Building interior doors

[dustyhat]

Have any of you guys ever build doors from 2x6 pine for doors ,edge joining ,and doing the x bracing barn door look. my wife is wanting this and i am afraid they would bow and try to warp , any suggestions ? how one could go about this?

[btulloh]

Use 4/4 rough sawn and shiplapped .Leave some space between for seasonal movement. Use 3/4 for the battens and braces.  If you double up on the edge pieces you can use regular hardware .

[dustyhat]

Ok ,thanks btulloh. im gona do some experimenting and try this . i just have never tried big doors and was a little worried about it.

[Brad_bb]

Use titebond 1 for interior stuff.
Titebond I vs II in General Woodworking

[btulloh]

Good idea.  These are the easiest doors you can make.  Just keep experimenting until the architect/wife is happy.

The only thing you really need to watch out for when using these in a cased door opening is seasonal wood movement.  That's not a problem if you allow the outside pieces to expand toward the center.  Otherwise you door could stick in the summer or be loose in the winter.  Not a problem if you account for it.  If you don't mind cracks between the boards you don't even need to do shiplap.

If you're going to use period hardware like H-L surface hinges you don't need to double up the outside pieces.  Period hardware would look better on this type of door anyway.

Here's a quick and dirty one I made out junk laying around, which was pine paneling), just to get by for a few weeks.  Three years so ago.  I wanted to use butt hinges and a lockset I had laying around, so that's why a did it this way. 



 

[Bruno of NH]

I have built many doors with one inch stock and z braces
Some with shiplap and some t and g
I got a name in my area for building them
I have built many
Have not had a issue with warping

[muggs]

one of my businesses was building doors, I built them by the thousands. But mine were all frame and panel. So good luck.  Muggs 8)

[dustyhat]

Thanks guys , i haven't done much woodworking in a while , so keep the info coming and i like the pics so keep them coming, it gives me ideas. we are building the dream home we want now, and all i can do myself will cost less money. i will probably be building the cabinet doors the same way as well , so all the pointers are appreciated.

[btulloh]

Look around and see what was done back in the day.  There's plenty of pictures in the interweb.  Maybe visit a historic building locally.  Most of them were done in the Z style.  The diagonal should run from the hinge side at the bottom end to the lock side on the top.

[fishfighter]

Built some out of water oak. Very heavy doors that I had to use extra heavy hinges.





This one is like a pocket door.



  

[Lawg Dawg]

I built this today, 13/16", two layers, the back boards are ship lapped



 

[Bruno of NH]

I notch the z brace into the horizontals
Or pin with a tappered dowel or biscuts

[dustyhat]

Very good looking doors guys.

[tule peak timber]

I also build a lot of doors and like others in this thread pay attention to letting the panels move within the frame - no matter what the door looks like. Just saying.

 

A door done with pins to allow for movement.

[samandothers]

So Dawg how did you allow for movement in the ship lap with cross bracing. I assume the crosses are only on one side.

Tule Peak, are there horizontal slots in the vertical boards the bolts/ pins pass through? Are those vertical boards glued to one another so the door doesn't rack?

[tule peak timber]

Good eye,,,,,No glue, but deep dado to keep registration . Rob

[Brad_bb]

You want to make sure  you know the moisture content of the wood.  If the wood is stored outside, I'd condition it inside where it's going to be used.  Going from 12-15% outside will then go to 7-8% inside over time.  If you have a meter, see where your wood is at.  Maybe check something that has been in your house.  Then bring your door material inside stickered to acclimatize for a month or so.  Winter is the driest time of year, so your board will be the smallest. In summer they will grow a little from higher humidity. Keep that in mind when building them.

[dustyhat]

Yes., thanks guys i will try to keep you all posted . right now im laying logs 8x8 12 feet poplar by hand. just about to break me down but i will get the doors done shortly.

[tule peak timber]

An entry door set we finished today. Fire killed black oak and redwood. The main door panel is a single oak slab that varies in thickness from 1-2 inches with a"wavy"- undulating surface. Heavy !

 

[dustyhat]

You do good work, tule peak timber

[tule peak timber]

Thanks. The beauty of this site is that there are a lot of talented people here that can go from standing on the stump to many forms of enduring use . You just need to keep asking questions and you will find plenty of help here.Cheers