Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi all, I am about to start cutting my wall profile and wanted to know the easiest way to cut out the door. I am using 1/2 for my walls and the profile is like Joanne's Desert Dawg.

Thanx

I'd use a circ saw and a straight edge for any straight cuts and finish those up with a jig saw. For any radii I'd use a router and jig.

Gringo Loco wrote:Hi all, I am about to start cutting my wall profile and wanted to know the easiest way to cut out the door. I am using 1/2 for my walls and the profile is like Joanne's Desert Dawg.

Thanx

Hi Chris,

I used a circular saw and carefully did a plunge cut on each angle. It's a bit nerve wracking if you intend to use the cutout as the actual door. None the less, as Chaotica suggested, a bit of care and it will work just fine.

Joanne

P.S. - nice choice of profile!

Joanne wrote:

Gringo Loco wrote:Hi all, I am about to start cutting my wall profile and wanted to know the easiest way to cut out the door. I am using 1/2 for my walls and the profile is like Joanne's Desert Dawg.

Thanx

Hi Chris,

I used a circular saw and carefully did a plunge cut on each angle. It's a bit nerve wracking if you intend to use the cutout as the actual door. None the less, as Chaotica suggested, a bit of care and it will work just fine.

Joanne

P.S. - nice choice of profile!

I did the same thing... but I used a jigsaw...You want to talk about nerve wracking!!!!!

I used a jig saw on mine, going slow and following the pencil line by eye, and used the cutout as the door. I cut the door out before I put up the sides. It's easier to cut with it laying flat! My tear sides are made from two pieces of 5'x5' Baltic birch, so I put the trailing edge of the door right at the seam. Saved some cutting!

Use a jig saw with a NEW fine bit and go real slow and you will do fine.

Mk

Jig saw, but I didn't sweat it all that much:

You still have to rasp/sand down the opening, as well as that piece for the door itself, to accommodate your trim and hinges and such.

So yeah, you want a good cut, but if you swerve a little, it isn't the end of the world. Just follow the line--you won't go off TOO much from that, even on a radius.

Cool thanx for all the responses guys and gals. I hope to start in the am since my wife is back at work and will have no one the house. Joanne your Desert Dawg profile is nice and simple and that is what I need . I am calling mine "The Runt" since it is shorter in length than yours.

I did a plunge cut with a circular saw, then I cut the corners with a jigsaw. You have to clean up the corners with a sander because the kerf of the jigsaw is skinnier than the circ saw.

To minimize or even eliminate splintering when cutting across the grain, brush on a thinned coat of epoxy over your pencil lines and let it cure.

You might consider drilling out the corners first, that makes it easier to start a jig saw and you can continue the cut without stopping.

Am I the only one that used a router?

Steve Frederick uses a router a lot...

I like the circular saw, with the jig saw to cut out the corners of the doors..

Mike...

Thanx for all the replies. I just used the circ. saw and plunge cut since all cuts were straight, no curves. It turned out pretty good. Here's a sneak peak.

dhazard wrote:Am I the only one that used a router?

...nope, router and template here........................