Bi-fold wardrobe doors

[woodcarver]

A customer has asked me to make some bi-fold wardrobe doors, aperture 2300 high x 1460 wide.
There will be two doors on each side approximate 365mm each.
What can I make these doors out of?
The door track I have say a minimum of 20mm for the door thickness.
Ordinary mdf is too heavy. Ultralight I would be concerned about the mdf remaining straight over that height.
Another option would be to fabricate my own by making a frame work and skinning it with mdf or similar.

Has anyone got any suggestions on this one?

Regards

 

[scholar]

I would use a framework skinned with 6mm mdf.

My method is to make a lightweight frame of say 18 x 50mm battens running all round the edges with some intermediate rails. I glue the frame together first with biscuits or dominoes.

Then lay the frame on the inner face of each skin and hot glue some small blocks of say 6mm mdf offcuts in 4 corners - this will stop the skin moving around when gluing. Then mark all the gluing areas.

Glue up on a flat surface - for that height, my workbench would do - shorter heights I find my spare fire door worktop is excellent (that I can get in the vacuum press bag). Work out your cramping first with plenty of cauls to stretch across the width (you need to have marked the rail positions on the outside of the skin for this).

When dried, trim the edges and add lipping of some suitable stable hardwood.

I usually finish the front with a v groove pattern done with the router.

Hinges is another subject - I like Soss concealed hinges, but they take a bit of brainwork and heavy precision routing to fit really well.

Hope that helps

Cheers

 

[thomashenry]

What style of door? I like poplar for frame and panel doors. Light and stable.

 

[woodcarver]

The doors are to be completely flat, this is what is calling the problem making them so heavy if made ou of solid mdf.