Ledged brace frame doors

[SamG340]

I'll have a go tomorrow , my computerology skills are minimal though !

Hey thanks Andy if you can't no worries appreciate your advice

 

[Spectric]

If you want substantial wood screws then look at these from Heco Topix, once upon a time screwfix sold them but obviously to specialised for them to stock:

I have purchased the flange head screws from this company and another interesting structural timber screw worth taking a look at is the Combi Connect which can actually prevent structural timber beams from spliting.

https://timberfixings.com/screws/wo...screws/heco-topix-screws-2/heco-topix-screws/

 

[Jones]

I've seen 10 mm threaded bar used as dowels, stronger than wood and dead easy if you drill right through and drive in from the outside.

 

[KT -andy]

 

[SamG340]

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I'd be chuffed if they turned out looking as good as that !

 

[KT -andy]

They were easy enough to make , just take your time , To be fair I'm mildly surprised they're still all good . Maybe that's just me .

 

[Marischal Ellis]

Dont use beech dowels externally as they will fail if they get wet through the wood movement.

 

[SamG340]

Dont use beech dowels externally as they will fail if they get wet through the wood movement.

Thanks never knew that, think I'm going to drive big coach bolts through the sides

 

[Jonm]

but it's only a garage door it doesn't need to be anything special

Over 30 years ago I built a double garage with two pairs of timber doors, each opening was about seven feet so the doors were just over 3ft wide each. The front gate was solid timber, pair of doors, opening width 11ft, height 7ft.

So all the doors were similar in that they were timber frame with T&G infill. Where the doors met (Including the front gates) it was an overlap with tightish gaps. Garage doors were purchased from Magnet and painted. Front gate was made by a local company and treated with sadolin.

Front gate was fantastic, never warped, opened and closed all weathers,.

Garage doors, totally different, jammed in winter, frame joints opened up, basic problem was T&G boards being put in too tight with no space for movement. I did bits of repairs, cutting bits off the T&G, planing the rebate between the doors, but it was a real pain. They needed replacement which the new owner did.

The front gates are still there.

So I built a fantastic garage/workshop, brick with pitched and tiled roof, 26ft by 18ft, inspection pit, only thing wrong was the doors. Went for wood doors as the property was listed and it was in keeping.

Whatever you decide if they start moving and warping it will be a real PITA.

The only advice I can give is that any T&G infill needs gaps and space to swell. Personally I would not gum up the slots with paint but use sadolin or similar, applied before assembly and screwed in place with s/s screws so they can be removed, if necessary for treatment.

 

[recipio]

Thanks never knew that, think I'm going to drive big coach bolts through the sides

Please don't. Screws just don't have the strength in end grain. I tried this approach once with horizontal fence posts that rotted on each end. I thought I would replace the ends with some Iroko , just drill some holes for long dowels and bang them in. In practice it was impossible to get the joints to close up and they all twisted out of line. It might be possible with some fancy drill jig but in the end it was easier to make floating tenon joints.

 

[SamG340]

The only advice I can give is that any T&G infill needs gaps and space to swell. Personally I would not gum up the slots with paint but use sadolin or similar, applied before assembly and screwed in place with s/s screws so they can be removed, if necessary for treatment.

My parents used sadolin a lot internally on woodwork I like the way it looks, didn't know it was for external too I'll give that a go Ty

 

[Togalosh]

I made my 1 & only Ledged & Braced gate from reading this book & I was very happy with how it went.

https://lostartpress.com/products/doormaking-and-window-making
It is old fashioned, no nonsense, time served experience. Maybe it's not the easiest read because it is straight from a bygone era but it will show you exactly how to make your doors with minimum tools & materials... & what not to do which is just as important.

I have recently repaired some big, heavy workshop doors made in the same way as described in that book (no joinery, just planks & bent over nails) which must be over 100yrs old & they have sagged very little.

The mistake I made with my door/gate was to buy my wood from Wickes or similar which was stacked outside & not dry enough. It had to be hung immediately but then the sun came out for a week & it cupped.

Hth