The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't
really been kept up well over the years. I had been planning on taking
it down, completely stripping, repairing and refinishing it this summer
when the weather was warm enough not to have a front door for a couple
of days.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait until summer,
I need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

So far, I've come up with two concepts and wanted input as to which is
better, or if there's another way entirely.

1) I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in two
at the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. This is probably the
best solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of the door and it's
not all that weather-tight now.

2) I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

--
Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

"Brian Henderson" wrote

The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't

Sad to lose such a piece.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait until summer, I
need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

Ohh, bad news.

1) I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in two at
the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. This is probably the best
solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of the door and it's not all
that weather-tight now.

I do not know as much as you on this as I can only see this resulting in a
weak door that has to be replaced.

2) I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

This sounds like it may work for a bit until you can replace the door. It
sounds to me, like that's what you will end up having to do.

cshenk wrote:

I do not know as much as you on this as I can only see this resulting in a
weak door that has to be replaced.

I can't imagine it being any weaker than when the door was first
constructed, after all, gluing up panels is how they made it in the
first place, isn't it?

--
Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

"Brian Henderson" wrote in message
news:q2nzj.14383$ES.583@trnddc05...
cshenk wrote:

I do not know as much as you on this as I can only see this resulting in
a weak door that has to be replaced.

I can't imagine it being any weaker than when the door was first
constructed, after all, gluing up panels is how they made it in the first
place, isn't it?

Dunno, I'd have thought solid or if not, with them wood joints you slide the
panels into?

Either way, I suspect you have more experience on this one than I do.

On Tue, 4 Mar 2008 20:09:37 -0500, "cshenk" wrote:

"Brian Henderson" wrote

The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't

Sad to lose such a piece.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait until summer, I
need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

Ohh, bad news.

1) I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in two at
the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. This is probably the best
solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of the door and it's not all
that weather-tight now.

I do not know as much as you on this as I can only see this resulting in a
weak door that has to be replaced.

2) I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

This sounds like it may work for a bit until you can replace the door. It
sounds to me, like that's what you will end up having to do.

I'd drill it as in 2), and then squirt glue into the crack before
pulling the screws tight. Done properly it should be good for a few
more years, or even decades. Wouldn't use lag bolts though - I'd use
something along the line of 5 inch #8 or #10 deck screws, every 8
inches or so, well contersunk and the plugged with dowels.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Brian Henderson" wrote:

I can't imagine it being any weaker than when the door was first
constructed, after all, gluing up panels is how they made it in the
first place, isn't it?

Something to consider.

First you have to address the issue of taking down the door to do the
repair and establishing weather and security issues while you do the
repair.

After that, consider taking the split to separation, then using epoxy,
which has at least an hour pot life with a slow hardener, buttering
the split faces, then clamp together.

If the crack is advancing as fast as you indicate, a partial repair is
probably not going to solve the problem.

I don't envy you the job, but have fun anyway.

Lew

clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote:

I'd drill it as in 2), and then squirt glue into the crack before
pulling the screws tight. Done properly it should be good for a few
more years, or even decades. Wouldn't use lag bolts though - I'd use
something along the line of 5 inch #8 or #10 deck screws, every 8
inches or so, well contersunk and the plugged with dowels.

5" won't do it, the crack is about 8 inches from the edge. I know I can
get 1/4" lag screws that long but that's about all I know for sure that
I can get (although I haven't looked yet either).

--
Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

Lew Hodgett wrote:
First you have to address the issue of taking down the door to do the
repair and establishing weather and security issues while you do the
repair.

I want to salvage the door if at all possible because it is so old.
I've seen them salvage similar doors on projects on This Old House so
it's not like it can't be done. The only reason I'm leaning toward the
lag-bolt version is because I don't have to take the door down to do it,
I can fix it in place and worry about a more complete fix this summer.

I can always just replace it if I absolutely have to, but finding,
ordering and getting a door with a similar appearance would probably be
difficult.

--
Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

"Brian Henderson" wrote:

I want to salvage the door if at all possible because it is so old.

I understand, I'd want to save it if I were in your position.

The only reason I'm leaning toward the
lag-bolt version is because I don't have to take the door down to do
it,
I can fix it in place and worry about a more complete fix this
summer.

