Replies

1. 
   migraine | Jun 01, 2005 03:56am | #1

    

   Sounds like your in B.C., so these might help

   If you need quite alot try going to a local mill or a wholesale company(they sell to factories and cabinet shops) Washington Alder Company has soft maple. Also try Specialty Forest products in Auburn/Kent Washington 1-800-228-1263.

   You can buy interior knotty alder doors from my local lumber yard for around $200 per door and they are not know for being the lowest priced.

   Here is the manufacture's website.  Maybe they can give you a list of distributers

   http://www.woodgrain.com

2. 
   platelunch | Jun 01, 2005 06:34pm | #2

   Here are some local (Vancouver) hardwood suppliers:

   PJ White Hardwoods, 604-327-0241
   Upper Canada Forest Products, 604-522-3334
   Hardwoods Specialty Products, 604-856-1111

   We have a small millwork shop that makes doors & windows, & would be happy to give you another price on your doors.

   Peter Fenger Builders
   604-263-2510

3. 
   acornw | Jun 01, 2005 07:18pm | #3

   We build interior doors nearly every day.  Have 28 Poplar two panel 8' doors now in process.

   Making you own Maple doors is within the serious (and well- equipped) non-professional's grasp.  You will need a 8" x 7' jointer for flattening and squaring all the parts.  A 1/16" bow in a stile can be managed, but anything more can cause problems.  Buy the best lumber you can, in the rough, and as you work up parts, let them acclimate to their new role in the world. I'm a firm believer in mortise and tenon.  You can either mill the sticking (profiling on rails and stiles) on the parts or add it after assembly. If milled integral, then you will have to cope with coping the tenon shoulders.  Tedious, but the best way. Flat or raised panels can be  stopped in with loose molding, or assembled into the complete door with integral sticking.  Do not forget to float the panels, and keep glue away from the corners where squeezeout can invisibly seize the panel.  During assembly, insure that your bench and work surface are completely flat by using sticks and crossed strings on the diagonals.  A flat assembled door will likely stay flat.  Make jigs for hinging, and you've got it. 

   There is much more to the job than the above, but it will have to do until I get my book completed and published.

   You can always buy cheaper doors, but then, when all is said and done, you have cheap doors.  Alder is not a good door wood, but is very popular now through an intensive marketing effort financed by big lumber. In fact, Alder is the cheapest thing that can be called lumber - its major redeeming quality is price.  All my opinion, of course.

   Dave S

   http://www.acornwoodworks.com

1. 
   jackplane | Jun 02, 2005 04:33pm | #4

   Dave,

    I always thought alder looked good as a cabinet-grade wood, but have never worked with it. So I was curious as to why you don't like it, at least for doors?

   Thanks,    jp 

1. 
   acornw | Jun 02, 2005 05:02pm | #5

   I reread my post and it does sound as if I could raise the wrath of the Alder anti-defamation association.  I think it is fine for some use in interior furniture. It is too soft for many uses - table tops, edges, etc.

   For exterior doors, it has the opposite of rot resistance, and moves quite a bit compared to any other decent exterior wood.  This really affects the warranty liability as well as the longevity of the door, as well as perceived quality.  If a homeowner wants, wants, wants Alder, then gets it despite my low key resistance, then the door swells and or warps, the discussion about "inappropriate wood" is forgotten and the warranty comes in to play.

   If something as cheap as Alder comes into the market, it forces out more appropriate woods by both fashion and price ( the Wal-marting of American goods), making it more difficult for both the consumer and maker to again get above such a low baseline.

   I try to think and build for the long term.  The fact that Alder doors show a low likelihood of longevity vs other species makes me think it is a waste of time and resources. I don't think doors are a part of a throwaway society.

   Dave S

2. 
   forestgirl | Jun 03, 2005 01:15am | #7

   Yep, alder is soft and dents easily.  I like it for making wall-hung displays and such.  It's big advantage is how it can be stained to look like other woods, walnut, cherry, etc.  Biggest problem I've had lately is finding consistent quality in alder.  Alot of it seems to have small checks in it, not very flat boards, etc.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the  "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>) 

4. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 02, 2005 07:11pm | #6

   $1000 CAN..

   Is that each door or ALL?

   I would think you could not make a door for what you can get built..

   However that excludes CUSTOM sizes...

1. 
   myhomereno | Jun 03, 2005 07:48am | #8

   Nope, $1000 CAN each door. I need 5 upstairs plus a bunch downstairs.
   Nothing fancy, just a 2 panel door and a door jamb (basically 3 boards joined together).
   Does seem pricey to me.
   And Alder for a doorpanel is a no no to me. Far to soft in my opinion.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 03, 2005 11:34pm | #9

   Geee.. 1000.00 EACH DOOR!  WOW...

   Lets see. I could get ALOT of exotic wood for 5 grand!...

   Is there something special about those doors? They may be worth it but to me would have to be VERY special... Does it include installation? Even if Norm came and installed them seems a bit pricey...

   Fancy Locks and hardware maybe?

   Edited 6/3/2005 4:36 pm ET by Will George

1. 
   myhomereno | Jun 04, 2005 03:18am | #10

   Nothing special about them, no installation or extra ordinary hardware.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 04, 2005 03:36am | #11

   DANG ya ben RIPPED OFF in my USA Talk!

   Hay I love Canada!  I got fishing there!

    

   GOT?? Go ..

   Edited 6/3/2005 8:37 pm ET by Will George