Mortising jig for automatic door bottom?

[Gabriel Marusic]

I am picking up automatic door bottoms for my place and I need to mortise the bottom of the door about 1" wide by 1 3/4" deep to install them. Looking around online, I haven't been able to find anything other than a jig that festool makes for it's routers. Even if I owned a festool router, $365 for that jig is far too much for me to spend.

Browsing online, I found this installation video where they use a similar type jig but unfortunately don't call out the name of the product. Anyone have any ideas?

Here is the installation video I'm referring to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt50ay1fQBQ

[Kevin Jenness]

The best, safest way to cut that groove on an assembled door would be with a heavy shaper, powerfeed and outboard support (and extra pair of hands). Barring that a router with a fence on both sides is the way to go, but it is difficult to prevent the router tipping especially as shown in the video. It is easier with the door set up on edge in a vise or raised door buck. Multiple light cuts will help. It's a challenging cut and needs careful setup. An added block at the cut exit will prevent spelching.

When I am making a new door that will use this type of sweep I precut the stiles on the bandsaw and the rail on the shaper or tablesaw.

[William Hodge]

That router fixture can be made of 1/2" plywood and 5" wide blocking on the sides, leaving a door thickness channel around the cuter. As Kevin says, standing the door on end makes the work easier. I clamp the door to a bench, and stand on the bench. Making the cut in several passes, or using gradually larger cutters, helps.

With a plywood base, a 1 1/4" shopvac hose can be mounted right behind the cutter, through the plywood.

[Tom M King]

I have only ever installed two of those, on my Parents' house double Mahogany entrance doors. I just used a circular saw, and chisel.

That was a few decades ago. I've forgotten the details, but the service life of the mechanism was just not satisfactory. I ended up filling the grooves with some Live Oak pieces that meshed perfectly with the threshold, and those have been trouble free since.

[Bradley Gray]

Here's one that works well and only requires 5/8 x 1 1/8" groove:

http://http://www.conservationtechnology.com/building_weatherseals_adjustable.html

[Joe Calhoon]

I do a lot of these and use a adjustable groover in the shaper but if you don’t have outboard support that is difficult. Like Bradly says the one from RCT is a lot smaller for the trench. It works better than the Pemco brand also. The adjustable bottom from Resource works well also.

[David Sochar]

Mortising, schmortising. I learned a new word - spelching. And it is a legitimate word, not just made up. 50 years of spelching, and I never knew what it was called.

Fortunately, 5 minutes after making my first spelch, my mentor came along and taught me about exit blocks.

But today, I learn what it is called.

I often say "You don't know what you don't know". Proven correct, yet again.

Thanks Kevin

[ChrisA Edwards]

Lots of cheap hand held router jigs out there, or a simple make your own.

I like the 'clamp it vertical and stand on the bench' method to complete the cut(s).

Also, put your location in your profile, maybe there's a Creeker who live close enough to possibly have the tools you need for this simple, one time use.

I have this one and use it occasionally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzH5XsrJxr8

[Gabriel Marusic]

The best, safest way to cut that groove on an assembled door would be with a heavy shaper, powerfeed and outboard support (and extra pair of hands). Barring that a router with a fence on both sides is the way to go, but it is difficult to prevent the router tipping especially as shown in the video. It is easier with the door set up on edge in a vise or raised door buck. Multiple light cuts will help. It's a challenging cut and needs careful setup. An added block at the cut exit will prevent spelching.

When I am making a new door that will use this type of sweep I precut the stiles on the bandsaw and the rail on the shaper or tablesaw.

Thank you for the advice. I don't have a shaper with a powerfeed so I will have to go with the router with a fence on both sides.

[Gabriel Marusic]

I do a lot of these and use a adjustable groover in the shaper but if you don’t have outboard support that is difficult. Like Bradly says the one from RCT is a lot smaller for the trench. It works better than the Pemco brand also. The adjustable bottom from Resource works well also.

I actually got mine from Zero - do you have any experience with those? I only bought one to see how effective it would be so I'm not married to any model just yet.

[Peter Kelly]

Simple enough to make a router jig for this. Use a lightweight router and make lots of shallow passes.

https://i.imgur.com/Ijpdxi0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ciGYwV0.jpg

[James Dempsey]

https://www.templaco.com/html/product.asp?id=310&mode=Special+Application
This is a router template I have, it is easy enough to use, no need for a large shaper.
Go slow, take lots of bites and secure the door to you table.

I have used a norfield stylizer to do a few dozen for an office building that added them, if you want to make a fixture like that and use a smaller bit than described.

https://norfield.com/store/index.php/tools-and-supplies/door-jamb-fixtures/mfg77000-stylizer-kit.html

[Joe Calhoon]

I actually got mine from Zero - do you have any experience with those? I only bought one to see how effective it would be so I'm not married to any model just yet.

Gabriel, no experience with Zero. I just looked at their web and the Zero Select looks pretty good. I would stay away from their Pemco products. The best drop bottom maker is a Swiss company Planet. They have one that also seals to the door jamb at bottom. They had a dealer in the US but not sure if they are still around.
Here is what the adj bottom from Resource looks like. It’s very simple to adjust.

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