A possible alternate:

Can you get your hands on some plastic strapping material and a take
up handle?

You indicate the door may be a little slopping in the caseing and
strapping is no more than 1/32-3/64 thick.

You could do a temporary strapping around the door using plastic
strapping as a temporary repair to use until summer.

Might even take 2-3 bands.

Lew

.

2) �I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. �This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

Any ideas would be appreciated. �Thanks.

--
Blog Me! �http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

Brian

I too saw a similar drilling method on Ths Old House.

It seemed to me that the "lag" bolts/screws they used had threads that
were just on the last few inches of the bolt, near the tip. Then a
suitable shoulder for/on the head to act as a pull point to pull the
joint together. In between the shoulder and the threads the diameter
was reduced so the edge of the door would not split.

I would stay away from the conventional lag screws as they will cause
splitting of the wood near the head because you will have to make the
hole for the bolt too large. When putting another type of lag screw in
the threads will go through the edge of the door on their way to the
inner part and then you will be able to easily pull the split
together.

Look at mcmaster.com for what you need in lag screws.

Sears among others sells a drill fixture/holder that will allow you to
drill the necessary holes straight into the wood. You may have to make
a fixture to provide sufficient flat area to use this drill holder on
the edge of the door.

Does the door have hinges with removable pins so you can remove it for
a short time to do the work?

Bob AZ

I definitely wouldn't try to draw the wood together with screws (I'll explain
why later).

I'm assuming from your descriptions that the door is composed of stiles
(vertical components), rails (horizontal components) and panels. It sounds
like it's a beefy door with the crack in a wide stile (lock side or hinge
side?). Being as old (and as dry) as its age suggests, if you split the crack
completely, as was suggested, you'll likely get uneven splintering and
irregular separation of the wood fibers along the longitudinal axis of the
grain. One would hope that you could apply glue and piece it back together
like two pieces of a puzzle, but trust me, it won't work. (Don't ask me how I
know this! lol)

I'd recommend gluing it together. If properly glued with the adhesives
available today, the joint will be stronger at the glue line than the natural
resins that bond the fibers of the wood. The trick is to "wet" both sides of
the crack with glue as completely as possible and to apply sufficient
clamping pressure. It shouldn't be too difficult.

It would be best to remove the door and lay it across saw horses... or across
some 2x4's on the floor on edge.

Buy a cheap syringe at the drug store. Buy a small paste brush at Home Depot
or Lowes (it has short, stiff bristles and is used to apply flux for
soldering) and purchase a good quality, exterior grade glue (TiteBond). You
can thin the glue with some water (experiment so that you thin it only as
much as is necessary to make it flow through the syringe needle). Have enough
clamps on hand to apply them 6" - 8" apart for the length of the crack.

Gently pry the crack open with a screw driver, if you can, so as to get the
brush into the crack and spread the glue onto both surfaces. If you feel that
prying will increase the crack, stop! Use the syringe to flood glue into the
crack as far down as you can (gravity will pull the glue lower into the
crevice... so give it a minute). Plenty of glue is good. Whatever squeezes
out after clamping is easily cleaned up. Once you've got as much glue into
the joint as you can, apply the clamps. A thin strip of wood (3/4") between
the clamps and the door edge will protect the door edges from clamp damage
and will also help to distribute the clamping forces. Alternate the clamps on
each face of the door to prevent the door from bowing under pressure from the
clamps (one on the outside, next on the inside, next on the outside, next on
the inside... and so on). Wipe up any glue squeeze out and leave everything
for at least four hours to ensure sufficient initial cure ('cuz some glue has
been thinned).

Remove the clamps, close the door (gently 'cuz it'll need 24 hours to reach
it's strongest bond), stand back and admire your handy work!

Why not to screw?

You stated that the crack is about 8" from the edge of the door. You'd have
to bore a pilot hole into the edge of the door about 4" past the crack, or
8"+ 4" = 12", to have sufficient depth for the threaded part of the screw to
bite. You'd need about 4" from under the screw head to the crack, for enough
wood mass under the screw head to bear pressure onto the crack. You'd have to
counter bore 4" into the hole for the screw head to enter the hole
unrestricted. Eight inch screws are available (not readily though) but they'd
be too weak at that length and would likely snap if under #14 gauge. You'd
need a six inch #3 Phillips or Robertson driver bit to reach far enough into
the hole, and the bit would likely "cam" out of the screw head under the
forces you'd be applying (if you round out the cavity in the screw head when
it's buried in the door, you'll never get it out!)

