what is the simplest way to make a door holding jig? something to hold a door on edge while mortising for hinges or planing.
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6" wide 5/8th plywood or osb, 16" long, 2 @ 6" long 2x4 for feet on each end. make 2 uprights (diagonaly rip a 2x8 ) 12" tall.
Stand the uprights 2" apart and attach to the ply wood. Can be lined with scrap carpet.
The door goes inbetween,,,and the ply will bend and the uprights clamp on the door.
Make 2 as such.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Here's something similar, although a little more complicated.
http://www.carpenters.org/carpentermag/0203/TrdTlk34_03.pdf
Now that's elegant. Worth building one just for the bragging rights!
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
It is a slick holder, although in addition to the drawing some anti-marring type pads should be added on the sides for good measure. If you're a pro and your going to make your own holders, jigs, miter tables, etc., they should be practical and professional looking. They should also reflect your skills as a carpenter. I get a lot of looks from customers and contractors at my shopmade toolbox. Dovetail corners, custom handles, hidden compartment, organized. One more thing that separates us from the rest.
Edited 3/10/2009 7:54 pm ET by Shawn_Prentice
Wanna share some pics of this toolbox? You brought it up.
Sure, give me a day or so. It's a hybrid I made from two of the boxes in The Tool Box Book. It's heavy, but it carries many of the handtools I need for remodel work.
Wow! That thing is beautiful!
Edited 3/11/2009 7:54 pm by gordsco
It's a nice bit of gizmology, I'll give you that.But while it’s heavier, harder to build, and more expensive than the
standard carpenter's version (post #2), it does not improve upon the original design one bit.When I see unnecessarily-complicated rigs like this, I come away thinking, “If that guy worked for me, I’d be losing money!â€There's nothing wrong with building something in your shop as a first-generation prototype for something better, and, once made, nothing wrong with keeping it until you’ve made something better (if you ever get around to it).But IMO, a guy who puts that out there as his ne plus ultra opus can’t see the forest for all of the wonderful trees he has spent so much time incorporating into his design. It takes about 1/10 of that engineering effort to design one that folds flat, which is a huge improvement if you want to keep it and carry it from job to job: Use hinged uprights, and hinged diagonal braces instead of the triangles, and you’re good to go.But the version Sphere describes takes so little time to build that many carpenters just leave them behind, as they often do site-built sawhorses. Sometimes it comes down to weighing, “How big is my truck?â€, against, “How big is the scrap pile I can draw from?â€AitchKay
You could use something like this for the supports -- folds flat.
View Image
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
here's one i've been meaning to make.
A well thought out jig is a pleasure to work with. I could see this one holding firmly, all sizes of doors.
I already have a door box. I holds my Bosch jig, a Makita planer, a belt sander and a half inch drill. Another box holds my designated-door-router and the hole saws and bits for drilling door locks and deadbolts.
I could make room for another small piece of equipment.
Whether this jig would be useful or not, would depend on how many doors a person hangs. I don't hang many doors these days, but I do have a few french doors to put into existing trimmed openings. The last doors I hinged were clamped to a generator I found in the garage. It was a pain, the doors were expensive, pre-painted, and I was worried about scratching or denting them.
I'm pretty sure I could whip up one of those in short order. Lord knows I've got the scrap, and the hardware too if I look around. Maybe hardwood and baltic birch ply. Probably round over all the edges with a 1/4" bit to make it user friendlier.
get a piece of 1/2" plywood 2' x 2', cut it in half on the diagonal making 2 triangles
get some 1 x 2 and nail to the short sides of the triangles
use spring clamps to hold the triangles to the sides of the door, one on each end
I F-Clamp it to my tallest open shoulder tool box. Which in my case is my drill/screw box. I try to drape it with a little plastic so it doesn't fill up with shavings. Easy as pie,, I have all the stuff,, the box has ballast. Done! Simple.
Here's what I do. If I did this job more often, I would devise a more elegant solution, but this works pretty good.
View Image
I usually put a piece of plywood or a dropcloth on the ground to protect the edge of the door, but I seem to have forgotten it in this picture... oops.
