Saddle and Block

Easy to make handy door hanging aid

Here's a really quick and easy device called a Saddle and Block that every apprentice has to make during their first year at college. It works like an extra pair of hands and keeps doors held firmly in place while you work on them. It also keeps the door's edge off the usually messy floor which helps to prevent damaging it too.

What you will need

All you will need to make it is a 75x50mm offcut around 600mm long (3x2 offcut 2ft long), a tape measure, combination square, pencil, hand saw and chisel.

HowI make a saddle and block step by step

On one end, mark a wedge shape. In the picture below i've measured 140mm (5 1/2'') long, and 40mm at the widest end reducing to 25mm at the other. Cut the wedge off with a hand saw or circular saw.

Now mark a line at the middle of the timber, 300mm in from one end. Mark half the width of your door edge either side of the line. I'm making the one in the picture to suit 44mm thick doors, so I marked 22mm each side of the line. Now place the wedge onto one of the lines as in the picture, this is the position the wedge will be in when holding the door. Mark the outside edge of the wedge.

Square the lines halfway down the timber, like below. Use a combination square to mark a parallel line for the depth if it helps.

I used my mitre saw to cut a few lines n the notch before chiselling the waste out. Use a sharp chisel to get a nice smooth bottom where the doors edge will rest.

Put the saddle on the floor and rest a door in the notch. Tap the wedge in gently and see how stable the door is! The 'block' is simply another piece of timber laid down at the other end to keep that up off the floor.

Lastly, so the wedge doesn't get lost drill and countersink a hole so it can be screwed back onto the saddle.

Click here for instructions on how to hang a door

Saddle and block related pages