Making an oak door - not straightforward perhaps

[AJB Temple]

It is necessary to replace our rather cheap and nasty pine front door, after it had a slight coming together with a lorry. It is a non-standard size being 97 cm wide (or more if I widen the frame) and 2m high. We agreed on oak and as the building is an old barn conversion I suggested an oak door. What I had in mind was a plain planked door or possibly a studded one with swept head.

It transpires that what my wife has in mind is this:

It is an old Italian style from Umbria. I have no idea of what the back would look like, but it is an interesting idea and I am quite tempted to make one. It will work fine stylistically with what we have in mind for the building generally, and I have no issues with listing etc.

Any views from you guys on the construction method for this? It is bound to be quite simple and rustic. And at least I won;t have to use premium joinery grade oak.

 

[rafezetter]

hmm - I think the joinery may be more complicated that it seems, the innermost section is probably mortice and tenon at the corners as normal, but how then are the next 2 upper and lower large rails affixed to that (possibly elongated double M&T's?), then the outer frame, again with M&T at the corners fixed to the inner section? I would have to say either some very good joint trickery, or the back of the door has sections of oak that spans the inner frame and outer frame.

The joint trickery option would be M&T's at the outer frame corners - with the 2nd level upper and lower rails tenoned into the sides of the outer verticals (stiles?), then the inner frame verticals tenoned into the upper and lower rails, and then.... the inner frame stiles tenoned into the sides of the verticals... phew! (and a floating panel in the middle) (and possible extra M&T's along all the long edges to keep it all aligned.

Nice door though and I had to laugh when you said "I thought simple plank door.... the wife had something more like this in mind".

 

[AJB Temple]

Yes - hence the post. A lot of Italian doors are made with the planks running horizontally, whereas we are more inclined to run them vertically over here. I am speculating that the back is horizontally panelled from top to bottom (in effect completely filed in with ledges). It looks as if it is a frame within a frame. It might be quite economical to make as if it is constructed the way I am speculating, then a 60mm thick door can be made in two or three layers, enabling me to use thinnish stock and achieve a lot of stability.

 

[dzj]

Perhaps there are regions in the Mediterranean where annual fluctuations of humidity are not that harsh
and they can get away with such a floating panel. In most places such orientation of grain would cause
too much trouble and people orient the grain the other way.
There is some charm to the door, but I can't escape the impression that it was cobbled from whatever was at hand.

 

[AJB Temple]

Oh, I am sure it was. The originals of these date from 1700 or earlier. In any case, whether I like or not isn't the point. SHE has spoken!!

 

[dzj]

Judging by these images http://www.antiqueitaliandoors.com/prod ... n-door-29/
they are made in a similar (inner vertical layer/ outer horizontal) manner as window shutters in many Mediterranean places.

 

[AJB Temple]

That is very interesting. Vertical planks on the inside is a straightforward solution, especially if I t&g them, then the front is in effect just a decorative facing. I think the boards only need to be 20 -30 mm thick each side.

 

[Adam9453]

You could probably cheat and use wider pieces with routed grooves to imitate joins to make it easier to make, from fewer but larger solid pieces.
I think with this appearance you could make it as difficult or as easy to make as you feel like.
Be nice to see it finished