Filling in hinge mortises on wood color frame (no painting)

[jjhung88]

I just had a handyman hang a barn door. After he takes off the old door, I am left with the old mortises on the jamb I need to find a way to fill in. All door frames are wood color in the house so I don't have an option to paint it. Does anyone have suggestion what I should do. I see there are blanks I can buy but they look just as bad.

[Chestnut]

talking about the 1/8" mortises for the hinges right? Not a mortise for a latch or handle?

Cut an 1/8" off that edge of the door, sand and finish. Probably best to just live with the screw holes.

[G Ragatz]

If it's the mortise in the door you're concerned with, then I like Chestnut's idea.

If it's the mortise in the jamb, you're probably going to have to fabricate your own filler blank.  All the commercial ones I've seen are intended to be painted.  If the old door is being discarded, you might be able to cut filler blanks from the surface of the door.  Otherwise, I'd look for some 1/8" veneer in a species similar to your jambs.

[bradpotts]

I would take the door stop off around the whole door jamb. Then use a power planer to take off the 1/8 or a belt sander. The sander will take longer.  Fill the screw holes with wood filler and use the door stop material to fill in the latch hole. Fill any gaps around the latch hole with wood filler. Sand the whole jamb down and refinish it.  

[wtnhighlander]

OP mentioned it is the jamb mortises. Perhaps this is a good time to remove the old jamb with the stop strip, and replace it with a flat one.

[gee-dub]

I agree that if it is not going to be painted or "stained" with such a high pigment as will hide the repair, replacement is the best option.

[Wimayo]

All of the above are good recommendations. Before you do anything radical like replacing the door jamb, you might try masking the repairs. Try adding some inserts or filler, sand smooth, then paint just the area of the jamb between the stop and the jamb edge with a color that blends with the original stain (not necessarily match). Or, if the room on the other side of the door is painted, match that. No one will probably notice. If that doesn't work out, you can then replace or shave it down.

[Coop]

The way I read it, he replaced a hinged door with a sliding barn door and it’s the latch and hinge mortises that he wants to fill. If that’s the case, then I bet the door stops on the jamb are made of the same materials and finish in which case, @bradpottsidea sounds like the route to go. Then refinish the area the stop removal left. 

[Wimayo]

Remove the stops if you want to, but not necessary. I would fill the mortises with wood "chips" or a good filler. Sand smooth. And, then cover the entire surface of the jamb with a 1/8" veneer of the same material. Then refinish.

[C.Oneal]

If the painting option will be possible like Wimayo has offered, then you can use auto body filler.  It will fill into the hinge mortises, become rock hard, easy to sand, and you can easily paint it. First fill in the mortises with a good pile of Bondo, press it, remove squeeze-outs and fasten it for at least 30 miutes. When it's harder use a sander to feather it before painting. It is really easy and fast.