Help appreciated on door construction.

[SMJoinery]

Hi All

I've been pondering a few "how to's" lately on some jobs we have got coming up and in my own home. They centre around door construction.
I'd love to hear any thoughts, past experience and concerns on the following points under consideration.

Some background. We make our own rail & style doors in various styles using CMS with matched router cutters. They are great and make a lovely door but only up to 27mm thick. The doors I'm referring to are 35mm or 44mm thick and typically around a standard size 762mm wide by 1980mm in height. However the width fluctuates the older the property gets and so we need to make bespoke sizes...hence the post.

Is there matched router cutters that the CMS running with 1400 or 2200 that can cope with increased rail thickness of up to 44mm?

Do we consider other router cutters that will rebate deep enough to form a strong enough tenon to form the joint. These then coupled with separate cutters to run edge moulding and panel rebate?

Is the domino 500 largest tenon (10mm by 50mm) spaced appropriately and in multiples be strong enough to form the rail & stile connection?

I don't really want to go back to forming full depth m&t joints by hand (well semi hand with some machinery). Do I?

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated but I'd rather make them than buy them. I can buy the standard sizes but they aren't the best quality...but the non standard sizes have to be bespoke made.

Thanks in advance.
Scott.

 

[tjbnwi]

http://www.cmtutensili.com/show_items.asp?pars=RBSET~8/900.527~2

I'd turn this in the 2200.

Tom

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

For making larger doors consider a shaper.  A shaper will give you better cut in the thicker material.

 

[w802h]

I used 10x50 Dominoes on a screen door that I built.  The next door I built, I used the DF500 an deepened the mortises with a 3/8" drill and chisel.  Eventually, I bought the XL700 when I warrantied the first door.  Although it warped because it was in full sun and painted dark brown, the curl started at the bottom of the mortise.  The replacement (also dk brown, but mahogany) appears to be without issue and I've had success with other doors having deeper mortises since then.  My experience is still limited, but an early failure made a strong impression.  Deeper mortises than a 10x50 are probably desirable for the size door you are planning to build. 

 

[jacko9]

I have an old Delta 1/2hp shaper with CMT cutters making doors up to 1 3/4" thick with no problems.

Jack

 

[Tyler Ernsberger]

I have a delta 3hp and its awesome for  large door making.  I originally bought it to build doors out of brazilian cherry and now I like using it more than my router table.  Its a scary  tool considering  how big of a cutter is spinning. 

 

[WarnerConstCo.]

I am a fan of the time tested method of traditional M&T joints in doors.

I prefer a wedged through mortise and tenon.

Tenons are cut on my tenoner, although I do have a 7.5hp sliding table, Invicta shaper that I can slow down to 3k rpms and tenon on if I need to (I have 2 12" tenon discs I can spin if I need some reach).

I have had all sorts of sized shapers, nothing beats a high HP machine that weighs a couple thousand pounds.

One day I hope to get a Martin.

 

[jacko9]

I am a fan of the time tested method of traditional M&T joints in doors.

I prefer a wedged through mortise and tenon.

Tenons are cut on my tenoner, although I do have a 7.5hp sliding table, Invicta shaper that I can slow down to 3k rpms and tenon on if I need to (I have 2 12" tenon discs I can spin if I need some reach).

I have had all sorts of sized shapers, nothing beats a high HP machine that weighs a couple thousand pounds.

One day I hope to get a Martin.

I agree and if I had the room I would have tons of "cast iron" in my shop.

 

[sancho57]

Here ya go, I'd ILO of a shaper, probably use a domino and these cutters in a 2200.

http://www.infinitytools.com/1_2-Shank-Ogee-Interior-Door-Set/productinfo/91%2D522/

They have a UK distributor

You could also run a dowl in if you don't have a domino

 

[SMJoinery]

Thanks for all the replies so far and links to router bits etc.
Both the router bits suggested are exactly what we use at the moment but can cope with thicker materials which is exactly what I need.

In the name of R&D I mocked up a rail & stile but joint on 95x45 oak couple of days ago. Joint had four 10x50 dominos inserted in tight setting all plunged in tight setting. Glued up using tite bond 3, clamped and left 24 hrs to dry. I then clamped it to workshop door frame and could stand on the end of the rail without any movement. That's at least 80k on the end.
I was quite impressed by just domino strength. The router set joint would add further glue area so arguably stronger.
Comments appreciated.

 

[Doug S]

I have a similar problem. I have some 6 panel doors to make for a listed building, I do have a domino XL so could use this but really it needs to be proper wedged tenons. I can cut the mortices with domino it's just the tenons, was thinking of rough cutting them on bandsaw then using router table or some kind of router sled to finish them. My old workshop had dedicated morticer and tenoner, missing them now.

Doug

 

[abgoto]

Good article and video on making doors with the Domino XL: http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2012/03/16/festool-domino-xl-review/

The video at the bottom of the page shows door making with just the Domino and the OF2200. Given the amount you would save making your own custom doors, the Domino XL would pay for itself.