Edited 3/9/2009 10:59 pm ET by DonCanDo
I set the door up on some blocks and clamp one end of the door with my old B&D Work Mate.
Wayne
Screw a couple of narrow boards hanging off the end of a saw horse so they form a V, just wedge the door into the V.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I saw this in an early Fine Home Building,very easy to whip up on site. It consist of a short piece of 2x4, with a notch, angled on one side (10 degrees or so) and the wedge cut from one end, at 10 degrees. One will do but two make the door more steady. Set the door in the notch and tap the wedge in snug. You can always line it with cardboard or scrap carpet if worried about scratches o pre finished doors.
"Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
Wier/Barlow
Edited 3/10/2009 11:07 pm ET by dedhed6b
*.skp? Wazzat?
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, PA
.skp = Sketchup
Ahh. Thanks.
Mike HennessyPittsburgh, AP
I know there kinda old school but i always just use wooden handscrew clamps. ya gotta use the big ones 12 inch or better.
I use 2X4's.
1 about 2' long on the floor, 2 about 18" long standing upright and spaced wide enough to accept the door. I brace the uprights with scraps of ply or a 2X4 block cut at 45degrees.
These have been holding doors for about 20 years, made out of chunks of junk.
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
I like the "no-slip" shelf liner stuff as pads.
I use that stuff all of the time -- never have used it as a shelf liner - stuff won't slide out of the cabinets!
I buy it at the local Dollar store -- 5' for a buck. Or pay double+ at HD.
Sawhorse pads / covers; hold a flat workpiece while routing or sanding; lay a piece on the dashboard of a boat to stop sliding...........
JimNever underestimate the value of a sharp pencil or good light.
Take a couple washcloth size scraps of that into the kitchen.They work great for that little bit of extra gription you need, to open the pickle jar.One on the lid, one on the jar.
....
OK. Here's my self-clamping door buck. I made two in less than an hour.
Materials from scrap/leftovers: 1/2"ply, 1/4" baltic birch, 1x1 poplar, 3/8" closed cell foam.
These hold a door amazingly tight. No silly wedges or adjusters or hardware or scratches on the door. Drop the door in and you're golden.
View Image
Is that a foam liner? what kind?http://www.tvwsolar.comSometime I'll learn how to read everything, d'oh... I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
Edited 3/13/2009 3:29 pm ET by Snort
Ken,Is there a reason all you guys want these to be self clamping? I guess I don't see the advantage, really, but maybe that's just because I've always used the other type. Is it a time thing, though that's hard to believe? Will it still work with a range of door thicknesses?Here's my simple, wedge version:
I try to keep the parts to our fixtures to a minimum. Jobsites, trucks, and shops just seem to "eat up" superfluous parts<G>. The one I showed isn't really self-clamping, it needs the help of a good kick.http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
Self-clamping...... What could be easier that just dropping the door in?Range of door thicknesses for my door bucks? Why yes, the jig as pictured does 1 3/4" doors. Add a strip of the 3/8" foam and you got 1 3/8" covered. Another chunk o' foam and you got bifold, if for some crazy reason you gotta work on one of those.2 1/4" doors? Well, I don't do those very often. :o)
Bingo! Now we’re talking. Simplicity itself, and nicely made, too, Ken.A “keeper†version of the possibly-throwaway design that Sphere posted. The only functional mod I could think of would be to maybe add Templaco-style swivel feet for stability. But that foam looks like it would grip so well that you probably wouldn’t need wide feet. Maybe with hollow-core doors?If anybody wanted to tweak out from there, and break out the Baltic Birch, roundover bits, and varnish, I’d say go for it! Maybe some routed grab-holes to lighten it up?But first start with a good, functional design. This qualifies.AitchKay
Georgie,
I built one like this from some scrap maple and a bit of baltic birch ply. Faced the wedge and holders with leather. Works well, doesn't take up much space, and took maybe an hour to build.
