

I would clamp a straight edge to the door and cut it with a circular saw with a good blade.
Scott


+5!! You might want to make 2 cuts slightly over half way and do it from each side to help with the splintering also. Jim.

[Tom Jones III]

Can you guys please make up your minds ...

OK I'm getting the message. I suspected this would be the answer. Thanks.

[David G Baker]

I use tape and a sharp knife to mark the edge where the cut edge is, this can stop tearing or splintering by quite a bit especially if you are cutting a hollow core door.

[Bill Huber]

I made a big Texas size crosscut sled and use my table saw........

OK, that's not how I do it, I do it like everyone else, I use an All In One clamp and a circular saw. http://www.eemersontool.com/U-Series.html

[Steve Rozmiarek]

We all can't agree, so find a buddy with a sliding table saw!:D Seriously, the guides and circular saw are the common and correct answer IMHO.

[keith ouellette]

I just did 7 doors for someone. I cross cut them all a little over length with a straight edge and a circular saw.

Then I went back and set up the straight edge to work with my router and a straight bit to trim the last 1/16" chip free. Worked great on all of them.

[Von Bickley]

I would clamp a straight edge to the door and cut it with a circular saw with a good blade.
Scott


Scott has it right.......

[Curt Harms]

I just cut up some cabinet plywood. A saw guide and two passes--once very shallow, 1/16 to get thru the veneer then a second pass full depth. No chipping at all, worked great. Obviously a good carbide blade is in order.

Curt

[Neal Clayton]

scott is the winner ;).

the freud avanti blades they have at the borgs work pretty well if you don't have a good crosscut blade for your skilsaw.

[Vince Shriver]

As stated (and restated) here, a circular saw is the ticket. Just to add a little to the pot, you can also accomplish this task using a router with multiple passes and the same kind of guide as the saw. With a pattern bit (bearing on the top), a simple straight board clamped across the door would do also.

[Joel Goodman]

I just did 7 doors for someone. I cross cut them all a little over length with a straight edge and a circular saw.

Then I went back and set up the straight edge to work with my router and a straight bit to trim the last 1/16" chip free. Worked great on all of them.

+1 on this approach! The router for the last trimming is the way to go.

[Bill White]

Well I guess that you don't need any help from my circ. saw (with a GOOD blade) and a straight edge.
Bill ;)

[Brad Shipton]

Tom, why didnt you cut the stiles before glueup? I usually mark the height during test fit and cut before glueup. Just curious.

Brad

[Chris Padilla]

I've used my Festool saw guide and circular saw to trim many, many doors. :D They come out very clean and chip-free.

[Lee Schierer]

I would either use my skill saw with a good sharp blade and the tape method or use my Bosch jig saw withe a T-234X blades. Use a straight edge to guide the cut. I was cutting some oak plywood this weekend with this blade and had virtually no tearout along the cut line.

[Jim Heffner]

Scott gave you the correct answer for sure. When you cut the door, make sure your blade is really sharp and take your time and follow the crosscut guide and don't try to hurry it up or rush the saw, let it cut at a reasonable feed rate.

[Tom Jones III]

Tom, why didnt you cut the stiles before glueup? I usually mark the height during test fit and cut before glueup. Just curious.

Brad

Because that would be one more thing that has to be perfect during glue-up. I already had 12 panels, 5 styles and 4 rails to manage. Getting it close during glue up then cutting to size gives the best fit and finish. Also, cutting afterwards gives you a perfectly square door.

[Tom Jones III]

Scott gave you the correct answer for sure. When you cut the door, make sure your blade is really sharp and take your time and follow the crosscut guide and don't try to hurry it up or rush the saw, let it cut at a reasonable feed rate.

I got a brand new Freud blade and was careful with the guide, everything went perfectly. Thanks for all the help.

[Erik Frederiksen]

I've used my Festool saw guide and circular saw to trim many, many doors. :D They come out very clean and chip-free.


Ditto.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention this option. You'd have to have a very expensive table saw indeed to approach the quality of the Festool cut.

[Brad Shipton]

Tom, IC. I asked because I have a stack of six doors leaning against a wall for glueup and all were precut to 80". Mine dont have quite as many panels. Not sure I totally agree with the squareness preference. I bet if your joints are tight you can get a perfectly square door without the re-cut step.

Brad

[Neal Clayton]

Ditto.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention this option. You'd have to have a very expensive table saw indeed to approach the quality of the Festool cut.

it's not the difference in cut quality it's just not feasible to feed a door through a table saw for a crosscut. rip sure, crosscut not really.

[Erik Frederiksen]

it's not the difference in cut quality it's just not feasible to feed a door through a table saw for a crosscut. rip sure, crosscut not really.

not even with a sliding table saw like the felder?

[Dan Karachio]

Ditto.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to mention this option. You'd have to have a very expensive table saw indeed to approach the quality of the Festool cut.

Ah, you both beat me to it!

[Neal Clayton]

not even with a sliding table saw like the felder?

in that case you're feeding the table not the door ;).

big difference.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I've used my Festool saw guide and circular saw to trim many, many doors. :D They come out very clean and chip-free.


Yep.

[Frederick Rowe]

Tom - If you've got an older house (or one with ill fitting doors) check the measurements of the door opening. If it is out of square, you may want to consider crosscutting the door to match any out of square condition. Like fitting inset cabinet doors, it is the reveal that matters, not the actual size.

It is frustrating to carefully set up a square cut, install the door, then find an uneven reveal at the bottom. This is particularly visible with hardwood floors as carpet hides uneven reveals.

[George Sanders]

Go to Pennstatind.com and look up portable panel saw. I bought one of these several years ago to cut sheet goods. I did use it to cut a door to proper height and it worked well for that.