And lastly, but most importantly, the forces required to draw the crack
together would be greater than the resistance applied by the screw head, and
the threads would likely just draw the screw deeper into the hole without
completely closing the gap (if the screws don't break!). Been there... done
d'at. Don't do it.

When the weather permits... refinish the door. The hot summer heat (and
cooler interior) and the cold winter air (and warmer interior) create
expansion and contraction forces that constantly flex a wooden door (worse if
exposed to direct sun). There's also usually a humidity differential on both
sides of the wooden door during the changing seasons. All these factors
contribute to wood fatigue... hence the crack. If soundly repaired... and
properly refinished... it should last another generation (with proper
maintenance).

Thanks for enduring this lengthy post. I hope I've been able to help you
salvage and restore a venerable old soul, that's been hanging around longer
than you and me (pun intended)!

Good luck.

Michael

--
Message posted via CraftKB.com
http://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.as...rking/200803/1

Brian Henderson wrote:
The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and
hasn't really been kept up well over the years. I had been
planning on taking it down, completely stripping, repairing and
refinishing it this summer when the weather was warm enough not to
have a front door for a couple of days.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the
outside that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait
until summer, I need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

So far, I've come up with two concepts and wanted input as to which
is better, or if there's another way entirely.

1) I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in
two at the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. This is
probably the best solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of
the door and it's not all that weather-tight now.

Maybe, see below
___________

2) I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. This can be done without removing
the heavy door and will maintain the width.

No to lags. Through and through threaded rod with large washers would
work but that would be a lot of very long holes and a series of 1"
plugs along both edges. Not pretty. You could avoid through and
through by using shorter rods/bolts into tapped metal dowels but that
would be unsightly too. Either would be a lot more work than
necessary.
________

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

I would first try toolman946's suggestion of getting glue into the
crack and drawing it together with clamps. That will probably fix it
but if it doesn't you can always do your #1 idea at a later date. You
could rectify the narrower width of the door by packing out the jamb.

You say the door is "solid". I take it that you mean it is a slab
door rather than frame and panel. Either way, you need to figure out
*why* it is suddenly cracking after so many years. The only reason I
can think of is differential expansion and contraction; that is, one
face of the door has dried out more than the other. A heated - and
dry - interior in your house could cause that. You really do need to
maintain the finish on the door to avoid problems such as you now
have.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:49:09 GMT, Brian Henderson
wrote:

clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote:

I'd drill it as in 2), and then squirt glue into the crack before
pulling the screws tight. Done properly it should be good for a few
more years, or even decades. Wouldn't use lag bolts though - I'd use
something along the line of 5 inch #8 or #10 deck screws, every 8
inches or so, well contersunk and the plugged with dowels.

5" won't do it, the crack is about 8 inches from the edge. I know I can
get 1/4" lag screws that long but that's about all I know for sure that
I can get (although I haven't looked yet either).
You didn't read me right. The crack is 8 inches from the edge. Drill
a 5" counterbore, and put in a 5 inch screw. Gets you 2 inches of
thread into the main part of the door. (tip of screw is 10 " into the
door)
Not difficult to do at all, and it WILL work.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:03:18 GMT, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com"
u40139@uwe wrote:

I definitely wouldn't try to draw the wood together with screws (I'll explain
why later).

I'm assuming from your descriptions that the door is composed of stiles
(vertical components), rails (horizontal components) and panels. It sounds
like it's a beefy door with the crack in a wide stile (lock side or hinge
side?). Being as old (and as dry) as its age suggests, if you split the crack
completely, as was suggested, you'll likely get uneven splintering and
irregular separation of the wood fibers along the longitudinal axis of the
grain. One would hope that you could apply glue and piece it back together
like two pieces of a puzzle, but trust me, it won't work. (Don't ask me how I
know this! lol)


I see it as a solid 1/7/8 or 2" plain mahogany door. Not a panel door.
I had one like it on my first house - a round topped door. Almost
impossble to BUY a replacement for. Would have to make one.