http://www.templaco.com/html/product.asp?id=116&mode=Door_Holder
- Kit
If you are going to go overboard, there's certainly something to be said for building "calling cards," that make your customers go,"Oohh!" Pretty jigs can, and do, make for future sales. I’ve built ‘em myself many times, and will again.But since I'll not only have my jig built, but my door hung, by the time you build one of those, you’ll want to make sure that your jig ends up at least equal, if not superior to, in terms of function.So go back to post #2, build one of those (it'll only take you 10 min. or so}, then critique the "Gentleman's" version against it. (In the old days,"Gentleman's" tools were those designed for the upper-class amateur, with all of the aesthetic stops pulled out).The Gentleman's version posted by a couple of you takes a long time to build, but is inferior functionally, since it is not self-clamping. Keep at it, guys, but think long and hard before sacrificing function for aesthetics.For those who had trouble visualizing Sphere's description, look at Snort’s post #21. It’s pretty close to what Sphere described. But the two, curved, brace cuts took longer than Sphere’s one, straight diagonal, and the horizontal base appears to be 1x, as opposed to plywood (forgive me if it’s not, Snort).“Wait a minute,†you may say, “1x is stronger and stiffer than ply, so it’s better!â€Wrong. The sag in the ply is what allows for the clamping action, brought on by the weight of the door. The stiffer the bottom, the more it resists clamping the door.So less is more.As I said, keep at it, guys. But don’t be afraid of funky if it’s functional.Aitchkay
Dude,Time to take a deeeeeep breath...
?AitchKay
Aitch, if people like their fixture better than others, that's fine. If you don't like the jig, that's fine too, but no need going off on the mini rants about them. They all serve the same purpose and if the user is happy with it, what's the big deal?
Happy Friday.
Sorry guys, I obviously ruffled some feathers.One of the best things about a thread like this is that you get to compare and contrast, which I was doing. Since someone who has never used one won't necessarily know what to look for, it's important to point out the differences. I think Templaco, while they make a lot of good stuff, missed the boat with their jig.I also think, once they use one, most guys will prefer self-clamping jigs, so I pointed out those that don't.But the OP asked, “what is the simplest way to make a door holding jig?â€Post #2 answered that decisively, and we were ALL going off after that!Aitchkay
Ah, but the SIMPLEST way is a drywall screw through the door and into the door jamb.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
Hey, Kit,OK, I took that deep breath you mentioned (I DO get excited about design and function!).Actually, your jig is way better than what I’m currently using, the B & D Workmate system that hammerelbow posted. Fine, if the Workmate is going to be onsite anyway, but bulky if I have to pack it special, just for that.I’ve made ones like Sphere’s before, though, and they work great.As for self-clamping or not, I’d turn the question around -- why not? When we’re faced with new, time-saving gadgets, that’s always the question.With power windows and locks, the downside is added initial cost, more expensive repairs, what if the window won’t go back up when it’s 5º out, etc.So what are the downsides of self-clamping? When I do get around to building another one, I’ll think about anything you or Snort have to say.AitchKay
A,Sorry if I came off as, well, whatever... Didn't intend it in a mean way.I can't see any disadvantage to a self clamping jig, except maybe the ability to accept doors of varying widths. I mostly hang standard doors, but actually do quite a few 2" and larger custom doors, too. Then we're talking multiple jigs, etc.I was curious, I guess, because I never felt like dropping the wedge in there was a hassle at all. Like I said previously, though, a jig with a wedge is all I've ever used. It's funny the habits we get into. We have to remind ourselves to step out of our little bubble of knowledge and comfort sometimes.One of the first contractors I worked for here had one of his guys as the designated door hanger. He refused to use a multi-hinge template, instead using a single hinge piece from a Porter-Cable adjustable setup. He never really gave me an explanation that satisfied me as to why. I figured, six chances to screw up every door instead of two and six holes in each door and jamb instead of two, not to mention demonstrably slower. Though I wouldn't call him a great door hanger, his system worked for him. As someone who frequently had to case the doors he hung, though, I wish he would have been a bit more open-minded and curious about possibly better methods.Well, I don't even know what I am saying anymore... Next time I build a jig, I'll try the self- clamping type, promise.- Kit
Like that door hanger, we do get comfortable, sometimes stuck. This forum really pushes my envelope, that's for sure.Sometimes I can't find a thread again, to go back and try something I read. I'm thinking of setting up a folder on my computer, and copying and pasting in different jigs, ideas, etc. I know you can mark threads as favorites, but I think I need something more.AitchKay
I've often felt that way, too. I have a few threads bookmarked in my favorites. I wish I had the room/patience/$ to print out good ones and keep 'em.- Kit
I came across an article in Workbench/ May 2001 for a doordog-sawhorse-workbench that was pretty trick.
