# The Doors



## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

Greetings to all good folk,

Hope this is the right place to ask a question on choice of wood for a project.

I'm thinking of making my own interior doors, 5 in total, out of solid wood. Just getting my thoughts together and doing my homework investigating before I jump in the deep end. Shaker style, 2 panel, very simple easy and clean looking. What wood species should I use ? I've been hearing eastern white pine is adequate. I don't like knotty anything. All our trim in the house is wood grain stained golden amber color, so I will not be painting the doors. Attached is a couple pictures of generally the idea. These go for like $400+ and I have to think I can build a less expensive model of my own, if for nothing else than the pride of doing so. Thanks in advance for help.
Steve


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Steve

I would suggest using Poplar, Pine is very soft and I'm not a big fan of Pine for doors..you will see dents in the door in very short time.

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pemdas86 said:


> Greetings to all good folk,
> 
> Hope this is the right place to ask a question on choice of wood for a project.
> 
> ...


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

Yes sir. Plus I have younger kids and everything is treated like an expendable toy... 
I had also noticed there's something about the optimal % of humidity in the wood, or something like that? Anything I should be aware of ? Other than just getting the most high quality wood that I can afford, it shouldn't matter too much right ? They are all going to change with temperature changes over the seasons. I live in New England/ MA. Not too extreme either way, but it has it's excessive hot and cold spells.
thank you


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi

I would suggest that you get your stock from a indoor lumber yard (not HD/Lowes) than stack the stock up in the shop for a week or so b/4 you mill it ,than after you do it put them in the house for a week or so b/4 you hang them..


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pemdas86 said:


> Yes sir. Plus I have younger kids and everything is treated like an expendable toy...
> I had also noticed there's something about the optimal % of humidity in the wood, or something like that? Anything I should be aware of ? Other than just getting the most high quality wood that I can afford, it shouldn't matter too much right ? They are all going to change with temperature changes over the seasons. I live in New England/ MA. Not too extreme either way, but it has it's excessive hot and cold spells.
> thank you


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Am I the only one to see the title of the thread and start humming 'Riders on the storm' ?

Cheers

Peter


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn...



(sorry, coundn't resist. One of my favourite lines.)


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Ash might be worth a look


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## tdublyou (Jan 8, 2010)

I actually thought of The Soft Parade.


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

I actually just got back from a few hours of trying to price this whole thing out. A reputable lumber co has eastern white pine high grade 2x 6 KD S4S at $5.28 /ft. I still need to investigage rough lumber, of course. but even at that, I somewhat priced it at just the wood being $125+ for the door only. I may just go 6 panel store bought for $125 and do the jamb and moldings myself. Dunno. Thank you all for your help, I'll let you know if I break on through to the other side, of a decision that is.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

istracpsboss said:


> Am I the only one to see the title of the thread and start humming 'Riders on the storm' ?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


Hi Peter:

Never heard that one. Translation please.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Steve,

Stay away from Pine for your doors. They're too soft. Poplar is a good choice. Also, with pine, you're going to be dealing with a lot of "sap", nasty stuff to get off your bits and saw blades.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

allthunbs said:


> Hi Peter:
> 
> Never heard that one. Translation please.



Hi Ron,

"Riders on the Storm" is a song from the group, "The Doors". Good song BTW, worth listening too.


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

Hamlin said:


> Steve,
> 
> Stay away from Pine for your doors. They're too soft. Poplar is a good choice. Also, with pine, you're going to be dealing with a lot of "sap", nasty stuff to get off your bits and saw blades.


Yes, point taken for the memory banks, thank you.
I do plan on staining the wood, and not painting, to match the rest of the trim.


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## Capt Splinter (Dec 30, 2008)

Hi Steve,
Don't want to crash your thread, but since you are asking about wood species for interior doors, just thought I'd throw out a question about an exterior door. I live in south Louisiana where the humidity levels are always high. We have two seasons here. Extremely hot, and cold. Makes us cherish the few moderate days we get in the fall and spring. For outdoor stuff down here, most people use cypress, cedar, or treated lumber. Southern pine, even when painted with exterior paint doesn't last for more than a summer or two. Does anyone have any other suggestions for a nice looking exterior door that I could stain? I realize, like Steve, that I could probably spend the same amount of money if I just bought a door. But I'd like the satisfaction of doing it myself.
George


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Capt Splinter said:


> Hi Steve,
> Don't want to crash your thread, but since you are asking about wood species for interior doors, just thought I'd throw out a question about an exterior door. I live in south Louisiana where the humidity levels are always high. We have two seasons here. Extremely hot, and cold. Makes us cherish the few moderate days we get in the fall and spring. For outdoor stuff down here, most people use cypress, cedar, or treated lumber. Southern pine, even when painted with exterior paint doesn't last for more than a summer or two. Does anyone have any other suggestions for a nice looking exterior door that I could stain? I realize, like Steve, that I could probably spend the same amount of money if I just bought a door. But I'd like the satisfaction of doing it myself.
> George


Hi George,

This may be of some help to you. 

Outdoor Woods Information from WoodWorkersSource.com


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hamlin said:


> Hi Ron,
> 
> "Riders on the Storm" is a song from the group, "The Doors". Good song BTW, worth listening too.


