Door - make or buy?

[StevenO]

Build vs. buy question: doors for my new house.
1.Is it worthwhile (quality and $ savings) -- to build 3 very high-end (quality woods, arched top, glass in uppers), exterior doors (front, rear, side) and 2 high-end garage doors: one for a 1-car side and another for a 2-car side).  I already have the tools and 30-years experience in furniture building-- just want to get opinions about the cost savings???   I estimate 2-3 weeks of work involved.     Also, good books, plans or other resources???  Thanks

 

[tjbnwi]

The way per-hungs have come lately, I've started making my own. It's a shame what is being delivered. I'm making 3 exterior for my home in the next few weeks. All quarter sawn white oak.

Tom

 

[jacko9]

I made 3 exterior Honduras mahogany doors for my house after I didn't really find any place that sold solid wood doors of that quality.  I would always build my own doors and now that I have the Domino 500 and the XL 700, the job would be a whole lot easier.  This entry way door is 28 years old and you can see the scratches left behind when my German Shepard answered the door with a late night visitor.

Jack

 

[Kev]

The garage doors could be an interesting challenge when it comes to avoiding sag (obviously dependent on style).

I've been pondering a less grand build or buy project myself ... unique issues for me are size and weight. I have both dominos, so construction offers no challenge. I'm still undecided  [unsure]

 

[polarsea1]

I've built some doors, the biggest challenge was getting the raw lumber flattened/straightened on my 8" jointer.

Joinery and fitting was the easy part.

 

[rdesigns]

The book "Building Doors and Gates" by Alan and Gill Bridgewater was very helpful to me. I've built 8 doors for our house using many techniques and style recommendations from it.

 

[tiralie]

I made 3 exterior Honduras mahogany doors for my house after I didn't really find any place that sold solid wood doors of that quality.

That's a beautiful looking door.
Tim

 

[leakyroof]

The way per-hungs have come lately, I've started making my own. It's a shame what is being delivered. I'm making 3 exterior for my home in the next few weeks. All quarter sawn white oak.

Tom

  Yessss, it IS a shame. I didn't have the time, or really, the space, to build our exterior door. So, we ordered a pre-hung special to fit our non-standard opening of our old house. The Finish, whatever it was, was pulled off by Blue Painters Tape with NO trouble at all when I layed out the door set!.
Less than a year later, the finish really started to fail in multiple places on the exterior of the door, SOOO,  I was taking the door down, putting in a custom made cheap temporary unit that I cut down from a stock door out of a local lumber yard so I could refinish the first door to a better standard.
8 coats of Epifane Marine Varnish later, and 2 years after that, it still looks great... Hmm, next time I just MAKE the room and FIND the time to build a door... [mad]

 

[jacko9]

I made 3 exterior Honduras mahogany doors for my house after I didn't really find any place that sold solid wood doors of that quality.

That's a beautiful looking door.
Tim

Thank you Tim, That door is hung with ball bearing hinges and i hope that I never have to take it down for any reason (it weighs a ton).

Jack