Made another Mistake

[John6012]

I am waiting for the hatch hinge to arrive and last evening was doing some thinking about the door installation and realized I screwed up. I put the oak all around the door framing -flush not allowing for a lip- insulated and paneled the inside cabin. How in the world do I install a flush door? Anyone have any ideas? I could cut some oak strips to make a lip and glue/screw them on the present door frame. I'm trying to think how ot where to buy a metallic lip that wouldn't look bad. If I screw/glue the strips on I'll have to come up with something to make the interior paneling somewhat blend in - perhaps some small trim. If anyone has any ideas it'd sure be appreciated.

[Arne]

You need a gap. I'd consider putting the gap in the door itself.. If you are doing the 'Steve Fredericks" thing, it only has to be 1/4" deep and 3/4" wide..

I'd set up a table saw and go for it... if I understand your question correctly..

Oh, score the door, or tape it to keep the ply from splintering. And you may hear some noise wen the saw blade hit the nails....

[John6012]

You mean dado a gap the outer edge of the door? Or, use the router to dado a notch in the door frame? I figure I'll have to buy another sheet of aluminum anyway because I made yet another mistake in trimming the interior of the door frame and had to take it out for the scrap pile. (Scrap piloe is nearly as high as the trailer -Ha) So, if I dado out/around he frame, I'll have to make the door proportionally larger. Right?

[Arne]

John, sorry, I don't do aluminum..../g/

but yes, I meant doing it on the door edge... there should be plenty of interior framing so a 1/4 deep slice should not hurt.. but if it is aluminum (mine is all wood), you have more doo-doo to deal with...

But, the door frame as I understand it would not be touched just the door itself.....

If the frame is glued on, I can't see how you could put a groove in it near the corners..

Steve used 1/4 ply as a spacer, I used his idea, but cut the groove right into the frame piece.... the weather strip from h/d is perfect for sealing doors. and hatches.

[John6012]

Sorry I'm so thick- headed but as best as my old mind can read your post you indicate that I am NOT to cut into the door framing-just the door? The door is 1/2" pluse the 0.40 aluminum and 1/4" oak interior panel....

[Arne]

no good.. I thought you had a built up door, like 1/4 in and out with 3/4 framing, 1-1/4 total.... sorry....

[Boodro]

Hey John , post some pics with your question & it can be a big saver on mistakes . Like they say ( whoever THEY are ) A picture is worth a .... Oh well you get it. Keep up the hard work .

[Arne]

If the picture is of Marilyn Monroe lying naked on red velvet, could be worth a couple of bucks to the right guy.....

[John6012]

Yikes, that's what I was afraid of. Post some pictures. I don't have a digital camera (maybe Christmas) but suffice it to say, there's just a smooth cutout door hole without lip. I think maybe I can with a lot of care and effot dado out a lip and as I said, go buy more aluminum and make another door to fit inside the lip. I can't believe I keep making mistakes. Maybe I should've bought a kuffle creek plan since it was my first TD. Gotta get it finished by spring and it's cold in the garage. Hope to take it to Alaska mid-May of next year. I know I've plenty of time but I want to see more production

[Arne]

John, how about a rotary wood rasp with a collar on it (in a hand drill)? You would need to mount a temporary piece of wood along the edge you were working on for keeping everything lined up... kind of like a homemade router... then you could put the cut out part into the frame, not the door... The wood you attach would set width, the collar, depth..

It will take some thinking on your part but think it can be done... the corners would still require some careful chisel work, but think it is all doable.

[John6012]

I was thinking something akong that line, scribe a line approx 1/2-3/4" around the cutout and then use the Dremel to gently and carefully run down the line and remove the strip of aluminum then work on the wood...

[Arne]

Are you talking about the door, or the door frame........

I would do the frame since you say the door is only 1/2" thick...

And, I would set up a guide.... I would not use a dremel freehand.. I would clamp the guide or screw it on and fill the screw holes after....

You need a guide to give you the width and depth you want.... maybe even a router bit with a bearing on it......or a rotary rasp, but with a rasp, you will have to do some finish sanding..... take a look a what is available at h/d, just walk around and you might get some ideas..

[John6012]

Yes, I'm talking about the frame/door opening. It will be a tedious project and guides are needed. I have to buyt another sheet of aluminum and I've the remainder of materials I need to make new doors. So, I guess that's the way I'll do it. Thanks for your help, I'm on my own. Soon as the temperature gets up to 40 degrees I'll go to tthe garage. Have you noticed we've been having a lot of weather lately? Ha

[Guest]

John,
If your door and wall are the same thickness, why not just incorporate a door stop into the interior trim?
The part that attaches to the door frame could be just a tick thicker than the "lip" that the door will set against, with the appropriate thickness of weather stripping attached.
You could either rout a rabet into a one piece trim or simply install a spacer underneath the door trim at the wall location, then install weather stipping on the protruding lip. (If your interior is woodwork)
If you want a metal doorstop, just use the T-Trim and put a spacer underneath the attachment point on the wall. (Depending on your door clearance, you might need to rabet the door opening so the T-Trim doesn't make the door opening smaller)

Either way... You'll end up with a flush set on the exterior and the only offset on the interior will be the door frame trim.

[John6012]

That's an idea, but the door is abput 1 inch in thickness and the wall (door opening) is 1 3/4". I never thought about the T strip an I have some coming from RW Johnson so I'll dry fit it and see how it looks. Thanks and Merry Christmas!