Replies

1. 
   lostarrow | May 28, 2003 01:28am | #1

   B.W.-

   I was faced with the same problem as you when I wanted to make a new door for the vestibule of my house. Except I wanted to make mine out of curly white oak, and I didn't have enough stock to make solid rails and stiles. Here's how I stretched my material. I stack laminated pine 1 x2's to make the core of the stiles and rails. For the two outer laminations of the "stack" I used oak of sufficent thinkness to accomodate whatever milling I was going to do on the edges, e.g. moulding for the panels on the inner edge of the r & s and mortising for the hinges on the hinge edge of the stile. When I had the stack glued up I planed it to a thickness to accomodate the veneer faces.  In my case , I resawed what stock I had into 1/4" thickness and glued that on to the laminations that I had made. Then I milled the m &t joints just as if it were a solid core door.The only glue line that could show is on the outside edge of the door when the door is opened. I've made three doors in this manner and they have proved to be very stable doors.

    I don't think there are any hard and fast rules in designing a door. I make a drawing and tweak it until it looks good to me. After all, that's whom I'm trying to please,so I go for it.

   Be not afraid of going slowly.  Be afraid only of standing still.   chinese proverb
2. 
   robkress | May 28, 2003 01:48am | #2

   I am in the same situation of needing to make some interior doors.  From everything that I have come accross, you will acutally be much better off laminating up your stock as aposed to milling from solid.  With solid stock, you have a much higher chance of wood movement (meaning twist) and this would be catastrophic to a door of any size. 

   Size of rails and style is definitely a matter of taste.  My styles will be 4-3/8 fir a single and 2-3/16 for a bifold (which is kind of what you are making).  Mid rail 4-3/8 bottom rail 9-1/8.

   To manage the glue joint along the open edge, I am inlaying a piece of 1/2" wide cherry (the door stock is beech).  Kind of dresses up the door a bit too.

   Rob Kress

3. 
   Steinmetz | May 28, 2003 09:59am | #3

   B W, A 32" opening is quite narrow for conversion to double doors.Since you'll have to provide 3/8th " clearance to allow for paint, each 'leaf'will have to be 15-13/16"wide.

   If you have the doors hinged to both sides of the 'jamb'and meeting at the center, you run into a problem as to how to lock and unlock the doors?? 

   If you make the doors 'bifold', (one door hinged to jamb, and the second hinged to the first)  you'll have to utilize a 'surface bolt'at the center to keep the pair ridgid when l;ock is engaged.

   Will this arangement allow you room to 'siddle' through the opening?

   How about one 31-3/4" door out swinging?   Do you have a storm door?

   Also when bifold doors fold, the doorknob abuts the opposite door and provides even less 'egress' ( not to mention removal of appliances)

   As far as the stile's thickness' go', don't forget the lock rail has to be deep enough to accomodate the 'lockset' (Minimum 4" but 'narrow backset' lever handled locks are available.

   In any event, the center stiles should each be half the width of the side rails.

   Note: Since the door/doors  are/is quite narrow, you might consider placing the bottom panel lower to project a slim rather than a 'bulky' look.  Good luck,   S teinmetz