Radio Luxembourg, bench seats in the front, column shift, so nothing in the way. Memories !

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Thanks Peter for the Memories

I forgot how great that song was and is 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qRJIBtbc2c

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istracpsboss said:


> Radio Luxembourg, bench seats in the front, column shift, so nothing in the way. Memories !
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

We were all young once ! It just seems a long time ago !

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

Not for me, just like yesterday for me, but that's the best part about getting old and a little bit of all timers moving in I think, they say as you get older the old memories take over in 1st. place. :yes4:

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istracpsboss said:


> We were all young once ! It just seems a long time ago !
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi Steve,

In one of the episodes of "The New Yankee Workshop", Norm built a solid timber 
panel door.

If you could get the DVD, I am sure it will be of great help to you.

James


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi James

Norm is now online with many of his shows, many of them are reruns with some luck the door many be running, I will say that was a good one about the front door he made 

This is one your should bookmark, new ver.each week 
New Yankee Workshop - New Yankee Online - Featuring the Craftsmanship of Master Carpenter Norm Abram

http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct.php?0702

Cherry Bathroom Vanity - Program #705
Is now running on the OnLine, full ver.
It's good one about the router and how to use it,
and Norm the Biscuit King 
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jw2170 said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> In one of the episodes of "The New Yankee Workshop", Norm built a solid timber
> panel door.
> ...


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## Capt Splinter (Dec 30, 2008)

Ken,
Thanks for the information from woodworkerssource.com. Alot of high end homes down here have pretty cypress doors and furniture on thier patios. Now I know why.
George


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

bobj3 said:


> Hi James
> 
> Norm is now online with many of his shows, many of them are reruns with some luck the door many be running, I will say that was a good one about the front door he made
> 
> ...


Thanks, BJ.

Norm was one of my favourite cable shows here in Sydney.

The "How To' Channel seemed to have dropped it about 3 months ago.

The good thing is, they now sell and post to Australia.

James


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

jw2170 said:


> Hi Steve,
> 
> In one of the episodes of "The New Yankee Workshop", Norm built a solid timber
> panel door.
> ...


Hi James, yes, I do remember that episode well, and I had thought of finding that one for reference. I figure an interior door is probably easier than an exteiror door, if nothing else in weight alone, with plenty of room for slight errors to creep in without compromising the weatherproofing of the house.  




bobj3 said:


> Cherry Bathroom Vanity - Program #705
> Is now running on the OnLine, full ver.
> It's good one about the router and how to use it,
> and Norm the Biscuit King
> =======




Norm "the biscuit king" was always an inspiration.  I actually met him at a book signing in Shrewsbury around 1990-91. Cool guy.

I'm still trying to get my head together on this whole thing, I'm afraid it would be cheeper for me to buy a door off the shelf somewhere. I don't know yet, I'm going to investigate further and see what I can come up with. I hate to say it, but money is a big factor for me right now. I'd love to spend endless time and cash on producing my own door, but I don't know if I can commit.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I was puzzled by Norm doing a book signing in Shrewsbury until it occurred to me that, knowing only the original one in the UK, actually where my parents first met, that there might be another in Massachusetts ?

Cheers

Peter


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

istracpsboss said:


> I was puzzled by Norm doing a book signing in Shrewsbury until it occurred to me that, knowing only the original one in the UK, actually where my parents first met, that there might be another in Massachusetts ?
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter


Sure, just keep going East on Rt. 9 from here and you'll end up in the one in GB eventually. :laugh:
Cheers
Steve


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

It is quite amazing to know of just how many places have the same name(s) just, locations throughout the world.


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Capt Splinter said:


> Ken,
> Thanks for the information from woodworkerssource.com. Alot of high end homes down here have pretty cypress doors and furniture on thier patios. Now I know why.
> George


Hi George,

Your welcome for my small part.


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hamlin said:


> It is quite amazing to know of just how many places have the same name(s) just, locations throughout the world.


I think there are quite a lot in Massachusetts. People who emigrated from places like Middlesex, which came up over the weekend after the terrible power station explosion, named their new towns after the places they came from. The original Middlesex, incidentally, was named for the Middle Saxons, just as Essex were the East Saxons, and Sussex the South Saxons, themselves immigrants into the UK from Germany.

I actually Googled Middlesex, to see where the US one was and was intrigued to note that a dog licence there is not enough on its own, as apparently you also need a residential kennel licence. Is this common?

Cheers

Peter


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Hi Peter,

I really can't answer for the whole U.S. but, here in KS, not sure that a dog license is needed at all. At least not here in the country, now, the cities... I'm not sure about that either. It does seem a little silly don't it? Just another excuse for the gov't. to more $$$ outta our pockets. :'(


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## pemdas86 (Nov 21, 2008)

the local ordinance around these parts is that you need a kennel license if you have more than a certain number of dogs, it may be 5 or more, depends on the town.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Where I used to live in Eastern Ontario, the little lady who was the animal control officer just wanted to know if she needed a tranquilizer gun in the event of an emergency. Where I live now, you just have to prove the dog's been vaccinated.


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