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Originally Posted by shane_c
1) The current FINISHED opening is 49". Should I aim for a FINISHED opening of 48.5"? That would give gaps of 1/8 -- 1/4 -- 1/8? Or should it be 1/8 -- 1/8 -- 1/8, in which case the FINISHED opening should be 48-5/8"?
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48 1/4 would be the most I would recommend. You will end up with 1/16 on each hinge (as per Stampedred's post), leaving you with 1/8 in the middle. The middle needs to be tight but not too tight as the doors will bind as they are opened. It's easier to use a belt sander to fine tune the gap then to have to shim the doors out to close a gap. The tighter you make this the more you will have to bevel the edge to allow the doors to open without binding.
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2) Instead of taking the door jams off and putting wood behind it to build them out could I just rip a piece to size on the table saw and use my nail gun to attach to the outside of the existing jam? It would be primed and painted to match all the existing trim. I'm concerned with doing it the other way because I may not find matching baseboard. Would pine be okay to build it out or is it too soft? I can find 1/2" pine but the narrowest MDF I can find is 5/8". I would use some longer screws on the hinges to go into the old jam.
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You probably mean spruce, and it is pretty soft. You want the hinge screws anchored so they will have to protrude into the harder jamb, but even that might be old and dry and not a great base. I usually replace one of the hinge screws with a 3" to reach the stud. How is this going to match the existing casings? Are they painted? You would be far better off to remove everything and build it out. If you are worried about opening up a gap in the baseboards that can be fixed a few ways. Look around for a restoration supply/recycler in your area. Lots of people scrap the old for new and there are people who recycle old baseboards and moldings. If your casings are made to resemble a pillar, with a base, you could just replace the base (
I'm sure there is a proper term for it I just don't know it.) with a larger piece. You should try and post a picture so we can see exactly what you need the finished product to look like.
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3) If I go with the ball/plate latch should I have one at the top of each door and another where the doors meet?
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Someone else will have to answer this, my doors had slide locks.