Building a walnut door

tule peak timber · September 15, 2019, 04:54:28 PM

I started a couple weeks ago as the wood came out of the kiln.This project will be several more months in fabrication as some of the thicker pieces still showed internal moisture. The walnut is orchard (grafted) wood I brought in this last spring.
The door will measure 132 inches tall 51 inches wide including an arched transom/jamb assembly. With 3 inch thick frame, 4-5 inch thick burl raised panels - sheer weight is the main challenge. Lots of hollow form layups in the design and engineering on this build.The customer also has a massive kitchen island in the works.

Note the tree graft that will be the center of the transom.

After a great deal of template router work and lamination of opposing grains for stability the layup is ready for carving today prior to assembly. Careful attention is paid to have all of these big parts floating after fabrication. Rob

Southside · September 15, 2019, 05:16:58 PM

WOW Rob - that is impressive!!

Magicman · September 15, 2019, 06:24:49 PM

Wow, this will be interesting to follow. Thank You for including us as you progress. :P

thecfarm · September 15, 2019, 06:48:23 PM

You are one cleaver fellow to make that all work.

Brad_bb · September 15, 2019, 08:08:16 PM

Yes, you always seem to be doing the coolest stuff. Is there a drawing of the door to help me visualize?

Poquo · September 15, 2019, 08:18:31 PM

That's amazing can't wait to see finished product!

tule peak timber · September 15, 2019, 08:25:25 PM

my drawing that I'm working from. I like to keep it simple !

Ljohnsaw · September 15, 2019, 09:01:58 PM

:P
So just a "small" 11' tall door... I this the front door? Pantry? Kitchen?

tule peak timber · September 15, 2019, 09:10:24 PM

Yes an entry door + jamb, new construction.

Brad_bb · September 15, 2019, 11:17:59 PM

well, your assembly table looks big enough!

Texas Ranger · September 16, 2019, 11:05:41 AM

Out standing, I used to build doors, but nothing of that order.

Bill Gaiche · September 18, 2019, 09:20:19 AM

Simple?? Man oh man, the things you build. Awesome.......bg

tule peak timber · September 20, 2019, 07:13:08 PM

Progress today on sculpting the transom panels and jointing the transom round to the head. Going from round to straight is very tricky........

The parts are cut so I can work through the weekend for a dry fit.

Dakota · September 21, 2019, 12:11:40 PM

I drool every time I see your shop equipment. Love seeing your projects.

tule peak timber · September 21, 2019, 01:15:14 PM

I was very disappointed that Costner shut down his casino. Is the old lady holdout still running the hardware store ?

Dakota · September 22, 2019, 09:47:21 AM

I haven't been there in a year or so. I trade mostly at the Twin Cities Hardware store between Deadwood and Lead on highway 385.

Bruno of NH · September 22, 2019, 12:37:31 PM

Following
You are the truest of craftsman

tule peak timber · October 03, 2019, 07:53:00 PM

I kicked the guys out of the shop to get some sunshine today. Coastal live oak.

tule peak timber · October 18, 2019, 01:58:10 PM

Back building on the door this morning.Template cutting of the burl faces for the raised panels.

tule peak timber · October 18, 2019, 07:24:13 PM

Finished sanding and oiled the transom this afternoon . I tried to show in the pics the 3-D wobble on the raised panels. Tree graft in the center.

Southside · October 18, 2019, 07:43:34 PM

Wow - just Wow...

samandothers · October 19, 2019, 10:05:00 AM

Really great work! The graft is so interesting.

Bruno of NH · October 19, 2019, 02:22:15 PM

Yes Sir that's beautiful work!

tule peak timber · October 19, 2019, 07:33:34 PM

Crack filling and laying up the beefy raised panels.

Contemplating how to work through this ugly pile of slabs for the door frame and the customers kitchen island top.

WDH · October 20, 2019, 07:20:53 AM

Ugly? Oh, you mean the slabs....... ;D

customsawyer · October 20, 2019, 07:32:00 AM

Very nice work Sir. Just need to get you closer so I can sell you wood. :D

tule peak timber · October 22, 2019, 06:56:44 PM

Tony and Jackson carved on the door panels this morning. This is going to take several days.

I started to develop the jamb legs from two of the ugly slabs. Standard "resaw and flip" reversing the grain for stability- this tames an angry tree. Once inside the slabs I was surprised at the character of the wood.

Crusarius · October 23, 2019, 11:46:03 AM

Always amazed at how your work comes out.

Nebraska · October 23, 2019, 10:35:04 PM

Your projects make me remember how amazing the gift of sight is. Thank you for the pictures.

tule peak timber · October 24, 2019, 06:49:56 PM

Thanks for the kind words ! Today I started going through all of the scrap, defect cutting and prepping for finger jointing. These end jointed staves will be used for stop material and other frame parts.I hate to waste wood......