Anyway, it was made up of several planks, laminated together. A
glue-line fails, and the door splits.

Glue and screws - draw the screws in evenly, a bit at a time to close
the crack - or use a couple ratchet straps to pull it together first
and just use the screws as backup for the glue.

If it's the door I think it is, this will work. If a panel door, a
totally different story. But the OP DID say a SOLID wood door.
I'd recommend gluing it together. If properly glued with the adhesives
available today, the joint will be stronger at the glue line than the natural
resins that bond the fibers of the wood. The trick is to "wet" both sides of
the crack with glue as completely as possible and to apply sufficient
clamping pressure. It shouldn't be too difficult.

It would be best to remove the door and lay it across saw horses... or across
some 2x4's on the floor on edge.

Buy a cheap syringe at the drug store. Buy a small paste brush at Home Depot
or Lowes (it has short, stiff bristles and is used to apply flux for
soldering) and purchase a good quality, exterior grade glue (TiteBond). You
can thin the glue with some water (experiment so that you thin it only as
much as is necessary to make it flow through the syringe needle). Have enough
clamps on hand to apply them 6" - 8" apart for the length of the crack.

Gently pry the crack open with a screw driver, if you can, so as to get the
brush into the crack and spread the glue onto both surfaces. If you feel that
prying will increase the crack, stop! Use the syringe to flood glue into the
crack as far down as you can (gravity will pull the glue lower into the
crevice... so give it a minute). Plenty of glue is good. Whatever squeezes
out after clamping is easily cleaned up. Once you've got as much glue into
the joint as you can, apply the clamps. A thin strip of wood (3/4") between
the clamps and the door edge will protect the door edges from clamp damage
and will also help to distribute the clamping forces. Alternate the clamps on
each face of the door to prevent the door from bowing under pressure from the
clamps (one on the outside, next on the inside, next on the outside, next on
the inside... and so on). Wipe up any glue squeeze out and leave everything
for at least four hours to ensure sufficient initial cure ('cuz some glue has
been thinned).

Remove the clamps, close the door (gently 'cuz it'll need 24 hours to reach
it's strongest bond), stand back and admire your handy work!

Why not to screw?

You stated that the crack is about 8" from the edge of the door. You'd have
to bore a pilot hole into the edge of the door about 4" past the crack, or
8"+ 4" = 12", to have sufficient depth for the threaded part of the screw to
bite. You'd need about 4" from under the screw head to the crack, for enough
wood mass under the screw head to bear pressure onto the crack. You'd have to
counter bore 4" into the hole for the screw head to enter the hole
unrestricted. Eight inch screws are available (not readily though) but they'd
be too weak at that length and would likely snap if under #14 gauge. You'd
need a six inch #3 Phillips or Robertson driver bit to reach far enough into
the hole, and the bit would likely "cam" out of the screw head under the
forces you'd be applying (if you round out the cavity in the screw head when
it's buried in the door, you'll never get it out!)

And lastly, but most importantly, the forces required to draw the crack
together would be greater than the resistance applied by the screw head, and
the threads would likely just draw the screw deeper into the hole without
completely closing the gap (if the screws don't break!). Been there... done
d'at. Don't do it.

When the weather permits... refinish the door. The hot summer heat (and
cooler interior) and the cold winter air (and warmer interior) create
expansion and contraction forces that constantly flex a wooden door (worse if
exposed to direct sun). There's also usually a humidity differential on both
sides of the wooden door during the changing seasons. All these factors
contribute to wood fatigue... hence the crack. If soundly repaired... and
properly refinished... it should last another generation (with proper
maintenance).

Thanks for enduring this lengthy post. I hope I've been able to help you
salvage and restore a venerable old soul, that's been hanging around longer
than you and me (pun intended)!

Good luck.

Michael


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Mar 5, 3:03*am, "toolman946 via CraftKB.com" u40139@uwe wrote:
I definitely wouldn't try to draw the wood together with screws (I'll explain
why later).

