Building internal doors.

[luke1984]

Just after some advice. Going to be making some glazed internal  doors very soon. Thing of using my d500 for the joinery what are your opinions.  Luke

 

[Holmz]

I used 3/4 or 1" oak dowels, but you can swing on the doors like a 5-year old.

You could domino them, and screw them, and hide the screw with a plug.

 

[jamste]

For internal doors, your best option would be the Domino DF700. The problem with the DF500, is not the width of domino, but rather the length. For doors, you need to have the tenons as long as possible. Use the domino to produce the mortice, and make your own dominos so they can be wider than standard. With what I'm suggesting, this is a very durable door - especially with it only being an internal door. Another option which I like is dowels but you need pretty fancy tools and jigs to get the accuracy and repetition.

With internal doors, you have more option for joinery as its not exposed to weather like an external door. If it were external, you would want to use through mortice and tenon.

I assume these are walk through doors? If it is cabinet doors then the DF500 is perfect for it. LOL
...Just my 50c' worth.

 

[sancho57]

4  10x 50 dominos for each joint and use west systems epoxy instead of glue, should be all you need.

 

[Holmz]

I would discount that advice.
Just use the 500, and use the dominoes in shear, and use the screws for tension like I suggested, and plug the hole.

... or use 2x 8-mm dominoes and be happy, as they will likely be OK in tension.

 

[duburban]

I would discount that advice.
Just use the 500, and use the dominoes in shear, and use the screws for tension like I suggested, and plug the hole.

... or use 2x 8-mm dominoes and be happy, as they will likely be OK in tension.

That is arguably much stronger. BUT. Theres something purist about no screws. I just did a screen door out of 5/4 and used my XL with 23g pins in all the tenons. We'll see how it holds up.

 

[Holmz]

I guess the operating word is "discount", as in needing the XL for a door, when one has the 500.

 

[tony_sheehan]

Biscuits and long screws (plugged as per Holmz's advice). Made over 2 years ago and still nice and straight

 

[duburban]

you could glue up your stock from multiple laminates and while theyre separate, route in a channel for a long threaded rod and just cinch that baby together. open your plug in a few years and tighten it down again!

 

[JimD]

I made a house full of interior doors out of construction lumber and shelving boards.  I stained and clear finished them.  They were four panel raised panel.  It was over 20 years ago but I am sure some of the joints were just dowel joints.  I think some may have been nothing but biscuits.  My point is that interior doors do not see a whole lot of stress.  The biggest issue I had was the center joints of the planned down construction lumber would open a little when the wood dried.  Maybe 1/16 inch.  Using drywer wood should prevent that.

I think dominos would be fine.  I would rather have about 5/8 thick mortise and tenon but I don't see why stacked dominos wouldn't hold great.  They are clearly stronger than the dowels and biscuits I used.

If I used screws I would put them at least 1/2 inch from the edge of the door.  It would be a nasty surprise to trim a door and hit a screw.  A plug could hide them - but would be visible.  If you have clamps to hold the joint together while the glue dries, I would do that rather than screw (although I understand the screw also adds mechanical strength). 

If you will paint the doors you could even use pocket screws.  They are surprisingly strong and would be away from the edges.  You could hide the nasty big holes with bondo.