DWyatt · October 25, 2019, 06:58:24 AM

The head on that shaper

fishfighter · October 25, 2019, 08:53:42 AM

Just how much you think the door will weigh?

tule peak timber · October 25, 2019, 09:36:14 AM

I did some calcs before I started and the weight was scary heavy. Figure 3 inches X 48 X 108 of solid dry walnut worst case say 300 + pounds. I did an original design with hollow coring and I'm shaving even more weight as I build. I will weigh the separate parts for a close estimate before assembly.
To answer your question- I don't know yet.

Magicman · October 25, 2019, 09:55:06 AM

Beauty weighs nothing.

tule peak timber · October 25, 2019, 10:05:41 AM

I have repeatedly advised the client that as his homes front door, his arms will look like Popeye after use. :D

btulloh · October 25, 2019, 10:12:34 AM

Quote from: tule peak timber on October 25, 2019, 10:05:41 AM
I have repeatedly advised the client that as his homes front door, his arms will look like Popeye after use. :D

Hydraulic assist, :D

customsawyer · October 29, 2019, 03:27:00 AM

Beautiful.

ManjiSann · November 12, 2019, 09:15:09 AM

The grain on that last piece in post 26 is just amazing! Is it a finish or water to see how it would look?

This is an amazing build and I too want to thank you for bringing us along!

Brandon

tule peak timber · November 12, 2019, 10:24:21 AM

The grain pic in #26 is BLO wiped on one of the "veneers" I'm developing for the frame .We pulled off of this door project for a few weeks to mill material for another job. I store the "veneers ' under cantilevered weights to keep them flat during our weather fluctuations this time of year. Juggling jobs right now !

jbjbuild · November 15, 2019, 06:58:03 AM

Beautiful work! Very impressive and inspirational!

tule peak timber · February 11, 2020, 05:49:31 PM

So yesterday I dropped back in on the walnut door build by batch cutting parts to build up the frame torsion box style. Lots of parts means proper collation and marking with chalk. The "skins" for the frame pieces came out of drying in my makeshift press looking pretty good . One advantage of a sliding saw is that multiple jigs can be set up at the same time.

WDH · February 11, 2020, 07:48:08 PM

In that last pic, that is what you will look like if you eat too much fermented squid :D.

tule peak timber · April 10, 2020, 04:36:12 PM

Glue up today on the center of the door. It was about one year ago that this walnut came in as a truckload....

Walnut Beast · April 10, 2020, 05:56:11 PM

That Looks really nice!!!!!!!

thecfarm · April 13, 2020, 06:04:41 AM

That women on the right is looking at The Door the same way I am. Now that A Door!!!

KODAK · April 25, 2020, 02:59:17 PM

Wow this is awesome. New world I've never been exposed to. Can anyone give me a 5th grader explanation on why walnut is used for grafting or what purpose is served by grafting walnut?
More photos please!!

Magicman · April 25, 2020, 05:37:45 PM

To be absolutely sure what fruit/nut a tree will produce a graft has to come from a donor tree producing that fruit/nut. Also some root systems produce better so again a known hardy "stump" is used.

That is my 3rd grade :P explanation and I am sticking with it. ;D

tule peak timber · April 25, 2020, 06:40:48 PM

The nut bearing top portion is actually from ancient Persia. This is called English walnut and how it came by that name is convoluted. The nut bearing top produces large uniform, commercially viable, commercially processable nuts with which we are all familiar. The problem with the Persian (English) walnut trees is that they are susceptible to a variety of soil borne pathogens that the native CA walnut (Claro) is immune to. To get the volume and quality of nut production for a commercial operation (orchard), a couple of varieties of tops are grafted to the native CA walnut to get the best of both worlds. The older grafted trees are highly prized for gunstocks and the burls end up in the dashboards of a Mercedes Benz or a Rolls Royce . The picture below is a typical old growth CA orchard walnut tree. I will have a couple more pics of the finished door shortly. Cheers, Rob

Stephen1 · April 25, 2020, 08:31:43 PM

Nice door! Thanks for the explanation on grafting.

tule peak timber · April 27, 2020, 07:56:09 PM

First coat of colored oil today... 8)

Dan_Shade · April 27, 2020, 08:13:30 PM

Very nice.

Do you use linseed oil?

Walnut Beast · April 27, 2020, 08:28:56 PM

Looking Great 👍

tule peak timber · April 27, 2020, 08:56:46 PM

Quote from: Dan_Shade on April 27, 2020, 08:13:30 PM
Very nice.

Do you use linseed oil?

No ,not on this one. The oil is a log home finish in Oxford brown color then wiped back with rags soaked in thinner. Tomorrow morning a tie coat of a light brown burnished with a Scotch Brite pad. Both of these finishes have a UV restive component.Not my Voodo,,,but off the shelf stuff,,,, :D

VooDooChikin04 · May 10, 2020, 09:39:06 AM

That is a massive door and impressive work!! Amazing.

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