I'm assuming from your descriptions that the door is composed of stiles
(vertical components), rails (horizontal components) and panels. It sounds
like it's a beefy door with the crack in a wide stile (lock side or hinge
side?). Being as old (and as dry) as its age suggests, if you split the crack
completely, as was suggested, you'll likely get uneven splintering and
irregular separation of the wood fibers along the longitudinal axis of the
grain. One would hope that you could apply glue and piece it back together
like two pieces of a puzzle, but trust me, it won't work. (Don't ask me how I
know this! * lol)

I'd recommend gluing it together. If properly glued with the adhesives
available today, the joint will be stronger at the glue line than the natural
resins that bond the fibers of the wood. The trick is to "wet" both sides of
the crack with glue as completely as possible and to apply sufficient
clamping pressure. It shouldn't be too difficult.

It would be best to remove the door and lay it across saw horses... or across
some 2x4's on the floor on edge.

Buy a cheap syringe at the drug store. Buy a small paste brush at Home Depot
or Lowes (it has short, stiff bristles and is used to apply flux for
soldering) and purchase a good quality, exterior grade glue (TiteBond). You
can thin the glue with some water (experiment so that you thin it only as
much as is necessary to make it flow through the syringe needle). Have enough
clamps on hand to apply them 6" - 8" apart for the length of the crack.

Gently pry the crack open with a screw driver, if you can, so as to get the
brush into the crack and spread the glue onto both surfaces. If you feel that
prying will increase the crack, stop! Use the syringe to flood glue into the
crack as far down as you can (gravity will pull the glue lower into the
crevice... so give it a minute). Plenty of glue is good. Whatever squeezes
out after clamping is easily cleaned up. Once you've got as much glue into
the joint as you can, apply the clamps. A thin strip of wood (3/4") between
the clamps and the door edge will protect the door edges from clamp damage
and will also help to distribute the clamping forces. Alternate the clamps on
each face of the door to prevent the door from bowing under pressure from the
clamps (one on the outside, next on the inside, next on the outside, next on
the inside... and so on). Wipe up any glue squeeze out and leave everything
for at least four hours to ensure sufficient initial cure ('cuz some glue has
been thinned).

Remove the clamps, close the door (gently 'cuz it'll need 24 hours to reach
it's strongest bond), stand back and admire your handy work!

Why not to screw?

You stated that the crack is about 8" from the edge of the door. You'd have
to bore a pilot hole into the edge of the door about 4" past the crack, or
8"+ 4" = 12", to have sufficient depth for the threaded part of the screw to
bite. You'd need about 4" from under the screw head to the crack, for enough
wood mass under the screw head to bear pressure onto the crack. You'd have to
counter bore 4" into the hole for the screw head to enter the hole
unrestricted. Eight inch screws are available (not readily though) but they'd
be too weak at that length and would likely snap if under #14 gauge. You'd
need a six inch #3 Phillips or Robertson driver bit to reach far enough into
the hole, and the bit would likely "cam" out of the screw head under the
forces you'd be applying (if you round out the cavity in the screw head when
it's buried in the door, you'll never get it out!)

And lastly, but most importantly, the forces required to draw the crack
together would be greater than the resistance applied by the screw head, and
the threads would likely just draw the screw deeper into the hole without
completely closing the gap (if the screws don't break!). Been there... done
d'at. Don't do it.

When the weather permits... refinish the door. The hot summer heat (and
cooler interior) and the cold winter air (and warmer interior) create
expansion and contraction forces that constantly flex a wooden door (worse if
exposed to direct sun). There's also usually a humidity differential on both
sides of the wooden door during the changing seasons. All these factors
contribute to wood fatigue... hence the crack. If soundly repaired... and
properly refinished... it should last another generation (with proper
maintenance).

Thanks for enduring this lengthy post. I hope I've been able to help you
salvage and restore a venerable old soul, that's been hanging around longer
than you and me (pun intended)!

Good luck.

Michael

--
Message posted via CraftKB.comhttp://www.craftkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/woodworking/200803



Michael.
Your explanation of how to repair the cracked door stile was one of
the best descriptions of how to accomplish this task that I have seen.
I second your opinion regarding potential problems with the screw
method. If the OP follows your advice he will be rewarded with a
useful door and bragging rights besides.

