Small Workshop Problem

[Kev]

Hi all,

Haven't posted for a while. Went to Oz for a month over Christmas and have basically been playing catch up with my life ever since getting back two week ago. Good time had by all though.

I am sure you are all beavering away on your competition pieces but need some help. Basically I am planning to replace the patio doors on the back of my house this summer and plan to make the doors and frame etc my self. This will consist of six doors with windows above the doors. The two end doors will be fixed with the middle four opening outward and folding back (in two pairs of course). However this is not the problem - the width of the opening and therefore the frame is approx. 3.6 m. My workshop, whilst not small, is in the basement of my house and I cannot cope with these lengths in terms of cutting and planing the hardwood I need for the frame and doors. The height of the frame at 2.5m is just about do-able.

I can only see two options, The first is to drag my PT etc outside and do it in the garden which as you can appreciate is not my favourite option given the hassle I went through to get them down in the cellar in the first place. The second option is to somehow cut and join the long sections and join them back together once complete. This causes aesthetic issues as will be using hardwood and plan to have a clear finish on the doors and frame.

Has anyone got any ideas as to how I can achieve this whilst causing minimal impact to the overall visual qualities of the piece. I ahve a drawing if anyone wants ot see it (turbocad) but would have to be to an email address as still have not got my head around how to post pictures on to this site. One Day! :-({|=

Any ideas or help would be great.

 

[wizer]

Personally, for something that you will have to look at every day and for something so large, I'd go through the hassle of getting the P/T outside.

 

[OLD]

Do you have a timber yard who could dimension and plane the long stuff for you then you could take it from there.

 

[gidon]

I agree with OLD - you could also try someone like British Hardwoods who will deliver the timber PAR. They get some good reports here although I've never used them.
You'll pay extra but may be worth it for the time and hassle you'll save. Also I don't know what p/t you have but it's pretty tricky planing long heavy lengths of timber on p/t's with 1m bed's (speaking from recent experience!)
Cheers
Gidon

 

[matt]

Catford Timber (in Catford (suprise surprise)) also mill timber. Always spot on and very very helpful. I've been using them for years.

 

[ikd]

Depending on which side of London you are, you might want a trip out to SouthWoodham Ferrers (south Essex). Welsted Timber will mill up to the size you want and they are the cheapest locally to me that I have found. Give me a shout if you want details.

 

[Kev]

Thanks all. Just goes to show how useful this forum is. I hadn't even given getting someone to mill it a second thought. Seems the most sensible way forward for the parts that are too long for the workshop. Have used Catford timber before as relatively close to me so will give them a call.