# How to make french doors?



## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

When the eyes are back to normal, what ever that is, I am going to put French doors between the shop and the rest of the basement.living area. I know you are wondering why, well someday the house will be sold and I would like the basement to be able to be turned into a living area. 

I would like to make the doors at least 6' maybe more. It is my intent to Google for plans or the like, but I am sure someone here has made them before and might have a few suggestions around the many pitfalls. I feel I have the tools now to make this from rough cut lumber, so I will be looking forward to any assistance in suggestions I might get. Thank you in advance.

It will be a while before I get to this but thought to look now and put together a plan.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Jerry

You don't need plans to make a pair of French doors, they are just big cabinet doors ,,,with more glass than wood.. 


I'm sure you have the tools to do it right now you just need a router bit set like the one below..

I can't find the link to the router bit set so I will take a snapshot of the one I have...and post it.. I got it off eBay for 40.oo bucks..

as you can see by the links below they are not cheap, but if can get them off eBay for the right price, it's a one time thing and the bits (snapshots will do the trick just fine)
I would also suggest you take a peek at the video below now that you have the time, Marc will show you how to make a glass panel doors, it's just the same thing for French doors ...they are just 1 3/8" to 1 1/2" thick the norm..
http://www.sommerfeldtools.com/prodinfo.asp?number=DVD2

http://cgi.ebay.com/Entry-Door-Rout...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50


I will be back with it in a bit 

Freud 99-267 1-3/4" and 1-3/8" Entry & Interior Door Router Bit System 1/2" Shank 
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-2-pc-En...f=sr_1_85?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1235413280&sr=1-85
http://www.amazon.com/Freud-99-267-...f=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1235413177&sr=1-34


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xplorx4 said:


> When the eyes are back to normal, what ever that is, I am going to put French doors between the shop and the rest of the basement.living area. I know you are wondering why, well someday the house will be sold and I would like the basement to be able to be turned into a living area.
> 
> I would like to make the doors at least 6' maybe more. It is my intent to Google for plans or the like, but I am sure someone here has made them before and might have a few suggestions around the many pitfalls. I feel I have the tools now to make this from rough cut lumber, so I will be looking forward to any assistance in suggestions I might get. Thank you in advance.
> 
> It will be a while before I get to this but thought to look now and put together a plan.


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## Charles M (Apr 10, 2006)

These make true divided lite doors with mortise and tenon joinery and include instructions:

http://www.freudtools.com/p-418-french-door-bit-set.aspx


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## derek willis (Jan 21, 2009)

There is an easy cheats way to making doors, the outer frame needs to be plain square edged ex. three or four by two timber, m and t jointed, the glazing bars are ex 2 by 1 square edged, m and t jointed to the outer frame, and half jointed over one another in the centre, when the whole is glued up and dry, take an ogee or similar moulding bit and mould all the edges,(except the outer of course), then on the other side, using a bearing guided rebate bit, cut all the glazing rebates, you will have to use a corner chisel to cut out the corners, or use a chisel of course. If you require your doors to be rebated together you can do that last with a rebating bit or large straight bit freehand with a fence.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

derek willis said:


> There is an easy cheats way to making doors, the outer frame needs to be plain square edged ex. three or four by two timber, m and t jointed, the glazing bars are ex 2 by 1 square edged, m and t jointed to the outer frame, and half jointed over one another in the centre, when the whole is glued up and dry, take an ogee or similar moulding bit and mould all the edges,(except the outer of course), then on the other side, using a bearing guided rebate bit, cut all the glazing rebates, you will have to use a corner chisel to cut out the corners, or use a chisel of course. If you require your doors to be rebated together you can do that last with a rebating bit or large straight bit freehand with a fence.


Thank you Derek., I will file that away for future reference, like when I gel done playing with the mud and paint.


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