Will this work - power planer

[bsr]

I need to fill some hinge rebates. Depth varies 2-3mm.

@lostinthelight has suggested gluing in shims and planing. I can buy 3mm ply or MDF pieces on eBay for a couple of quid. Im guessing ply would be better for planing.

If I glue them in so they are slightly proud, can I then plane them flush by setting the power planer to max depth and running it up the door casing, pressing on the back fixed plate rather than the front adjusting plate?

 

[lostinthelight]

I need to fill some hinge rebates. Depth varies 2-3mm.

@lostinthelight has suggested gluing in shims and planing. I can buy 3mm ply or MDF pieces on eBay for a couple of quid. Im guessing ply would be better for planing.

If I glue them in so they are slightly proud, can I then plane them flush by setting the power planer to max depth and running it up the door casing, pressing on the back fixed plate rather than the front adjusting plate?

Power planer imo is too savage and door stop may get in the way, use a sharp wide chisel on wood shim , not keen on mdf or car body filler on top of gloss if its well stuck w

 

[foxhole]

You need timber not ply or mdf .

 

[conny]

If it is a fire door you will need intumescent packers instead of just timber. MDF is carp and 3 mm ply is not really suitable in my opinion.

 

[bsr]

@foxhole what's the issue with ply? Is it planing through to the cross grain? How do you make 2mm to 3mm wood packers?

@conny it's not a fire door. Happy to use the packers as an easy option but will they paint up like wood? I always thought of them as being shiny.

Sounds like two pack filler will be the easiest option.

 

[johnny2007]

Just use sliced wood.
Then sand or plane the excess.

 

[foxhole]

@foxhole what's the issue with ply? Is it planing through to the cross grain? How do you make 2mm to 3mm wood packers?

@conny it's not a fire door. Happy to use the packers as an easy option but will they paint up like wood? I always thought of them as being shiny.

Sounds like two pack filler will be the easiest option.

Ply is layer of timber and glue you might end up with the glue layer at the surface .You don’t make slim packers , larger are simply planed down .

 

[^woody^]

Or just use a two part wood or car body filler.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Power planer imo is too savage and door stop may get in the way, use a sharp wide chisel on wood shim , not keen on mdf or car body filler on top of gloss if its well stuck w

We actually call these things "Dutchmen", they are best made from solid wood (no need for intumescent material) and as you say, they are best planed in by hand with a nice sharp block plane NOT a power planer which will just rip them to pieces (as it will MDF or plywood). If this is a 1 hour fire door casing you are supposed to match the wood type (hardwood), but most casings I see are softwood 30 minute ones.

Or just use a two part wood or car body filler.

Ooooh, bodgy! also frowned on in fire door casings on the grounds that some fillers are flamable

 

[foxhole]

We actually call these things "Dutchmen", they are best made from solid wood (no need for intumescent material) and as you say, they are best planed in by hand with a nice sharp block plane NOT a power planer which will just rip them to pieces (as it will MDF or plywood). If this is a 1 hour fire door casing you are supposed to match the wood type (hardwood), but most casings I see are softwood 30 minute ones.


Ooooh, bodgy! also frowned on in fire door casings on the grounds that some fillers are flamable

OP stated not a fire door.

 

[^woody^]

, bodgy

Pragmatic.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Problem is that filler like that is always discernable becauze itvtends to shrink, crack, fall out or a combination of any/all of the above.

 

[bsr]

Right, so my feedback is that it doesn't seem worth the bother!

I cut the Dutchmen on my mitre saw as suggested above. Bad idea! The teeth kept clogging and the saw kicked back. It picked up the clamped work and jammed it into the saw, stalling and breaking the guard return spring. Hey ho. I guess it didn't like rip cutting.

I glued in the Dutchmen with PVA and clamped with some batten, then "planed" with a 1" chisel, then filled around.

After all that, plus painting, they look exactly the same as two pack - indiscernible! I can see how this is a good idea for external joinery where filler wouldn't last but doesn't seem worth the hassle for internal painted wood. Where the Dutchmen did help was in getting a crisp edge on the lining for the hinge cutouts.

@JobAndKnock do you think two pack would also be visible on painted internal wood?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Yes. I've repaired quite a few of them over the years and Dutchmen generally look better and are less prone to cracking IMHO. I find that I often have to smooth out the bittoms of the recesses as they are so badly chopped out

BTW the way to saw a Dutchman on a sliding chop saw is to start with a long piece of stud, say 500mm long in 2 x 2. Trim one end, then make your rip cut with the timber held firmly (hard in) at right angles to the fence (this will take several light passes each at a greater depth in a sort in sawing motion - trty it in a single pass and you are in a whole world of trouble), finally cut to length, only cutting away the thickness of the Dutchman to release it. Turn the saw off and let it run down before lifting out of the cut. That way no jams, no projectiles.

 

[bsr]

You're up early for a bank holiday! Ok thanks, if it's the way to go I'll keep doing it.