Constructing Interior Doors

[jedmc571]

Hello,

I'm deliberating a number of different projects at home at the moment, I've recently made new skirt and architrave just plain square edge, it's been moderately enjoyable, but all that priming/sanding etc got a bit tedious..............Anyway! I have been pricing up new doors, of which Ii need 10, my question is, do you think it's cost effective to construct your own doors? I would love Oak ones, doesn't have to be solid, I like the idea of the stability of Veneered material, but want to keep the weight down.

My design would be straight forward, stile & rail, with an infill panel almost like a shaker door.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

My follow on question would then be, if their is anyone near Chester, with the time and equiptment to consider such project, I would like to hear your ideas.

Chances are, it's not financially viable? but I thought it was worth a try, after all, if it was cheaper to buy everything, we wouldn't bother making anything ourselves

 

[Derek Willis.]

Of couse it is viable to make good Oak doors, the infill panels could be 6 or 9 mm. Oak veneered M.D.F. and if you have a router table and get a combined rail and stile cutter then the job becomes very simple and fairly cheap. Gets more expensive if ypu go for the solid Oak type with raised panels, but even so, it is still better and cheaper than purchasing quality doors. This summer I made solid raised panel Oak doors for a very large kitchen, finished them with Rustin's Plastic Coating and they were excellent when in place.
Derek.

 

[jedmc571]

Hi Derek,

I just want to clarify, the doors I'm talking about are for rooms, not kitchen cabinet, I shoul have made it clearer........Sorry!

Cheers

Jed

 

[Derek Willis.]

I did realise that I only used a recent job as an instance.
Derek.

 

[OPJ]

While veneered MDF panels would work okay... I think the doors would look a lot better with traditional raised and fielded panels in solid oak (not something you can do easily in veneered MDF either). You don't necessarily need a spindle moulder or larger router cutter either, provided you have a large shoulder plane and some patience.... :wink:

 

[Benchwayze]

If you can stretch to making your own interior doors then make them. They won't be cheap, but you will never find anything as good on the open market withoiut paying a lot more. If you had to use a good quality pine, you would still have better doors than most.

So, make them, even if you have to do one every month or so.

Good Luck.

 

[JonnyD]

To do a decent job you would have to produce the doors with traditional joinery. This means having to produce at least 4 inch long through wedged tenons and through mortices.

A 12mm X 20mm deep slot will be required all around for the door panels. 12mm vennered MDF would be the minimum required for the door panels 6 or 9mm is too thin for an interior door.

Although it is possible to do this with limited tools or by hand it will be very time consuming without the proper tools for the job. A tenoner and spindle moulder will make light work of it although it could all probably be done with a router and router table and some time.

Veneering the doors will require specialised veneering equipment and edging and lipping etc and is only really suited to mass production. You could buy 17 or 19mm veneered mdf and join the bits together to form a 34 or 38mm rail or stile section. You would still have the problem of exposed MDF edges and being able to hang the door with the fixings into endgrain MDF.

jon

 

[BradNaylor]

Is this the kind of thing you're looking for?

I made this for our house a couple of years ago from a piece of 18mm oak veneered MDF lipped with solid oak down each edge, and then false stiles and rails applied to the back and front in the form of 12mm oak strips.

It was really just an experiment at the time but it has hung happily on our living room ever since! I would adjust the widths of the 'rails' next time for better aesthetics.

This is a great way of making internal doors. Cheap, quick, and very stable!

I'm only half an hour from Chester if you want to pop in.

Cheers
Dan

PS here's a shot of the edge detail

 

[jedmc571]

Thanks for the replies fellas!

It's encouraging to get some positive advice on a job, wish I could get this attitude at work.....ah well!

Dan, that's pretty much what I'm looking for, not sure about a final design but its along those lines, perhaps 3 - 4 panels, I like the idea of creating the panel by just applying the oak on top, from the comfort of my armchair, it looks like easier construction than I first anticipated, then again, it all looks easy till you do it.

Not sure where I class myself in terms of skill levels, but if it might be interesting to have a shot at it, I have some decent tools, but I don't possess a Planer /Thicknesser, is it essential, or would I pay through then nose getting it prepped by the timber merchant?

So many questions.................... :?

Can you point me in the right direction for pricing materials?,

PM sent

 

[BradNaylor]

Jed,

If your doors are standard 27" wide ones you'll get 2 out of a sheet of 8x4 MDF with a 1.5" lipping on each side. That's about £15 per door.

Allow another £25 per door for the oak for the lippings and facings and you're covered. I 'd charge a punter £200 a time plus £50 to fit them so as you can see there's quite a saving to be made doing it yourself.

