Replies

1. 
   Upraiser | Sep 25, 2002 04:17pm | #1

   A number of companies including Grizzley have shaper cutters for passage doors. 

   I have used floating tennons on doors and case work for large file cabinet and china cabinet. I built all the parts, ran them through the shaper and then routed out the mortises.  If you use the shaper to make all the parts, the tennon is automatically defined.  You will need to make a jig to route out the two mortises.   Fine woodworking had a good article on it a few issues ago.

   The biggest problem I had was being able to make the tennon deep enough and holding the material.  I used an old Shop Smith and a long carbide bit with the material held flat in a sliding table.   I used it on oak and it worked well.  I built a door out of pine and another with douglas fir and it had some tear out problems. with the mortise a bit rough.

   The next time I will try the jig set up in Fine Woodworking.

   Good Luck

   Curt

2. 
   Danford_C_ | Sep 25, 2002 05:48pm | #2

   CHIPTAM,

   Personally, I wouldn't use "floating" tenons for an exterior door.  You'd be much better off going with full stub tenons.  CMT offers an exterior door rail/stile bit set, #891.501.11A (cope/stick profile) where full stub tenons can be used.

   Dano

   "Form and Function are One" - Frank L. Wright
3. 
   silver77 | Sep 26, 2002 07:07am | #3

   CHIPTAM,

   I made a pair of  4' x 8'x 2-1/4" oak doors using loose tenon construction and I was thrilled with the results. I recommend plastic resin glue-waterproof and long open time.

   If you have a long 1/2" straight router bit you're in business. I used "Doormaking" by John Bichard as a reference. No problem. Both sides oF your joint, that is rail and stile, use the same setup. Inclination, motivation, style. I like easy and effective.

   Loose tenons are made from same material as your door. Doesn't get any better in MHO.

   silver

4. 
   chairmake1 | Sep 26, 2002 08:22am | #4

   I made the six doors for my shop out of white oak - frame and panel

   with loose tenon joinery. My rails 5", 6", and 8" wide from top to bottom and the stiles were 5" wide. I made up tenon stock 1/2"t x 3"w

   and made a fixture to rout out the mortises. I have several profile bits in the router cabinet and used a combo of a 3/8"r roundover and a 1/4" corebox bits to run the sticking on all of the parts and then cut the corners at a 45 degree to match up for the cope profile. I ran a 3/8"w x 1/2"d slot/dado for the panels in the lower half of the doors and for the stain glass panels for the upper light sections.

   Two pairs of doors were 36"w x 80"t and the two rear doors are 4'w x

   80"t and I made up the jambs from some 4/4 oak stock I had in stock.

   I use a two part epoxie and everything has worked out fine.

   My only suggestion to you is to go the loose tenon route and make them as wide and as long as you possibly can. Take your time and you will have a lot of fun.

   Robert

5. 
   ChipTam | Sep 26, 2002 02:01pm | #5

   Many thanks for all of the excellent feedback on my question.  Curt, do you have the exact citation for that article in FWW?  I couldn't find it but admit I only did a quick check of back issues.  I agree that doing the deep mortises with precision will be the trick. Dano, I checked the CMT catalog and the maximum stock thickness for the bit which you recommended appears to be only 7/8".  Silver, thanks for mentioning the Bichard book.  I'll check it out.  Bert and others have used oak for their doors.  Since mine will be painted I'm looking around for some reasonably priced 2" pine.  My local lumber yard carries it but at a premium price. 

1. 
   LarryPile | Sep 27, 2002 04:49am | #6

   IMHO I'd use hardwood for exterior doors..the more stable the better....

   lp

2. 
   LeeEschen | Sep 27, 2002 07:51am | #7

   I would suggest Doug fir - harder and more durable and stable than pine for exterior use and still reasonably priced, especially here in the Pacific Northwest. Since you'll be painting them anyway, I'd find some 2x6 #2 or better planks and select them carefully for straight and dry. Are you using ply for the panels or gluing up solids?

3. 
   chairmake1 | Oct 15, 2002 12:29am | #8

   Hello-

   I would suggest red or white oak for doors - but - my second choice

   would be quatersawn douglas fir. Just my opinion.

   Robert

1. 
   fdampier5 | Oct 15, 2002 05:57am | #9

   This is the wacko

     (frenchy) 

         I'm gonna make my own entryway doors out of 4"x6" black walnut that I bought cheap.  I know they will be heavy but I bought 6 real heavy duty ball bearing hinges and plan on using a single rod to temporary replace the pins to align all of the hinges. 

        The glass is planned on being 1/2 inch thick  I know that's kinda overkill  (but totally in keeping with the rest of the house)

1. 
   Boxduh | Oct 16, 2002 03:18am | #10

   My choice of woods for exterior doors is this: VG old growth doug fir if softwood is preferred, and pattern grade honduras mahogany if it is going to be hardwood.  And I would never, never recommend a wood door in an exterior application unless it was way back under a sufficient overhang.

1. 
   JPGrout | Oct 16, 2002 05:08am | #11

   I am glad you don't work with us Gene I would be out of a job :-) Joe

2. 
   bill_1010 | Oct 17, 2002 03:16am | #12

   you know frency, you always tell us about your cheap walnut.  You keep doing that and someone will figure out where you live and get it really cheap just to spite you ;-)

1. 
   fdampier5 | Oct 18, 2002 08:19am | #13

   Actually  I think someone has!  up untill this spring I could buy black walnut cheaper then I could buy sheetrock.  this spring a buyer contacted my source and is buying up full logs for as high as 7 dollars a bd.ft.

    word is out and now farmers are selling stumpage ( that's the tree growing in their woodlot) for well over 80 cents a bd.ft.

     By the time you pay for sawing, transporting, and milling it's pretty hard to get it for anything less than a$1.50 a bd.ft.   In fact last month I needed two veneer grade logs of over 19 feet and wound up paying $1.80 a bd.ft.

2. 
   ChipTam | Oct 18, 2002 01:34pm | #14

   Around here (Michigan), walnut is something of a bargain right now.  Not sure why and I can't say it's $1.80 a board foot.  That would be giving it away.  But it's a good deal cheaper than cherry or mahogany at my local hardwood supplier and that wasn't the case 10 years ago.  That said, I don't think I'll be using it for doors which will be painted.  What do you folks think about cypress?  Cypress wasn't easilly available here until a few years ago.  I don't have any experience with it but the price isn't too bad.  I know it's very soft and light and decay resistant.  How does it machine?  Would you use it for an exterior door?