New front door

Clam77 · December 03, 2011, 08:08:57 PM

BEAUTIFUL door - you could definately make yourself some extra spending cash if you were so inclined.

I'm wondering the same as James - will the panels withstand the weathering and not dry and crack around the edges.... just gonna take a few years to find out though. :D

I know all the old wood doors my grandparents had on their house had the same type of panel on them..... seems to me they all had a THICK layer of shellac on them though if I remember right, but the technology involved with poly is so much better now than it was then.

SwampDonkey · December 03, 2011, 08:13:24 PM

There is also exterior water based Varathane as well. Two brands that I see, one is Varathane itself and there is another I just saw the other day. Slips my mind. Same stuff. Non yellowing and UV resistant. It has a milky consistency in the can.

T Welsh · December 03, 2011, 08:56:21 PM

time will tell about the panels! Its sure going to get the test. No storm door against the outside elements by itself and is 10' from the wood stove on the inside. Talk about getting slammed on both side,s :D Its been OK for the summer and now we are going into winter.6 coat,s of Minwax poly to get it to look like glass. Tim

Clam77 · December 03, 2011, 09:52:18 PM

Hahaa yes it is getting slammed - I know how wet a Pennsylvania winter is... and a wood stove is THE worst thing on woodwork. Can't wait to see how it does...

T Welsh · December 04, 2011, 08:37:36 AM

Quote from: Clam77 on December 03, 2011, 09:52:18 PM
Hahaa yes it is getting slammed - I know how wet a Pennsylvania winter is... and a wood stove is THE worst thing on woodwork. Can't wait to see how it does...

The stove is the worst enemy of anything wood

Tim

SwampDonkey · December 04, 2011, 10:20:47 AM

Ah yeah, but byes it keeps you warm. :D

T Welsh · December 04, 2011, 05:23:21 PM

SwampDonkey,One time I brought a band sawed box that I made from a burl,brought it in from the outside shop and two days latter it popped and cracked apart on the coffee table right next to the stove. I looked at it and grinned and bared it.Taught myself a lesson and opened the stove and fed the beast(I like stoves) Tim

SwampDonkey · December 04, 2011, 05:54:36 PM

I can do that with boxed heart black cherry, just air drying. I had 6 - 6"x"6x8' and they split in every dimension laying up off the barn floor. Out on the faces, the cracks were 1/2" wide or little more and they went to the core. :D I tried to use pieces or sections, as I worked them they still moved. It's alive I tell ya! :D

WDH · December 04, 2011, 09:09:45 PM

I have had poor luck drying anything that is 6" x 6" without cracking. Cherry is especially bad.

Don_Papenburg · December 04, 2011, 10:11:33 PM

On my exterior doors I make the panels in two pieces . An outside panel then a filler( sheet metal ,ply wood or foam insulation), then the inner panel .
I finish the outer doors with several coats of varnish . That way I just need to clean up the door ,maybe sand some , and refinish with varnish as it will melt into the old varnish that is left.

Phorester · December 04, 2011, 10:56:33 PM

Impressive.
When I bough my Delta drill press I bought a mortiser attachment with it. Realized pretty quick that it was much more accurate and faster than a regular drill bit with a lot of chiseling. I like the wedge and pins to hold those big pieces stable.

SwampDonkey · December 05, 2011, 04:30:39 AM

That's the path I'm headed to. Only I will still reach for my chisels to clean up mortise shoulders. ;D

I have some nice hard maple here, and some time I intent to make a nice maple door.

That reminds me, I'm going to get a shaper to while I'm in the tool acquiring mode. No more mess'n around with crap router tables. I have some nice routers that I've owned for years, but use the things as routers. ;D

I'm always looking to make mouldings, so it will be used a lot. To buy mouldings is costly plus they never have what you want in these small towns and villages.

T Welsh · December 05, 2011, 06:17:00 AM

Phorester,Thanks, I love mortise and tenon jointery, and then add what I call blind wedges very thin long taper wedges and glue them in and peg them.SwampDonkey, Shapers are the ticket when doing panels,its one machine that I do not have room for in my little shop its only 24x24 and every machine is on wheels. my best friend has a barn full of machines and has two shapers a grizz and a older delta, the grizz is for sale $300. they are great machine,s 8) when it comes to panels,or mouldings,tongue and groove ect. but they are nasty if used wrong

Tim

SwampDonkey · December 05, 2011, 06:46:07 AM

Yes, you have to use them shapers with respect and realize that even a 1/2" shank bit can shear off when trying to go full bore at a piece of hardwood. You take a little bit at a time in several passes. Much safer and the heart doesn't race so much like when the bit bends or breaks. ;)

Your shop is bigger than mine, but I can go out into the main barn from the heated inside shop and have a huge room to play in. ;D

Texas Ranger · December 05, 2011, 09:49:02 AM

Swamper, I just got set up that way. Built a smaller room inside the warehouse, to heat and cool. Mainly to cool, those 100+ days in a metal building do not lead to production of any nature. Have all the bigger stuff and dust producers in the big area, I guess I have a clean room, now as well.