Starting a Exterior Door

[Leo G]

I made the same door last year. This is a duplex and last year I did the rental side door. This year I am making the owners door. Same design, but different size. The other door was 1 1/2" x 33 1/4" x 73 1/2". This is more of a standard size door. It will replace a metal door. 1 3/4" x 32" x 80". I have already removed the aluminum sill and replaced it with a white Oak sill. Gee, that was fun - NOT.

Today, at the end of the day I set up the cutters on my shapers. I am using my standard cabinet door cutter. I have removed the straight cutters and left the profile cutters on the shaper. On the copes I will have to do a saw cut to relieve the area in the center.

Here are the test results.

Here is the stile:
http://fototime.com/8EEEB52C513CBD8/orig.jpg

Here is the coped rail:
http://fototime.com/08CAD1AE9DE87F4/orig.jpg

Here are the two, mated:
http://fototime.com/314F3E269F05756/orig.jpg

I need to tune in the center where I cut it out on the tablesaw.

[Leo G]

Had a small setback. Yesterday I was planning on getting the door into clamps. But I screwed up on my parts list. I used the CAD drawing from the previous door which was just over 72" tall. I thought I stretched the drawing so the door was 80", but I only did it to 75". I based my list on that. So when I went to make the center stiles for the door my upper center rail blank was to short. No real big deal, I just made another one out of some left over stock. But......that also meant the 4 upper panels that go with that stile were too short to. That was a $60 mistake plus time.

So yesterday I was able to get the door into clamps. I glued up the rails, center stiles and window area. The door has a lot of gluing surfaces and it is safer to do it in stages so you don't risk any dry joints from taking to long applying glue.

So, this morning I was able to use the panels that I had planed on using for the lower section to make the right half of the doors panels. So I glued up the hinge side stile to the center section with the panels installed.

Then I went out and got more Spanish Cedar lumber and milled it up. By that time the glue was dry and I did the same for the latch side stile. Actually worked out nice. I didn't have to do the "big rush" because I was only doing half a door at a time.

Some pics:

http://fototime.com/23308900D71B642/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/44391902C40E282/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/D667DF42069EEF1/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/7C9033E5A56B508/orig.jpg

[Leo G]

And here is the finished door. It still needs the insulated glass to be installed along with the wooden stops. I need to go out in the field and fit the door. It gets a brass threshold weather strip that interlocks with a brass "J" channel that goes in a rabbet on the bottom of the door. Punch the knob hole and mortise the hinges.

http://fototime.com/06618366905DA29/orig.jpg

[naptownCr]

Was this some kind of special door pattern.
I would have bought a Simpson door and hung the darn thing and been done with it.

[Leo G]

Was this some kind of special door pattern.
I would have bought a Simpson door and hung the darn thing and been done with it.

What can I say. They want a custom true wood door. It is a copy of the door I did for them last year. This is the third entry door I have done for this couple. All Spanish Cedar.

I'm not complaining.

[WarnerConstInc.]

is the old hole square?

[J F]

Is that hard maple Leo, and what will the finish be? You doing it? If not, do you put any wash/seal/whatever coat on it?

[Leo G]

is the old hole square?

The original door is a steel door. I replaced the aluminum threshold with White Oak. The hinge jamb had a shim under it that was about 3/16" and when I put my Oak threshold in there I didn't have to shim it. Not sure why. So The hinge side of the door may be out of square, just not sure until I bring it over there. My door is dead nuts square. I made it 1/8" longer than I planned in case it was a bit out of square. The header should be nice and square.

[Leo G]

Is that hard maple Leo, and what will the finish be? You doing it? If not, do you put any wash/seal/whatever coat on it?

Seriously Jay? Maple?

It is Spanish Cedar (mentioned several times). It will be painted. I will be applying Ben Moore Alkyd Oil Fresh start primer. After that, the lady of the house will take care of the painting. She did the other two doors and they came out nice.

[RCP]

What can I say. They want a custom true wood door. It is a copy of the door I did for them last year. This is the third entry door I have done for this couple.

I'm not complaining.

That is great to see people still see the value and desire a handcrafted door, can't wait to see it finished and hanging. I posted this to the RC Facebook page, so I hope a lot more homeowners see it! (hint hint;)

[Leo G]

OK, here ya go. This is last years door. Same style only 8" shorter. Not finished though. Pic was taken after I fit it for the first time. Took it down and primed it and rehung it.

http://fototime.com/C7BB8AB9E4D6660/orig.jpg

[J F]

How nice. :2thumbsup:

[nEighter]

Leo hope you got paid for well the job, know you would not have done it had you not. The skill and tooling to do a door like this are of a true woodsman.. not like those who go to the woods for brokeback behavior.. but rather those who know how to work the wood.. and not in the john holmes type way either..

[ChrWright]

Very nice Leo.

Will the new door be under an overhang as well?

[Leo G]

Yes it will, it is about 6 feet to the right of the door in the picture, it is also behind a storm door.