What tool to straighten a door frame?

[James Baker SD]

I am installing a new door on my woodshop (80"x36") moving it from the outside to the inside so the hinges cannot be popped off by a would-be intruder. (Old door needs replacing anyway, poorly installed by previous home owner and falling apart from water damage)

The door has pretty nearly flat edges and square corners so I would like to use it as it.

The door frame bows being wider in the middle and tight at the top and bottom. I have marked the high spots but wonder which tool is best to remove the wood (maybe around 3/32 each side, top and bottom).

My longer planes will not help as all the wood to remove is within 8 to 12 inches from a 90 degree obstacle (floor or horizontal piece of frame. Rabbet planes will get close to the door jam in the center of the frame but still not to the extremes I need to cut. Chisel plane will do both but is so short it will not keep a straight edge without lots of care.

I also could try paring chisels as I have a couple of wide ones. They are sharper than my chisel and rabbet irons, but will need even more care.

Suggestions please on the best tool for this task. Thanks.

James

[Jamie Buxton]

Why not plane the door? That would be much easier than planing the door frame.

[James Baker SD]

The door is square. I do not want to deal with trying to line up three hinges on a curving edge.

James

[bill mullin]

Use long screws thru one hinge screw hole in each hinge to pull jamb tight against the framing or shims (if any). Then shim the strike side that bows out until straight. If the door still hits at top and or bottom, using a block of wood and hammer, carefully knock the side jamb away from head jamb and sill (on strike side). Again shim center till reveal is straight.
If you haven't already mortised and hinged the new door, you could leave it an out-swing and just buy security hinges. They prevent pulling the door out by the hinges.

[Fred Foss]

James. I would use shims and screws to straighten the frame. outward opening doors are good, if you use security hinges. they are more restant to being kicked in then an inward opening door -- all the force applied will be to the lock, and it will bust right out . . . if the door is outward opening, the force will be applied to the stop on the frame -- over a much larger area

My $.02 - - -

fred


I am installing a new door on my woodshop (80"x36") moving it from the outside to the inside so the hinges cannot be popped off by a would-be intruder. (Old door needs replacing anyway, poorly installed by previous home owner and falling apart from water damage)

James

[Josiah Bartlett]

I would just pop the trim off and re-hang the frame. It seems like a lot of work but it really isn't. I like to hang doors by fitting the frame to the door on the bench, bracing it up with some dunnage, then installing the frame+door in the rough opening.

[Larry Rasmussen]

Our 36" front door on this 60's house sagged quite a bit and was out of square in a non lineal manner. I thought I was in for it but judicious cranking hard on select longer hinge screws and adding more shims where needed made it a really reasonable process. I wouldn't have anticipated how easy it was to get back into square.

Luck,
Larry
Seattle

[James Baker SD]

James. I would use shims and screws to straighten the frame. outward opening doors are good, if you use security hinges. they are more restant to being kicked in then an inward opening door -- all the force applied will be to the lock, and it will bust right out . . . if the door is outward opening, the force will be applied to the stop on the frame -- over a much larger area

My $.02 - - -

fred

Thanks Fred. I have not started cutting anything yet. Door is pristine. I will take a look at security hinges and maybe leave it outward opening. Have not checked the outside frame edges for trueness yet.
James

[James Baker SD]

Use long screws thru one hinge screw hole in each hinge to pull jamb tight against the framing or shims (if any). Then shim the strike side that bows out until straight. If the door still hits at top and or bottom, using a block of wood and hammer, carefully knock the side jamb away from head jamb and sill (on strike side). Again shim center till reveal is straight.
If you haven't already mortised and hinged the new door, you could leave it an out-swing and just buy security hinges. They prevent pulling the door out by the hinges.

Thanks Bill. Going to look at security hinges and check the trueness of the outside frame tomorrow.
James