the doordog was 4"wide x12"long pieces of plywood with a right angle 6"x6" tying them together for each side of the dog ,then with a 1/4" gap that was connected by door hinge.had 1x4" feet at far outside bottom.Used carpet pad for liners.
He built 4 of them and put pieces of plywood 24" wide and 30" tall in each set and had a top with cleats to set on top.
Makes a pretty cool set of horses or worktop.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Hmm, I'm not picturing that. Are you talking about a chunk of 6x6, or a 6"square of ply?If the foot-long pieces are tied together by this "6x6", where does the 1/4" gap come from? I'm picturing a 6" gap. And "far outside bottom?" Which piece is the bottom?Sketchup, anyone?AitchKay
The one by four by 12"'s are the 2 sides of a right triangle the six by six(triangle 1x) is inside the triangle to make a brace.put two of these together to make the door dog with a 1/4" gap at the bottom attach the hinge spanning the gap at bottom the feet go on the far outside of bottom.
put vertical pieces back enough for door and pads to fit.
WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Edited 3/16/2009 8:27 am by ANDYSZ2
So the 1x4s form L-shaped, vertical posts? One each side of the door?Then, as I read it, with a 1/4" gap between them, you're all set to hang 1/4"-thick doors.Sorry if I'm dense. I think I'm going to stop trying to figure this one out.AitchKay
You build them just like the simple plywood ones but instead of the plywood bending you put the door hinge on bottom with gap for hinge barrel.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
I've got it now. But without the stiffness of a ply bottom, how does it stand open to receive the door?AitchKay
A good question. Maybe put a block under hinge and pull out after you set door in.
If I get time tonight I plan on building a couple and see how they do.
I like the idea of having 4 of them and use them for a workstation so I will take photos and post later.
ANDYSZ2 WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
"A good question. Maybe put a block under hinge and pull out after you set door in."So... maybe consider the time-tested design, unless it can be improved upon? And save yourself the aggravation of making do with a block to shim it up to where it should have been all along?AitchKay
This is a picture of it.
I built it in ten minutes.
You can open it wider by stepping on one end.
Sorry for the large file size.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Excellent, Dude!AitchKay
One thing about the springy-plywood design is, you hit one of the uprights a little off-center, they close up on you.Nothing like being able to apply 100 lbs. or so of opening force just by stomping down!AitchKay
Cute. That's worth a re-size:
View Image
But for some reason, I feel like I would want to use a set of C-clamps on the uprights just for that added security.
The weight of a door is plenty for the clamping part.
It definately needs foam liners and I have been thinking a slight cant on both sides so when locking in it evens out the contact area.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Pics of a recent door projectI stole the idea for the jig from a magazine ad when I had to hang 30 solid core doors on a job, I've probably hung over a hundred doors with it .6 ' of 2" aluminum pipe , 2 bessy clamps and a couple of casters
Very Very Very cool.
Do the clamp bars go thru the pipe?
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
Yup I drilled 2 holes close together and joined them with a file to make a tight slot. The fixed end of the clamp is repositioned permanently . The clamp bar is drilled and tapped to bolt on the casters and the stabilisers. A couple of wedges hammered into the ends takes care of any wobble.oh ya it's called "LUKE DOORWALKER"Rik
I think you win the prize.
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
Excellent! Is it difficult to tip the door upright when the diagonal of the door is longer than the height of the ceiling?
Thanks Ya guess it would be but that hasn't happened yet, the one shown is a 36" by 82" door and the cieling is 8' 2".