Enough in fact, to buy a planer/thickesser - because you're definitely going to need one!

If you want to call by I'll show you how to trim the lippings with a router.

PM sent.

Cheers
Dan

 

[Derek Willis.]

It's great when members offer to instruct those who need it like this, I have always gone out of my way to do this, it gives one great satisfaction when someone goes away feeling capable.
Derek.

 

[jedmc571]

Hi Derek

I couldn't agree more

I'm 37 and spent 15 years in the RAF of which a number of years was teaching, it's a great feeling passing on knowledge to others, and I appreciate it when it is reciprocated, I was however discharged with Post Traumatic Stress, and choose woodwork to help occupy my mind, unfortunately I spend more time buying tools and watching it on tv than actually doing it, something I intend to change! :wink:

My woodworking has always been of the practical nature round the house, and my greatest project a 20 x 10 workshop I built in my old house in Stafford, however I moved just as I completed it, so never got the benefit of it, but I have a desire to learn, and accept all help.

This project is a whole new ball game, and although anxious, I think with some good advice and pointers, I can achieve something from it.
I'm a maintenance engineer, and have good hand skills, but I'm let down by my maths, something that always frustrates me when woodworking but I push on anyway.
Dan Tovey has very kindly offered me a visit to his shop, to give me some advice, I am hugely appreciative of this, and find myself stunned at the level of help and kindness you can find just browsing forums, I guess their are some decent people out there.

Provided everything is good financially, I hope to update you all with the latest "Interior Door" saga.

Thanks again to everyone who's replied, and to all who do in the future.

Kindest regards

Jed.

 

[wizer]

unfortunately I spend more time buying tools and watching it on tv than actually doing it, something I intend to change! :wink:

You are among friends

 

[jedmc571]

Cheers Wizer!

When sat on my armchair with a cofee and a packet of Hob Nob's, watching New Yankee Workshop, I get this real sense of achievement..............NOT!

It's easier than standing in my garage freezing my preverbials off inhaling airborne death, that is MDF dust though.

 

[Rich]

Jed,

If your doors are standard 27" wide ones you'll get 2 out of a sheet of 8x4 MDF with a 1.5" lipping on each side. That's about £15 per door.

Allow another £25 per door for the oak for the lippings and facings and you're covered. I 'd charge a punter £200 a time plus £50 to fit them so as you can see there's quite a saving to be made doing it yourself.

Enough in fact, to buy a planer/thickesser - because you're definitely going to need one!

If you want to call by I'll show you how to trim the lippings with a router.

PM sent.

Cheers
Dan

Now that's what I call a nice gesture, well done that man, I wish there was someone near me to give me guidance.

Rich.

 

[BradNaylor]

Now that's what I call a nice gesture, well done that man, I wish there was someone near me to give me guidance.

Rich.

I'm sure Smudger could make a few suggestions...

:wink:

Dan

 

[Rich]

Now that's what I call a nice gesture, well done that man, I wish there was someone near me to give me guidance.

Rich.

I'm sure Smudger could make a few suggestions...

:wink:

Dan

Now now Dan, no need for that.

Rich.

 

[Gary S]

It's encouraging to get some positive advice on a job, wish I could get this attitude at work.....ah well!

The hardest sell for me is always SWMBO and Mum. I've got an 18 month old daughter and work till latish usually Mon-Fri, so weekend time is at a premium and opportunities for mid-week woodworking are virtually zero.

The conversation usually goes something like...

SWMBO : "We need a new [x]"

Me : "Good idea - I could make a really nice one out of oak!"

SWMBO: "What's the point, it will take you ages and they're not that expensive to buy"

Me : "They're not THAT expensive, but the one I make will be nicer and better quality, plus I'll have the satisfaction that I built it".

SWMBO : "Yes, maybe, but I want it tomorrow."

[2 days later]

Mum : "I hear you want to make a [x]?"

Me : "Um...yes, why?"

Mum : "Don't be mean, your poor wife needs one now, she can't wait weeks for you to do it and you've got lots of more important jobs to do around the house than your blimmin' woodworking in your garage"

Conversation closed, [x] bought from a shop, and I end up painting a door frame or something equally boring at the weekend...!!

 

[JFC]

Making a door with traditional joinery is easy . If you do a forum search i think i did a how to on a window with basic tools , the construction is pretty much the same for a door .
A few construction pics of a door ...

Hope that helps .

 

[johnjin]

Thanks for that Jason
It is good to see it all going together.
Thanks for taking the trouble

John