Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 03, 1999 08:09pm | #1

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   Commercial doors are manufactured in heated presses. My best advise about making diy hollow core doors is don't. Why do you want to do this?

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   Guest_ | Dec 04, 1999 05:05am | #2

   *I'm with Mike on this one. I can buy hollow core red oak slab doors in 6'8" up to 8' lenghts in various widths for a heck of a lot cheaper than I can build them.If you just want to build your own doors.....I can understand that. But you can build a lot nicer door than a slab door if you're going to pay for the material and labor yourself. How about buying birch slab doors and then adding your own veneer?Just a thought,Ed. Williams

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   Guest_ | Dec 04, 1999 09:56am | #3

   *I have built hollow core doors only because I had too. They are in my shop.. They measure 42X84. I used clear 2 X 4 fir for the frames. I also inserted foam sheets as fillers. Then skined them with 1/4 in birch plywood. I planed the fir down so the finished doors were 1 1/2 in thick. You need a table that is very flat so your doors are straight. I would not recommend you build your own doors unless they are for a high end customer. That is another story...... L. Siders

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   Guest_ | Dec 04, 1999 04:23pm | #4

   *I will have to side with the dont do it crowd on this one. Hollow core doors are desireable because they are cheap. They are cheap because they are spit out by specialized machines in factories. You could buy a stock luan door and veneer it yourself. or have it made.Rick Tuk

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   Guest_ | Dec 05, 1999 08:01pm | #5

   *I forgot to mention one detail, the application is double doors. I am trying to match what already exists in an office setting. The doors are closet doors. My experience with double doors is that if the doors are not perfectly straight it shows up when the're hung and is almost impossible to disguise. The existing doors in this office are perfectly straight, I thought perhaps the person who installed them before might have built them himself to avoid the problems I have mentioned. Thank-you for your response; any further comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated.

2. 
   Guest_ | Dec 05, 1999 08:12pm | #6

   *I forgot to mention one detail, the application is double doors. I am trying to match what already exists in an office setting. The doors are closet doors. My experience with double doors is that if the doors are not perfectly straight it shows up when the're hung and is almost impossible to disguise. The existing doors in this office are perfectly straight, I thought perhaps the person who installed them before might have built them himself to avoid the problems I have mentioned. Thank-you for your response; any further comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated.

3. 
   Guest_ | Dec 05, 1999 09:47pm | #7

   *Gary,If you have existing doors that work well, then I would suggest that you have them veneered with oak and re-use the existing doors.In Dallas there is a place called The Wood Gallery that does custom veneer lay-ups. Laying up wood veneer is not easy by hand. It takes special hide glue, special tools and lots of experience. Veneer companies have the big presses to do it right and they gaurentee their work. Steve Lee, who owns the place, recenly had to replace two crotch mahogany panels that they made for us when they opened up. No charge. Of course he laid up all the crotch panels for the entire library, so he made a few quid on the job. But he stands behind his work and it's the only time I ever had any of his work fail. Crotch mahogany is very difficult to lay up. They do recieve and ship all over the country. If you don't have anyone in your area who can do this, you might give them a call. Even with shipping it might be cheaper and better than building them yourself. Just a suggestion,Ed. Williams