This is the first house I've worked in in a long while that hasn't had 9' cielings or better and any commercial projects are usually much higher than thatRik
Edited 3/17/2009 9:09 pm by artacoma
Thanks. Looks like it would be a bit harder, but still a lot easier than dragging the door around without wheels.
I was wondering the same thing. It looks like I'd be chasing that door all over the house trying to tip it up. But...I love the idea. LOVE the idea...especially for solid core doors.
Could probably wheel the door to its destination and just take it off the rig to stand it up. Many buildings in my area have low ceilings, but I'd still welcome the wheel feature. It's a clever design.
I agree with Andy...very cool!
You still need a carpenter's bench though...I see you laying your hammer and tape on the ground LOL. Nothing gets all the way to the ground with me because I hate bending!
Dang, now that's reinventing the wheel!http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
Could you show us a more detailed pic of the clamp/pipe intersection.
Also if the pipe is two inches in diameter do you pad out the clamps for thinner doors?
I took some pics today and left my camera on the window sill ......... we'll have to wait and see if it's there in the morning.
I'll post tomorrow with some details.cheers Rik
The woody bits are a couple of hardwood wedges I pounded in to take care of any wobble and also to correct a minor misalignment with the two endscheersRik
I wouldn't be too quick to ditch the wedge scheme.
Spheres version creates a pinching point that could damage the door. Your wedge version creates a flatter contact surface that spreads the clamp over a greater area, thus reducing the chance of damage.
'Snot ply, it's 1x... clamping action comes from kicking it diagonally to the door... and the curves were added to make it easier to get the door in the slot... that means speed when you've got a lot of doors to hinge... I got yer function, right here<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
Take two longish quick grips clamp them on the bottom..
done!
30 seconds or so..
You don't do this stuff for your living, do ya<G>http://www.tvwsolar.com
I went down to the lobby
To make a small call out.
A pretty dancing girl was there,
And she began to shout,
"Go on back to see the gypsy.
He can move you from the rear,
Drive you from your fear,
Bring you through the mirror.
He did it in Las Vegas,
And he can do it here."
"Take two longish quick grips clamp them on the bottom.. done! 30 seconds or so.."Frenchy-I have done that, too. Not very stable. Try that with 3-0 x 7-0 solid core commercial doors! :o}
Um, your quick grips and mine must be a differant brand My boathouse entry doors are 4 inch thick black walnut 36 inches wide (ea. there are two of them) 8 ft high. IT takes two people to lift them and then it's a strain. That's what I held them up with when I cut the six hinge pockets with on each door. If I really wanted sturdy I could have just as easily grabbed a pair of bar clamps but I suspect it would have taken more than a minute to clamp them tight.
Glad they work for you. :o)
make the carpenter's helper hold it
when you are up to yur knees in gators, make gatorade
was a really important question...
Georgie
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when you are up to yur knees in gators, make gatorade
Well, no one has mentioned the good old fashioned sitebuilt carpenter's workbench (12" deep, 32" wide and 20" high). I always carried one with me and I used it a hundred different ways. When I hung doors, I'd cut the slot on the nosing on the end of the bench and it would then become a doorholder. I haven't needed that feature for a couple of decades though.
The bench would also serve as my staging area for the entire array of tools and supplies. Usually, I had a tray in the bottom of the bench and I'd carry the entire days collection of stuff in there. The weight of the tools/supplies created the ballast needed to stablize the door.
I have one of these benches still and use it for a wide variety of services during the work day.
Not exactly the same thing, but what I do is very similar:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=117622.6
GEO, simple is best I installed thousands of wood doors using the easiest method. Better than clamps. better than wedges. Simply cut a length of 1 x 2 and notch it out to receivec the doors thickness
Make the 'stick slightly wider than the door jamb and wedge it horizontly across the jamb legs (just below the height of the door) Now, you can plane chisel and rout without the door sliding away.
If you prefer to skip the notched , just nail two short blocks of the s zame 1x2 to create a stronger 'notch' (dado? (rabbet?)
Steinmetz /