Hi All - I am considering using the Domino 700 connectors in what might be viewed as a somewhat unconventional application.
First, to set the scene, a photo:
View attachment 1
Normally, in a single- or divided-lite door (be it a passage door or cabinet door, etc.) when glass panes are installed, it/they are laid into a rabbet (often also into a bed of caulking) and then secured in place around the perimeter with the use of some sort of mechanical retaining strips (or the equivalent). The purpose of this tried and true method of construction, of course, is to enable individual panes to be replaced at a future date should any glass become damaged (without having to break all of the permanent joints and destroy the door in the process). However, this process of replacing a pane of glass is time consuming and, if not undertaken carefully, can result in damage to the door itself or, most often, to the associated retaining strips (which are often considered "consumables" meaning that new ones must be fabricated to replace those that were damaged during removal). Plus, I've never been a fan of how retaining strips are visible on one side of the door (or, for that matter, window). The strips are too "busy" for my eye, particularly when compared to the clean lines of a panel door.
So, here's what I'm thinking. I want to build a sliding-door version (a.k.a "barn door style") of the door shown above for a bathroom. However, I want to construct the door like a regular panel door (using panes of glass in place of wooden panels) and rely on domino 700 connectors on the non-hinge-side stile (one at each rail joint, accompanied by one regular but non-glued wooden domino) to hold the whole thing together.
Employing this "partial knock-down joinery" technique (which I've never before heard of in door construction) would allow me, should I ever need to replace a pane of glass, to simply remove the non-hinge stile (by unfastening each domino connector) and thus expose each pane of glass for simple removal/replacement. It would also, I think, make for a super attractive and "clean" looking door (plus, it would speed up the entire construction process).
I'm thinking of using reclaimed hemlock (local to me) to minimize the weight of the door and also to add to its beauty, since it will only be receiving a natural clear coat of some kind. And, to prevent the glass panes - which won't be otherwise held in place - from moving/rattling when the door is moved/operated, I plan to fold something (paper or saran wrap?) over the outer most edges of the glass in strategic locations during assembly to lightly wedge the glass in place (while being cognizant of the fact that the wood will swell and contract over time with ambient moisture levels). If I source a metric slot cutter, which can be had in multiples of 1mm widths, I should be able to mill a groove that is only one or two millimeters wider than the thickness of whatever thickness of glass I end up selecting (1/8" or 1/4"). I should then be able to find something that will work to lightly wedge the panes into the grooves. Alternatively, I could maybe use a few drops of silicone caulking spaced appropriately around the perimeter of the glass, just enough to prevent movement but not enough to prevent a pane from being slid out if necessary when the non-hinge-side stile is removed. I'll also have to make sure to size the panes in relation to the volume of free area with the ease of their future removal in mind, leaving plenty of room all the way around for the wood to move without ever binding the glass.
So, a "glass panel domino connector door": is this a bad idea?
First, to set the scene, a photo:
View attachment 1
Normally, in a single- or divided-lite door (be it a passage door or cabinet door, etc.) when glass panes are installed, it/they are laid into a rabbet (often also into a bed of caulking) and then secured in place around the perimeter with the use of some sort of mechanical retaining strips (or the equivalent). The purpose of this tried and true method of construction, of course, is to enable individual panes to be replaced at a future date should any glass become damaged (without having to break all of the permanent joints and destroy the door in the process). However, this process of replacing a pane of glass is time consuming and, if not undertaken carefully, can result in damage to the door itself or, most often, to the associated retaining strips (which are often considered "consumables" meaning that new ones must be fabricated to replace those that were damaged during removal). Plus, I've never been a fan of how retaining strips are visible on one side of the door (or, for that matter, window). The strips are too "busy" for my eye, particularly when compared to the clean lines of a panel door.
So, here's what I'm thinking. I want to build a sliding-door version (a.k.a "barn door style") of the door shown above for a bathroom. However, I want to construct the door like a regular panel door (using panes of glass in place of wooden panels) and rely on domino 700 connectors on the non-hinge-side stile (one at each rail joint, accompanied by one regular but non-glued wooden domino) to hold the whole thing together.
Employing this "partial knock-down joinery" technique (which I've never before heard of in door construction) would allow me, should I ever need to replace a pane of glass, to simply remove the non-hinge stile (by unfastening each domino connector) and thus expose each pane of glass for simple removal/replacement. It would also, I think, make for a super attractive and "clean" looking door (plus, it would speed up the entire construction process).
I'm thinking of using reclaimed hemlock (local to me) to minimize the weight of the door and also to add to its beauty, since it will only be receiving a natural clear coat of some kind. And, to prevent the glass panes - which won't be otherwise held in place - from moving/rattling when the door is moved/operated, I plan to fold something (paper or saran wrap?) over the outer most edges of the glass in strategic locations during assembly to lightly wedge the glass in place (while being cognizant of the fact that the wood will swell and contract over time with ambient moisture levels). If I source a metric slot cutter, which can be had in multiples of 1mm widths, I should be able to mill a groove that is only one or two millimeters wider than the thickness of whatever thickness of glass I end up selecting (1/8" or 1/4"). I should then be able to find something that will work to lightly wedge the panes into the grooves. Alternatively, I could maybe use a few drops of silicone caulking spaced appropriately around the perimeter of the glass, just enough to prevent movement but not enough to prevent a pane from being slid out if necessary when the non-hinge-side stile is removed. I'll also have to make sure to size the panes in relation to the volume of free area with the ease of their future removal in mind, leaving plenty of room all the way around for the wood to move without ever binding the glass.
So, a "glass panel domino connector door": is this a bad idea?
).
