Hi.
I am currently in process of building a door frame (exterior)
with sidelights and toplight.

The design wil include 4 cross halving joints...

-------------------------------
| | | |
| | | |
---------+-----------+--------
| | | |
| | | |
| ------- | |---------|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
---------+-----------+---------
| | | |

(The 4 verticals http://www.beersltd.co.uk/view_produ...?code=MW000250
extend below the threshold to a concrete step)

So my question is, (about the cross halving joints at points indicated by +)
should the horizontal members be 'in front' of the vertical members?

Or does it not matter?

Thanks.

Arthur

"Steve" wrote in message
.128...
"Arthur2" wrote in
:

Hi.
I am currently in process of building a door frame (exterior)
with sidelights and toplight.

The design wil include 4 cross halving joints...

(The 4 verticals
http://www.beersltd.co.uk/view_produ...?code=MW000250 extend below
the threshold to a concrete step)

So my question is, (about the cross halving joints at points
indicated by +) should the horizontal members be 'in front' of the
vertical members?

I assume you're going to use a lap joint to join the verticals and
horizontals (stiles and rails). In that case, the strength of the joint
will be the same no matter which piece is in front. All the (fake) raised
panel doors in my house have the stiles interrupted by the rails--the
horizontal piece looks like it's in front.

Draw it in SketchUp and see which way you like better.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX


Thanks.
The reason I asked the question is that I want to replace the red hardwood
horizontal pieces with
some mahogany. I have some 60mm x 70mm section and I will join these to the
vertical
timbers I described in the original post. So if I cut the pieces so that
the mahog horizontals
are at front I would have to glue on more 25 - 30mm thick mahogany to the
backs of these rails
to bring them up to the same depth as the stiles.
Is this nuts or fair enough?

So all stiles will be the red hardwood sections I descibed in OP. All rails
will be mahogany and I plan
to paint the stiles and varnish the rails. I will be remodelling the ovolo
mouldings on the stiles, also.
Weird perhaps?

Arthur

"Steve" wrote in message
.128...
"Arthur2" wrote in
:

"Steve" wrote in message
.128...
"Arthur2" wrote in
:

Hi.
I am currently in process of building a door frame (exterior)
with sidelights and toplight.

The design wil include 4 cross halving joints...

(The 4 verticals
http://www.beersltd.co.uk/view_produ...?code=MW000250 extend
below the threshold to a concrete step)

So my question is, (about the cross halving joints at points
indicated by +) should the horizontal members be 'in front' of the
vertical members?

I assume you're going to use a lap joint to join the verticals and
horizontals (stiles and rails). In that case, the strength of the
joint will be the same no matter which piece is in front. All the
(fake) raised panel doors in my house have the stiles interrupted by
the rails--the horizontal piece looks like it's in front.

Draw it in SketchUp and see which way you like better.

Thanks.
The reason I asked the question is that I want to replace the red
hardwood horizontal pieces with some mahogany. I have some 60mm x
70mm section and I will join these to the vertical timbers I
described in the original post. So if I cut the pieces so that the
mahog horizontals are at front I would have to glue on more 25 - 30mm
thick mahogany to the backs of these rails to bring them up to the
same depth as the stiles. Is this nuts or fair enough?

So all stiles will be the red hardwood sections I descibed in OP.
All rails will be mahogany and I plan to paint the stiles and varnish
the rails. I will be remodelling the ovolo mouldings on the stiles,
also. Weird perhaps?

Not too weird; maybe just a little. ;-) It's unusual to have paint and
transparent finishes in the same application, but not unheard of.

When my clients want to do something out of the ordinary, I advise them
to do a mockup. You could tape some colored paper on the rails and
stiles, then stand back a ways to see what you think. Look at it from
the street, too. If you decide you hate it, you've saved yourself a lot
of work. If you like it, you can move forward with confidence.

--
Thanks.

I think the mixture of painted and varnish is ok too. But it does depend on
using the right
combination of moulding work. My initial thought is that the stiles should
have a simple fluted moulding
while the mahogany rails require something more bold.
I could use a web site that shows a variety of moulding work.

Arthur