Handmade Doors
I decided to buy these craigslist doors and I worry that they are not quite right for the house. They are just made out of 2 x 6’s which would normally have a tendency to warp but these seem to still be reasonably straight and they are not new. The planks are chamfered and glued edge to edge with plinths. The cross pieces have rounded edges and are bolted and glued to the planks on both sides.
I bought all nine doors the couple was selling. They thought they would use them in their house and even hung one of the doors for awhile, but they told me the design was too cabin/country for their house.
I could replace the majority of the existing hollow core doors in the house with these heavy, homemade doors. I would have to trim most of them to fit though. The two I have in the master bedroom doorway would have to be trimmed to be the same height, and I was envisioning about 24″ doors to make a 48″ opening but these two doors are 29″. So one whole plank would be trimmed off each door or I would have to figure out if a wider opening will work.
The first thing I did after getting my visiting brother and his friend to help carry them into the garage and a pair into the house, was order new bolts for them. These hex bolts and nuts are not very attractive and create a front (bolt head) and rear (nut) side, but the bolts and nuts used in put-together furniture are more attractive and have the same head on each side.
Hafele Bolts
These are rather pricey in sets of 4, they cost $5.99 at woodworking outlets. I found a supplier who sells in bulk at Home Decor Hardware. The free shipping threshold is $200 so I had to pay $12.00 for shipping but each set of bolt and nut was only 33 cents.
I measured the shank of the bolt from the door and it was 3 1/2″ so in millimeters, I bought 80 mm or 3.15 inch bolts plus the nuts that have 10 mm of thread or .39 inches to connect and tighten in the hole.
These cabin type doors will certainly give the house a rustic look. I just hope the homemade doors are not too heavy for existing frames and once hung operate smoothly. I’m thinking they can be cut to fit using table saw without too much trouble. Of course I need to get my hands on a table saw. I’m hoping I can improve the look of them with an antiquing stain finish.