Joe G

On Mar 4, 7:14*pm, Brian Henderson
wrote:
The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't
really been kept up well over the years. *I had been planning on taking
it down, completely stripping, repairing and refinishing it this summer
when the weather was warm enough not to have a front door for a couple
of days.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. *I can no longer wait until summer,
I need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

So far, I've come up with two concepts and wanted input as to which is
better, or if there's another way entirely.

1) *I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in two
at the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. *This is probably the
best solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of the door and it's
not all that weather-tight now.

2) *I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. *This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

Any ideas would be appreciated. *Thanks.

--
Blog Me! *http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

One trick that may help in applying glue into a crack is to pull a
partial vacuum on the underside using your shop vac.
Joe G

Lew Hodgett wrote:
You could do a temporary strapping around the door using plastic
strapping as a temporary repair to use until summer.

The only issue with that is that the door has started to bend slightly
at the crack, making it already a bit difficult to close properly.
Strapping it into place won't stop it from flexing, it needs structure
to keep it straight and true.

--
Blog Me! http://BitchSpot.JadeDragonOnline.com

toolman946 via CraftKB.com wrote:
I'm assuming from your descriptions that the door is composed of stiles
(vertical components), rails (horizontal components) and panels.

Nope, it's a flat slab, presumably of glued-up boards, although people
who have owned the house for the last 90 years have put so many coats of
finish on the door, it's hard to tell.

At present, the crack on the inside of the door is barely noticable and
I'd like to keep it that way. I have tried to flex the door along the
outside crack to see if I could get a syringe of glue into it, but it's
still too tight and I'm afraid of breaking the inner face if I do. I
wouldn't get much glue coverage that way anyhow and if I end up cutting
apart the door with a circular saw (which will give me flat glue up
surfaces), I'll add internal reinforcement with dowels or a spline or
something.

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clare at snyder dot ontario dot canada wrote:
I see it as a solid 1/7/8 or 2" plain mahogany door. Not a panel door.
I had one like it on my first house - a round topped door. Almost
impossble to BUY a replacement for. Would have to make one.

You're right, that's exactly the door. It's not something that would be
easy to replace, it's got nice glass features, etc. that I really don't
want to lose if I can help it.

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dadiOH wrote:
Either way, you need to figure out
*why* it is suddenly cracking after so many years. The only reason I
can think of is differential expansion and contraction; that is, one
face of the door has dried out more than the other. A heated - and
dry - interior in your house could cause that. You really do need to
maintain the finish on the door to avoid problems such as you now
have.

It's probably been a problem for years but this year, we've had extended
periods of low-temp/tons of rain followed by high-temp/dry, then rain,
then dry, then rain, etc. It was probably enough to push it over the
edge. I've been intending to refinish the door like I said, I've been
recognizing the seasonal movement of the door as it moves enough to make
it difficult to close during the winter and I had it off the hinges to
plane the bottom of the door a couple of months ago.

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Brian Henderson wrote:
The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't
really been kept up well over the years. I had been planning on taking
it down, completely stripping, repairing and refinishing it this summer
when the weather was warm enough not to have a front door for a couple
of days.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait until summer,
I need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

So far, I've come up with two concepts and wanted input as to which is
better, or if there's another way entirely.

1) I can take the door down (it's solid mahogany), cut the door in two
at the crack and reglue/clamp it back together. This is probably the
best solution, but it removes 1/8" from the width of the door and it's
not all that weather-tight now.

2) I can drill in from the edge and countersink some long lag bolts
through (the split is about 8 inches from the edge) to pull it back
together, then plug the holes. This can be done without removing the
heavy door and will maintain the width.

Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.


Can you open and close the crack by applying pressure beside or
behind the crack, or by bending and twisting the door?

If the crack opens and closes, and the wood adjacent to the crack
is sound you may be able to work a water resistant glue into the
crack by opening and closing it, squeezing the glue as deep as
possible into the crack. Also using strips of paper or pins, push
the glue in as deep as possible. Get as much glue as possible into
the crack. Clamp tight to squeeze the glue in. Unclamp and repeat.
I've used this method a few times. If the glue isn't too thick it
can be worked quite deep into the wood. Messy but could save the
door for a few more years possibly longer.

