# 6 panel external door construction



## gasman (21 Jul 2019)

My front door is pretty cr4p - lots of problems and its a bit warped. Theres some rot in part of it and I thought it can't be that difficult to make a door - especially after getting a quote from someone who wanted £1600 for a bespoke hardwood 6-panel door....
Here's what needs replacing:









I want to replace it like for like and paint it a similar colour in and out.
The door size is 1960x760x43mm ballpark, the rails are 100mm wide
I have enough meranti to make it
Can I ask some questions just because I haven't done this before and can't find on google any sensible plans etc?
I have no problem doing through mortices with wedged tenons for the rail and stiles.
I have a spindle moulder with a 40mm block and a decent router table with raised panel bits. I was planning to make raised panels and have them in grooves - would the grooves be maybe 19mm wide?? How deep would the grooves need to be? 12mm? - and the panels will be a few mm smaller than the overall size?
The inside edges of the panel rectangles of my current door look they have a moulding of sorts. Is this likely to be a separate moulding which has been added after the basic door structure has been finished or are there door jointing sets for 44mm doors similar to the kind of set one can get for cabinet doors on a router table? If so then they must be for a spindle moulder I imagine - and that would need a 50mm block and cutters?? I can't really see anything similar to what I am describing on the wealden website but maybe I am looking in the wrong place?
Sorry to ask basic questions but many thanks anyone for some help. If anyone knows an online resource which shows what I want that would be great too.
Cheers Mark


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## pollys13 (21 Jul 2019)

In case you haven't seen these have a look at Trevanions replies,
raised-panel-cutters-for-house-doors-interior-and-exterior-t118365.html
topic113728.html
Also Coley just pointed this one out to me.. 
http://thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=57347#p57347
Other forum posts on UK Workshop regarding the subject, just use search.


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## Jacob (21 Jul 2019)

It's a modern door. Looks like an old house? I 'd have a look around the neighbourhood for an original door/frame and copy that.
Most likely the frame would be set in a rebate in the masonry with less timber showing and a slightly wider door.


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## Adam9453 (21 Jul 2019)

Your door is pretty much standard size so you could buy something off the shelf like this https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/doors-c14 ... gLs0_D_BwE
And just add the weather bar which again you can buy off the shelf such as 
https://www.leaderdoors.co.uk/doors-c14 ... gJHkfD_BwE


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## Doug71 (21 Jul 2019)

Avoid the off the shelf type doors if it is exposed to the weather, they are all veneered and tend to not last long.


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## Sheffield Tony (21 Jul 2019)

Be aware that external doors fall under the auspices of building control. There is allowance for bespoke wooden doors, but it still specifies various things about sizes of framing and panels, and locking.


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## Doug71 (21 Jul 2019)

Sheffield Tony":2j40qpv8 said:


> Be aware that external doors fall under the auspices of building control. There is allowance for bespoke wooden doors, but it still specifies various things about sizes of framing and panels, and locking.



Most of it only applies to doors on new dwellings, regs on replacements are not as strict.


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## gasman (24 Jul 2019)

Many thanks for your considered replies... I have read all the threads I can find both on here and the a different place and am a bit clearer about it all...
However, I am still a bit confused about matching the rails and stiles and where through mortices can fit into this....
For example, there are router sets available like this one 2 piece door entry router bit set - and a lot more similar available in the US - which would seem to be suitable - and it looks like that allows the stiles to be cut with the tenon in place?
Alternatively not using cutters but simply cutting the mortices and tenons by hand and then adding the shaped edging in the way of beading??
Many thanks again for your help
Regards Mark


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## pollys13 (24 Jul 2019)

With that sort of set up you might find yourself going down the route of having to use a coping 
( scribe ) sled https://www.infinitytools.co.uk/accesso ... ping-sled/
One thing leads to another, powerful router, decent heavy duty router table.


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## pollys13 (24 Jul 2019)

Then again, if just a one off, doing by hand, rebate plane, moulding planes. Avoid having to buy decent, quite expensive kit. I've got a cast iron router table, with a slider, not for door making though...….500 quid.


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## deema (24 Jul 2019)

This is how I make a door. It’s one of many ways....
Clamp together the styles and muntins and mark all of the joints / intersections. This ensures accuracy later on.
Clamp together all of the rails and again mark up.
Mortice all of the M/T before any moulding starts. I set my morticed at c1/3 of the door thickness. The mortices go into the groove that you will cut for the panels. For simplicity I usually make the mortice the same width as the groove for the panels....typically 5/8”. An old rule I was taught was not to make the mortice any longer than 5x width so the bottom and lower middle rail will probably need double Mortices.

Cut the tenons and either allow for a mitre corner for the moulding or scribe cut the tenon to encapsulate the moulding. 

Groove the styles and rails. The groove is typically 5/8” deep that takes the panels. If the door has lights rather panels I make the groove the same depth as the moulding. 

You can rebate for the panels, mould one side and plant on moulding to hold the panels in place. You would do this typically if you wanted a raised moulding on the outside.

I haven’t any really good phots of the construction but here what I have that might be of help


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## gasman (24 Jul 2019)

Thats brilliant Deema thanks so much...


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## Steve Maskery (24 Jul 2019)

If you want to make life easy for yourself, forget about grooves and rebates entirely, build a plain M&T frame, then glue and pin on the separate mouldings afterwards. When it's painted it is impossible to tell the difference.

BTW, I don't think that £1600 is OTT if it is well-made. I bet you don't either, by the time you've finished...


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## gasman (24 Jul 2019)

Thanks Steve that's the way I am heading I think
Cheers Mark


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