Anyone know what wood this is?
- Thread starter sirocosm
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Sapele? Looking at the routing I wonder if they're from the '30s.
I agree, Sapele, and also question the quoted age like Phil Pascoe. Looks much later.
I’m with @XTiffy that ‘lazy’ way of just running a router around came in more modern times, I’d say 1970’s at the earliest.
If you look at the edges, see if it’s mortice and tenoned, I suspect it won’t be and it will be doweled together. Nothing wrong with dowels, but they need modern glues to hold the door together .
If you look at the edges, see if it’s mortice and tenoned, I suspect it won’t be and it will be doweled together. Nothing wrong with dowels, but they need modern glues to hold the door together .
kinverkid
Established Member
I agree with the Sepele but I'm on the fence about the age. The door looks well made and with proper leaded glass too. The panels look like they may have been replaced.
I wondered about the routing as well, and thought it odd that they would use a router in the 30s at all. Did they even exist then? But this is the period (~1935) where they were experimenting with everything round, so I am not sure what people did. The stained glass looks original, and matches the rest of the house, so maybe they just kept the glass and made a new door around it? The door is in pretty good shape, is very heavy, but the panels on the bottom on the outside are starting to ripple.
The door has a through tenon in the middle:
But at the ends it goes all the way to the edge, not sure what that joint is called.
The stained glass matches the rest in the house.
My neighbor's son (a woodworker) says the window in the front was rebuilt at some point, so maybe they did the door at the same time. There are a few details on the window that don't look right, for example the top windows are made the traditional way, but on the bottom the frames are mitered. So maybe they just kept the glass and built new frames and bottom windows. I need to do something with them because the outside sill is rotten at one end where the previous owners let water drip on it for years.The frames themselves look to be some sort of softwood.
The door has a through tenon in the middle:
But at the ends it goes all the way to the edge, not sure what that joint is called.
The stained glass matches the rest in the house.
My neighbor's son (a woodworker) says the window in the front was rebuilt at some point, so maybe they did the door at the same time. There are a few details on the window that don't look right, for example the top windows are made the traditional way, but on the bottom the frames are mitered. So maybe they just kept the glass and built new frames and bottom windows. I need to do something with them because the outside sill is rotten at one end where the previous owners let water drip on it for years.The frames themselves look to be some sort of softwood.
Panels are almost certainly sapele. I'd agree that rest is probably the same as it's a very strong, stable and weather resistant timber for outdoor use.
My best guess would be a bridle joint.
My best guess would be a bridle joint.
The door clearly will last, but some of the detail for its construction is pretty terrible. The top and bottom mortice and tenon joints should have a haunch, or put another way, it shouldn’t go all the way to the top of the style. The fitting of the lock isn’t inspiring, it should be rebated into the style not planted on. It all suggests very quick construction.
The detailing around the panels should be scribed into the mortice and tenon for a quality door. This is where the moulding runs right through the mortice and tenon and a matching shoulder is cut. One of the ways it was done before spindle moulders would be to carry the moulding an 1” or so into the joint and with chisels carve the scribe. The next quickest way was to just mitre the moulding together, but if anything moved the joint would open up. The fast and cheapest way which is what your yours has is to blast it around with a router bit. The last way which is also a quality way is to plant on mouldings to hold the panels into rebates.
I’d say original glass reused on a 70s made door.
The detailing around the panels should be scribed into the mortice and tenon for a quality door. This is where the moulding runs right through the mortice and tenon and a matching shoulder is cut. One of the ways it was done before spindle moulders would be to carry the moulding an 1” or so into the joint and with chisels carve the scribe. The next quickest way was to just mitre the moulding together, but if anything moved the joint would open up. The fast and cheapest way which is what your yours has is to blast it around with a router bit. The last way which is also a quality way is to plant on mouldings to hold the panels into rebates.
I’d say original glass reused on a 70s made door.
The species used could well be linked to the actual age of the door. My guess would be Sapele. but it could be something different if it is1930's. Lots of woods that we don't see now were quite common. Agba, is one that springs to mind, which I remember using at school in the '60's
With the routed edge around the panel, It is surprising just how early this detailing can be, ( like the use of Philips screws in old furniture) I have a vague recollection of this detail being evident around windows in old railway carriages. Also Dick Strawbridge has this in the windows of his chateau which I believe dates to around 1900.
With the routed edge around the panel, It is surprising just how early this detailing can be, ( like the use of Philips screws in old furniture) I have a vague recollection of this detail being evident around windows in old railway carriages. Also Dick Strawbridge has this in the windows of his chateau which I believe dates to around 1900.
It does look awful, it is flush at the bottom but sticks out at the top. I think it was originally flush at the top as well, maybe the screw has stripped. The lock has never worked so well, it often sticks, so maybe someone has removed it a few times.
thetyreman
Established Member
I agree with others, they've likely re-made a new door from the old original glass, the joinery isn't great especially the bridle joint at the top, and the lock going right through the middle tenon, a lot of 30s doors had the handles higher than the middle tenon to avoid this, and they liked rounded brass handles back then.