LdB

"Brian Henderson" wrote in message
news:fBlzj.9850$6R.8018@trnddc04...
The front door to my house is ancient, made back in the 1920s and hasn't
really been kept up well over the years. I had been planning on taking it
down, completely stripping, repairing and refinishing it this summer when
the weather was warm enough not to have a front door for a couple of days.

Yesterday, I saw that there is a floor-to-ceiling crack on the outside
that is getting wider by the minute. I can no longer wait until summer, I
need to fix it before I've got two doors, not one.

snip

If it is truly a slab door, I would rip a segment that encloses the crack
out of the door. I would prepare a piece to replace this wood and glue the
whole thing back together. You mentioned the door is not really weather
tight. You could make the door a bit wider to close the gap. The main issue
would be finding a piece of mahogany to match.
I repaired a solid wood panel door that was rotten on the bottom portion of
the door. I repaired it 8 years ago. I can post pictures of the repair on
abpw if you want to see them. It is a fir door with leaded glass panels in
it. I was able to buy 2X6 fir and rip it in 1 3/4" widths and glue them back
together making stiles that matched the ones I was splicing.

"Lowell Holmes" wrote:

If it is truly a slab door, I would rip a segment that encloses the
crack
out of the door. I would prepare a piece to replace this wood and
glue the
whole thing back together.

I don't know about Brian, but I think it's a sneaky solution and BTW,
Mikey likes itG

Lew

..

"Brian Henderson" wrote:

The only issue with that is that the door has started to bend
slightly
at the crack, making it already a bit difficult to close properly.
Strapping it into place won't stop it from flexing, it needs
structure
to keep it straight and true.

Slip a caul in under the band on the convex side and allow it to
spring back into shape.

Lew

Your explanation of how to repair the cracked door stile was one of
the best descriptions of how to accomplish this task that I have seen.
I second your opinion regarding potential problems with the screw
method. If the OP follows your advice he will be rewarded with a
useful door and bragging rights besides.

Joe G

Thank you Joe. You're very kind.

Michael

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L D'Bonnie wrote:
Can you open and close the crack by applying pressure beside or
behind the crack, or by bending and twisting the door?

No, the only way I could get the crack to flex was under heavy clamping
pressure.

If the crack opens and closes, and the wood adjacent to the crack
is sound you may be able to work a water resistant glue into the
crack by opening and closing it, squeezing the glue as deep as
possible into the crack. Also using strips of paper or pins, push
the glue in as deep as possible. Get as much glue as possible into
the crack. Clamp tight to squeeze the glue in. Unclamp and repeat.
I've used this method a few times. If the glue isn't too thick it
can be worked quite deep into the wood. Messy but could save the
door for a few more years possibly longer.

What I ended up doing was using a razor blade and applying as much glue
into the widest portions of the crack (it was wider at the bottom of the
door than at the top) and coated it as well as I could, then I applied 6
36" pipe clamps and squeezed it shut for about 6 hours. I tested to
make sure the door was flat on both sides while clamped and I just
tested again and it seems not to have flexed back, at least not yet.
I'll keep an eye on it over the next couple of days for any changes but
the door closes normally now, which it didn't do before.

Thanks to everyone who had suggestions, I'll probably see if there's a
better solution this summer once I pull the door down for refinishing.
I know I need to get a new mortise-lock for it anyhow, so it'll be good
to pull it all apart and make it like new again.

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GROVER wrote:

One trick that may help in applying glue into a crack is to pull a
partial vacuum on the underside using your shop vac.
Joe G

Excellent tip Joe. I've had luck with that method before.

Michael

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Brian Henderson wrote:

What I ended up doing was using a razor blade and applying as much glue
into the widest portions of the crack (it was wider at the bottom of the
door than at the top) and coated it as well as I could, then I applied 6
36" pipe clamps and squeezed it shut for about 6 hours. I tested to
make sure the door was flat on both sides while clamped and I just
tested again and it seems not to have flexed back, at least not yet.
I'll keep an eye on it over the next couple of days for any changes but
the door closes normally now, which it didn't do before.

Thanks to everyone who had suggestions, I'll probably see if there's a
better solution this summer once I pull the door down for refinishing.
I know I need to get a new mortise-lock for it anyhow, so it'll be good
to pull it all apart and make it like new again.

************************************************** *******************************
Good for you Brian. I'm glad it worked out!

Michael

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