Find and Remove High Spots From the Hinge Side of a Door.

So you've just finished stripping, sanding and repainting a hundred year old door in your house. You clean up all the hardware, put it all back together, go to close the door and find that it binds at the hinge side before the latch side meets the jamb. Sigh. You could put pieces of cardboard/paper under the hinges and hope that moves things enough without causing the door to bind on the latch side -OR- You could find the high spots and remove them... but how?

Step 1: Apply Adhesive Contrast Strip.

Run a strip of painters tape down the door jamb and the hinge side of the door. Be helpful to your future self, and fold over a little tab at the end to make it easier to remove the tape later.

Step 2: Apply Visualisation Media.

Using paint the same colour as your door, apply paint to the tape on the jamb.

Step 3: Conduct Media Transfer.

Close the door as far as it will comfortably go. (I 'bounced' the door a little against the jamb to ensure a good transfer.)

Step 4: Timber Modification.

Open the door and you should see paint transferred onto the tape strip on the door. Carefully remove the painters tape from the jamb and dispose of it. Wipe the jamb to remove any excess paint. Cut across the tape on either side of the sections that have paint transfer; give yourself a good six inches extra on either side. Remove the painty strips of tape from the door and discard. (Alternatively you can transfer this tape around to the face of the door so you can still clearly see where the paint transferred) Using your sander of choice (I used an orbital) with 100 or 120 grit paper, carefully remove material from the hinge side of the door where there is no tape. Feather out to the edges.

Step 5: Try and Try Again.

When you feel you have removed enough material, try the door again. If it still, binds apply more tape and repeat the process. (Don't just remove more material from where you already have, the high spot may have "moved".) When the door closes nicely (or well enough depending on how picky/patient you are), clean off any remaining tape, wipe off the dust, prime and paint. Allow sufficient drying/curing time on the paint before closing the door completely! Enjoy you new old door that actually closes (until the seasons change).