How to undercut a French pocket door while it is hanging?

[Benjimin Young]

I have a set of paint grade french doors on pocket door hardware that cannot be removed without breaking into the wall. I need to trim 1/2" off the bottom of each door to make room for a different floor finish. The only idea I have come up with so far is to build some sort of custom blocking arrangement that could guide a handsaw so it tracks straight and I am not sure if this would work.

Any creative ideas on how you would make this cut?

[Kevin Jenness]

Oscillating saw (Fein multitool or similar) guided by a 1/2" block from both sides.

[John TenEyck]

Maybe a jamb saw for the bulk of it on both sides, and finishing with a handsaw and/or multi tool. The hard part is going to be where the door is recessed in the pocket, but maybe you can pull the trim off to give enough access.

John

[Benjimin Young]

Hi John, I can get the door fully out of the pockets, just cant get them off the track. I'll have to lookup a jamb saw ?

[Benjimin Young]

Hi Kevin, I thought about using that tool but am concerned about cutting straight. I had not thought to use a block/jig. I might do a test in the garage with some scrap lumber. Thanks

[Andy D Jones]

How high above the existing floor will the cut be?

I'm wondering if there is room for a clamp (that would hold a cutting guide) to reach under the door. My first thought would be a wooden hand screw clamps (but they're my first choice for lots of things...) if there is enough room for the door to pass over the screws between the jaws. Hand screws have straight, parallel sides which might come in handy here. You could even cut a wooden shim to ride on top of the screws (or the hand screw jaws) that gives you the 1/2" from the bottom of the door, gauged from the floor. You can loosen, slide, and reset a clamp as you go. You might use an extra clamp to hold the door open while you make the first ~80% of the cut.

Instead of the shims above, you may be able to cut a spacer for between the clamp/guide and the floor, to hold the top edge of the clamp at the right height for the cut.

I think you will need a non-offset, flush cutting saw, probably the Japanese type (I can't remember what they are called.) A conventional saw has enough set to the teeth that it won't follow a guide that well.

I'm not quite sure how I would handle the last bit of the cut that won't come out of the pocket...

Hope this helps... maybe someone will come along with a better idea.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Andy D Jones]

I just thought about this some more (and reading the other responses)...

You could rip a couple of strips of wood that you could screw to the bottom 1/2" that you will be cutting off. One strip on each side. Then use them as a guide for the flush cutting saw. If you are trying to control the height above the existing floor surface, you could just rip them to that width, for a self-setting gauge.

You probably want to tape both sides of the cut to help control splintering.

Oh, and apparently there won't be any part of the door that won't come out of the pocket, so disregard my concern about that.

-- Andy - Arlington TX

[Benjimin Young]

ok, now I know what a jamb saw is and I can rent one locally, a good option, especially if I can cut from both sides of the door accurately (1 3/8 thick door)

[Benjimin Young]

Thanks to all, great suggestions which got my creative juices working a bit more. I might try to combine all your ideas to do the following:
Build up a flat plywood board wide enough to accept a jamb saw from both sides of the door, include a dado in the board for the door to slide into, screw the board to the floor, slide the door into the board dado and then cut each door from both sides with a jamb saw. This assumes I can rent a good jamb saw with a good blade.

By the way, here is a picture of the door pulled out of the jamb, I can slide each door individually to the middle with lots of room for cutting.431660

[lowell holmes]

Check this site, you may find something to use.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools-Power-Tools-Saws-Circular-Saws/3-3-8/N-5yc1vZc2dcZ1z17i8n?mtc=SEM-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-DSA-NA-NA-DSA_Audiences&cm_mmc=SEM-B-F_D25T-G-D25T-Multi-Multi-NA-NA-DSA-NA-NA-DSA_Audiences-71700000052431079-58700005034282060-39700043954327045&gclid=CjwKCAjwqJ_1BRBZEiwAv73uwC1WA2ORr_qTKi3Rrogn 5rM8HxakDO6lwi6YFB2NkUr5BOA1cNk8xRoCf6YQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Bert McMahan]

Don't forget that, since it's a door, you only care about the outermost cut line being straight. Underneath it can be jagged or ugly. You might be able to clamp on a straightedge and use a boxcutter or something to score along the outermost finish, then work up to it with an oscillating tool. Sand it flush with a thin block with some sandpaper on it.

