jsabados Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 I am removing a door between the mudroom and the rest of the house. I need to fill in the hinge mortises on the mdf door jamb. I have seen the following online suggestions but would like to know which you all prefer and why. Auto body filler drywall mud wood shims epoxy Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty Thanks everyone - Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 If you are painting it, auto body filler. It will fill into the screw holes, becomes rock hard, easy to sand, takes paint very well. Take a piece of scrap, put packing tape on it, put a good pile of Bondo on it and press it against the hinge mortise; you'll get squeeze-out (and want to) so have a drop cloth. Then do something to keep the wood there for 30 minutes until the Bondo sets... what I've used (not for hinge mortises but moving damage to the lower casing) is one of those spring-loaded curtain rods. A bit of tape to keep the wood from sliding down then the curtain rod to press it against the jamb. Big shaping can be done with a chisel and later when it's harder, use a sander to feather it in before painting. It's pretty fast. If you do the top mortise first, the middle one can be in the spring setting while you shape the top one. Drywall mud has no strength unless they mean the cured type, but even then it is leagues weaker than Bondo. Wood shims would be a pain in the butt to size, glue, then fill the cracks with what? Epoxy... Bondo is epoxy with a polyester filler; due to that it is easily shaped and sanded; epoxy is not (plus this solution would cost you considerably more) Can't speak for the Rock Hard putty. Sounds similar to 2-part cured drywall mud, which will work, too, but not as strong as Bondo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 I think Paul-Marcel has the right idea. You can also buy a similar material called Bondo Home Solutions All-Purpose Putty. I've used both and they behave about the same. I would vote against the Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty. It isn't very good for building up thick chunks like you're talking about, and it shrinks when it cures, so you'd probably have to apply two or three layers before you were done. -- Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 Actually, Russ brings up a good point. What the heck is the difference between the home solutions putty and regular Bondo? I've used both, separately so unable to compare side to side. Smell the same, work the same, heat up the same, but there's a price difference. I think the only visual difference is that Bondo's hardener is pink, which I kinda like to know it's mixed enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joestyles Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 I would have scoffed at the bondo thing until recently when I was helping a friend do some repairs on an apartment he owns. Had some major holes to fill in some areas that would see high traffic. The areas were like the one you are talking about. The stuff works like a charm took pain with no prob and is some kind of hard. It was fairly easy to shape as it set up a bit and to sand after it dried some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capnjack2 Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Minwax High Performance Wood Filler smells an awful lot like Bondo. Whichever one is cheaper, this is the way to go. Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWC Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 In my opinion you're all missing the obvious. My recommendation as an architect is that you should tear out the MDF trim and replace it with a stained and cleared hardwood casing. You should also use this project to justify the purchase of additional tools and consider it the first step of an excuse to re-trim the rest of the house. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
over40pirate Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I am removing a door between the mudroom and the rest of the house. I need to fill in the hinge mortises on the mdf door jamb. I have seen the following online suggestions but would like to know which you all prefer and why. Auto body filler drywall mud wood shims epoxy Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty Thanks everyone - Jimdamage to the s Bondo for sure. Love the stuff. I have a rental wit 5 hollow core flat interior doors, that all had damage to the skins. Some punched, or kicked. I pulled the broken, pushed in skin material out, so it was near the surface, and used a bunch of CA glue to glue it together. A coat of bondo, and sanding, and it looked new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 13, 2011 Report Share Posted July 13, 2011 Bondo is the way to go. Since door jams can take a lot of abuse I would also drive some finishing nails into the area to be filled and cut them so there is a nub sicking out, this will allow the bondo to have some teath to grab on to. Good luck, Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DistanceEd Posted December 3, 2016 Report Share Posted December 3, 2016 (edited) Thanhs to the person that said to go to a hobby store and purchase 3/32 basswood and cut a filler piece. i did this procedure and it was a no-brainer that 100% hid the 3 exposes mortises. 1. I bought 3/32 basswood board at Home Depot - size 3" x 24" - cost $1.99 2. I laid the hinge on the bass board and drew around the non-pin sides 3. I cut out the filler board with a box knife 4. I filed the edges slightly until the board fit snugly into the mortise hole. 5. I glued it in (using standard wood glue) and pressed/clamped it in place with a 2x3 board and shim to the other side of the door frame. 6. I filled the minor voids with DEX Spackling Hole Filler. 7. Sanded the surface with a palm sander and hand sanding. 8. Primed then painted 9. Stood back and tried to figure out where the three mortises were - the hard part. Edited December 3, 2016 by DistanceEd Mispedded word - filed had become filled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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