Front Door

[bunnyboiler]

I'd like to make a new front door in an Edwardian style, frame and panel construction, paint finish and with small glass panes at the upper level. It's South facing but in one of the cooler parts of the UK.

Does anyone have a recommendation for the type of timber to use that does not suffer too badly from tearout, given that I shall have to make the various mouldings and glazing bars etc?

Most grateful for any suggestions.

 

[carlb40]

I think all timbers can suffer from tear out. Maybe just do the mouldings in 2/3 light passes. Sapele is often used for doors now.

 

[Steve Maskery]

The obvious choice is good quality redwood. Relatively inexpensive and takes paint well.
S

 

[MickCheese]

If you have Sky then look for the New Yankee Workshop episode on making just what you are looking for.

It's on one of the discovery channels at the moment.

Mick

 

[Jacob]

Redwood. That's what all the best Edwardian joinery was made with.

 

[G S Haydon]

Sapele is OK but I often find moisture movement a problem. If you do go for sapele stack outside protected from the rain on level bearers for a month to reduce the problem.

European Redwood is OK if the door is sheltered, durability might be a problem if it's in an exposed position.

We use quite a bit of Idigbo. It's not the best working timber but we find it more stable than sapele and cheaper too.

Accoya would be the best if you have the budget

Also consider that if you are not FENSA approved you should have building control sign of the work. And the door should have an overall U-Value of 1.8 or lower.

 

[G S Haydon]

Redwood. That's what all the best Edwardian joinery was made with.

Hey Jacob, sadly the Edwardian's had much better timber than what we have today even though they look similar.

 

[Jacob]

...
European Redwood is OK if the door is sheltered, durability might be a problem if it's in an exposed position.

Not a problem if you use linseed oil paint - Holkham Hall, or other similar.
Modern paint is the curse of modern joinery - and old joinery once it's lost its old paint.
In other words - for durability the paint is more important than the wood. And of course - proper design and fitting.

 

[Jacob]

Redwood. That's what all the best Edwardian joinery was made with.

Hey Jacob, sadly the Edwardian's had much better timber than what we have today even though they look similar.

Not so. You just have to buy the right stuff i.e. "unsorted" redwood (Swedish or Russian) and then sort it a bit yourself to leave out as much sapwood as you can. There's some beautiful stuff available but what is missing is the larger sizes as there is so much less fellng of old virgin forest.

 

[MickCheese]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhj_YgKKRQ4

There you go. Shows the process.

Mick

 

[G S Haydon]

Hi Jacob,

We do indeed use Un-sorted and we also use green split and center free which is as clean as we can get. Just doesn't work well for us, 9" planks are nearly always split down the center so door rails are a really hard to get right unless you laminate thinner cleaner boards. With all the time involved picking it over and the durability issues we find it easier to use something that's ready to go like Accoya.

 

[katellwood]

Hi Bunnyboiler

Not sure what your experience is but we are all here to help and support, Take a look at the attached which shows the making of my front door (page 2), Mine was out of Oak however unsorted redwood would be fine.

Why not create a WIP as you progress

making-a-door-t19473-15.html

 

[RogerS]

....
Also consider that if you are not FENSA approved you should have building control sign of the work. And the door should have an overall U-Value of 1.8 or lower.

Unless he's Listed

 

[Jacob]

Hi Jacob,

We do indeed use Un-sorted and we also use green split and center free which is as clean as we can get. Just doesn't work well for us, 9" planks are nearly always split down the center so door rails are a really hard to get right unless you laminate thinner cleaner boards. With all the time involved picking it over and the durability issues we find it easier to use something that's ready to go like Accoya.

Sounds like you need to investigate a better supplier.
Door rails are a prob yes. Can be 12" in an old door. Lamination is difficult - wouldn't have occurred to me as a solution - much easier to edge join two 6x2s.
Not sure what Accoya is!

 

[dannykaye]

Damn, I watched that episode of Norm and now I have severe workshop envy. And I don't even like power tools.

 

[bunnyboiler]

Many thanks for all of the above - food for thought.

Most impressed with Kattelwood's door but would white oak be suitable for an exposed outer door?

 

[Andy RV]

I was amazed when Norm used a chisel at the end! :shock: I can't help but think that he could of done a better job of that, proper wedged m&ts cut to accommodate the rebates, solid wood panels ect.

White oak won't rot in a hurry. :wink:

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've just watched that. Hilarious!
I don't have a problem with his loose tenons, I think it's fine. But I would have preferred to see how he cut them into the end-grain. I'd use "proper" tenons for that job, but if I did use loose tenons I'd use my mortising jig, which, for that particular job, would be better fitted to a Veritas Twin-screw type of vise than one like my record, with its central screw.
But the mortice lock cutter! Whoo-hoo! It was bad enough having the hinge jig, but who else on the planet has that mortice lock gizmo? If he really wanted to inspire someone to make a new front door he should use feasible techniques, not state-of-the-art technology.
I really like the door hardware though, very classy.
S

 

[carlb40]

I've just watched that. Hilarious!
I don't have a problem with his loose tenons, I think it's fine. But I would have preferred to see how he cut them into the end-grain. I'd use "proper" tenons for that job, but if I did use loose tenons I'd use my mortising jig, which, for that particular job, would be better fitted to a Veritas Twin-screw type of vise than one like my record, with its central screw.
But the mortice lock cutter! Whoo-hoo! It was bad enough having the hinge jig, but who else on the planet has that mortice lock gizmo? If he really wanted to inspire someone to make a new front door he should use feasible techniques, not state-of-the-art technology.
I really like the door hardware though, very classy.
S

Actually one has sold on ebay just this week here in the uk. The seller reckoned he had 3 of them LOL :roll:

 

[Steve Maskery]

And another thing.
Where in that sequence does he show just what is needed to fit the door to the opening? It sure is a helluva lot more than routing out for the hardware.
I notice that the Youtube sequence is only 20 mins long. Does that mean that the uploader has edited it? Perhaps the original did address these points and I am being unfairly judgemental.
I did like the way he inserted ply strips to create rebates. Very sensible.
Nice door, nice hardware, totally unrealistic for his average audience.