[Dave Sabo]

Is this some kind of homemade or antique door hardware ? All pocket hdwr I know of can be removed without going into the walls.

[George Bokros]

Is this some kind of homemade or antique door hardware ? All pocket hdwr I know of can be removed without going into the walls.

I agree withDave. The only thing that likely will need to be removed is the jamb in order to get the door completely out of the wall to remove it from the track.

[Jared Sankovich]

Is this some kind of homemade or antique door hardware ? All pocket hdwr I know of can be removed without going into the walls.

This.

Pics of the top of the door/track/rollers will help. The super common Johnson pocket door hardware has a simple latch/catch to remove the door.

[Walter Plummer]

Photos of your track and rollers would help. Depending on the track you may be able to cut an opening in the track to allow the trucks ("rollers") to drop out to remove the door.After trimming reinstall the door and add a stop to keep the trucks in. This is a common application with pocket doors. Good luck and let us know what you do.

[Steve Fish]

Might be a good excuse to buy a track saw....

[Eric Schmid]

I’m not sure you understand how this works; you’re supposed to find a problem for which you “must” buy new tools. Renting tools is a cop out. What happens to the rest of us when renting tools starts to become acceptable. How can I justify a bigger shop if I’m running around renting tools.

Kidding aside. Put a strip of half inch plywood on the floor, set the blade of your oscillating saw flat on the plywood and slowly cut half way through. Go to the other side and repeat. Let the blade do the cutting so you don’t end up with a tapered cut which hangs low in the middle.

Block the door on the opposite side to keep it from moving away from you.

BTW, usually you can slide a bent wrench between the top of the door and the bottom of the top jamb to release the hook.

Given the clearance your picture appears to show, I would not bother removing the door even if you can get it off. You’ll get a nice even cut if you go slowly with a sharp wood only blade and use a strip of 1/2” ply as your guide. And you’ll save yourself the frustration of rehanging the door.

[Rob Luter]

Rent a jamb saw. I did it once. Best $40 I ever spent.

https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Jamb-Saw/10-55/

https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/assets/img/QEP/336x336/CC-QEP-jamp-saw-01-large.jpg

[Dan Hahr]

Don't cut the door hanging. It's called a jamb saw for a reason. Check out the hanging hardware with a mirror if you have to. Look very closely at the trim and see if there is not a piece that is barely nailed in place that can be removed to access the hardware. Any professional trim person leaves access to the hardware; you kind of have to so that you can make sure the door hangs properly.

Dan

[Bill Dufour]

Toe kick saw? I have never even seen one so no idea how accurate they may be.. harbour freight sells one. They even make a flush cut blade for a regular skilsaw. Maybe make a cradle to hold your sawblade parallel to the the floor. Like hose clamp a 1x6 to the side of the saw. Maybe one of those little belt drive trim routers with. flush cut bit and a piece of scrap on the floor.
Bil lD.

https://www.harborfreight.com/3-38-in-68-amp-heavy-duty-toe-kick-saw-62420.html

[Wayne Cannon]

I second using an oscillating tool.

I cut about 3/8" from the bottom of a bathroom pocket door with a Fein Multimaster using a piece of the new hardwood flooring as a spacer/guide. The cut was clean, straight, and surprisingly quick. I switched to a narrower blade to get the unexposed portion (I didn't remove any trim, and my door won't fully expose w/o removing trim). I've also trimmed oak flooring with it. It works surprisingly well.

It was so easy, I think a jamb saw would be way overkill for just the two doors -- though I've never used one.