On 6 Jun 2006 10:34:54 -0700, wrote:


TrailRat wrote:
Hi there

After starting a minor repair on my front door i've discovered the door
is made up of plywood sheets and solid block for the lock mounts. Well
somewhere along the line the solid block has split is starting to force
apart the panels. After closer inspection the door doesn't seem like it
will last much longer or before a swift quick will tear the door in
half.

I can fit a new door easy and can pick one up for about £100. The
question is, would it be easy just to make a new one. What would be
needed to make a 6 panel door(no glass), what timber, what tools and
what skills.

TR

If you are going to use standard lumberyard materials you will probably
have some problems. The material you buy there is much too green to be
completely stable.

But for the sake of looking, find out what the materials you would need
would cost you before starting. If your door has no features (panels
or openings for glass, etc.) and is smooth, you could build a door out
of 2X4s and 1/8" door skins. Build your frame and attach the pieces to
each other, allowing for the extra area needed to install locks.

Seems like most of the solid core doors I've installed lately were
made of sealed mdf sandwiches with veneer laminated on them, rather
than 2x4s- that, or (even more commonly) an mdf frame with a belly
full of foam. They often have pine all the way around, but it's
fairly thin- in many cases, not much more than glorified edge-banding.

That won't get you a 6 panel style, though.

When it is as close to square as you can make it, glue/brad one side of
the skins on and make sure it perfectly square. Then put the other
door skin side on and you are ready to mortise, hang and finish.

However, you should have a flat area and some proficiency with tools
before starting this.

Generally, I agree with you, but in this case I'm going to have to
voice an objection as the project is an exterior door. It just
doesn't seem that 1/8" ply is a tough enough material to be a real
barrier to anyone who might decide to give the thing a good solid kick
in an attempt to break in. What you describe would fit the bill
thickness-wise, but it just seems too dicey for an entryway,
especially with the 2x4s that are almost guaranteed to warp in use.
The 1/8 ply might be enough as a sheer panel, but probably not enough
to hold those studs in place if they decide to shimmy around a bit. I
have used your described method for temporary doors on jobsites, but
not for a permanent fix.

Here's the rub. Doors skins (birch) are about $12. The doubtful
quality 2x4s would be another $15 or so. Brads, glue, dowels or
biscuits would bring you up top about $30 for your cost, and then you
would still have not only your labor to factor, but the fact that the
"greener than they should be 2x4s" may still warp.

Around here (southern US) a solild core birch blank is $56. Easily
worth the other $26 to go down the lumberyard (and NOT give up a day
working on this) and buy the door I want that is relatively stable and
is already beveled correctly for installation.

Agreed in fact, but it's still a fun project in principle, especially
if you find some nicely figured cabinet-grade ply.