What wood for wide planked ledged cottage doors

[countrybumpkin]

Hey
Some advice please
Just measuring up to make some traditional cottage doors for our cottage. Really want to make them 3-4 planks wide.
so, what Softwood would you friendly folk recommend from the timber yard? What would have traditionally been used?
Many thanks

 

[Spectric]

I assume they are internal doors, and will be like this

For a traditional cottage I would want to use Oak and not pine, I think it looks and smells better. To get the wide plank look you may need to join a few smaller ones.

 

[countrybumpkin]

I assume they are internal doors, and will be like this View attachment 128470

For a traditional cottage I would want to use Oak and not pine, I think it looks and smells better. To get the wide plank look you may need to join a few smaller ones.

Hi thanks for the reply
Yes internal doors, we (she) prefers them to be a softwood. But not a bright yellow pine and they won’t be finished super smooth and crisp. I intend to put a bead and reed profile on the planks.
like that, ‘pine’ wood yards sells that in many forms. What would you recommend?
Cheers

 

[Spectric]

I recently made up some wall paneling for a bathroom, each length gave 5 & 1/4 inch coverage in Sapelle and that had the bead and butt profile. That was done with Wealdon cutters Butt Bead
to give this profile

The trouble I have had with pine boards has been cupping, you need to source decent dried timber and leave it indoors for a few weeks before working on it, reduces potential issues. Also if joining together to make wider boards reverse the grain on each one so the grain follows through like a continous horizontal S.

 

[Jones]

You should be able to get redwoods or larch in 8" width quite easily which would machine to give you 4 or 5 planks per door depending on the door width. Choose your wood carefully to get planks which are close to quarter sawn and acclimatize to reduce cupping risk

 

[johnnyb]

use quebec yellow pine. it's dry and stable. machine it yourself. oak is OK but the old doors were usually pine. as suggested cupping can be a pest

 

[RichardG]

As everyone has said you must source some decent wood, don't buy any pre-cut tongue and groove redwood, I had horrible problems when I made some during lockdown and wood choice was limited.

Straightening a ledge door

I would also suggest having a look through some reclamation yards, you may be able to pick up some original Victorian pine doors, much better than you can buy today. I have also purchased newly made doors made from reclaimed timber and they matched in with the existing door colour almost perfectly and have stayed flat. Again reclamation yard.

 

[TRITON]

I think it looks and smells better.

Are you a confirmed door smeller then ?

'Hey Honey!, theres some bloke sniffing our door'

 

[Spectric]

You cannot beat the smell of good timber, something MDF just cannot manage, but saying that would there be a market for wood smells, ie perfume for wood so you could make fake wood at least smell of proper wood.

 

[TRITON]

You should try Bubinga. Smells of rotten poo.

 

[countrybumpkin]

I recently made up some wall paneling for a bathroom, each length gave 5 & 1/4 inch coverage in Sapelle and that had the bead and butt profile. That was done with Wealdon cutters Butt Bead
to give this profile

View attachment 128471


The trouble I have had with pine boards has been cupping, you need to source decent dried timber and leave it indoors for a few weeks before working on it, reduces potential issues. Also if joining together to make wider boards reverse the grain on each one so the grain follows through like a continous horizontal S.

That’s great thank you for all of that info.

 

[countrybumpkin]

You should be able to get redwoods or larch in 8" width quite easily which would machine to give you 4 or 5 planks per door depending on the door width. Choose your wood carefully to get planks which are close to quarter sawn and acclimatize to reduce cupping risk

Thank you

 

[countrybumpkin]

use quebec yellow pine. it's dry and stable. machine it yourself. oak is OK but the old doors were usually pine. as suggested cupping can be a pest

Thanks, I’ll take a look into that.

 

[countrybumpkin]

As everyone has said you must source some decent wood, don't buy any pre-cut tongue and groove redwood, I had horrible problems when I made some during lockdown and wood choice was limited.

Straightening a ledge door

I would also suggest having a look through some reclamation yards, you may be able to pick up some original Victorian pine doors, much better than you can buy today. I have also purchased newly made doors made from reclaimed timber and they matched in with the existing door colour almost perfectly and have stayed flat. Again reclamation yard.

Thanks, that is an option. We are heading to a couple of reclamation yards next week.

 

[countrybumpkin]

You cannot beat the smell of good timber, something MDF just cannot manage, but saying that would there be a market for wood smells, ie perfume for wood so you could make fake wood at least smell of proper wood.

I recently fitted a big beam of greenheart over a fireplace and had to cut it about a bit. The smell was like smokey bacon crisps.

 

[thetyreman]

try and get quartersawn stock whatever wood species you use, I like the look of quartersawn oak for ledge and brace doors.

 

[thetyreman]

douglas fir would be a good choice too

 

[niall Y]

Hey
Some advice please
Just measuring up to make some traditional cottage doors for our cottage. Really want to make them 3-4 planks wide.
so, what Softwood would you friendly folk recommend from the timber yard? What would have traditionally been used?
Many thanks

Hi,
I've almost always used redwood for these - the bog standard planed stock that you get from a builders yard, EX 7"X1". You can maximise the widths by using loose tongues. I sometimes glue these into each board,( bar the last one ) before I get around to assembling the door . They don't have to be ply or cross-grain - a thin strip of pine will do.
Just select stock without any bow or twist. When buying PAR there is always the possibility that some of it will develop faults later, so you will always have to order a little more than you need for the job.
Best of luck

 

[countrybumpkin]

Hi,
I've almost always used redwood for these - the bog standard planed stock that you get from a builders yard, EX 7"X1". You can maximise the widths by using loose tongues. I sometimes glue these into each board,( bar the last one ) before I get around to assembling the door . They don't have to be ply or cross-grain - a thin strip of pine will do.
Just select stock without any bow or twist. When buying PAR there is always the possibility that some of it will develop faults later, so you will always have to order a little more than you need for the job.
Best of luck

Thank you

 

[baldkev]

How about putting stress relief cuts hidden behind the ledges?