Ep7 - Barn Door
Very functional and decorative, a Barn Door can add a functional feature to almost any room. This project requires quite a lot of timber, but is flexible in the type and finish. Rough sawn, or finished timbers, horizontal slats or vertical, exposed bracing or clean & modern lines. Your choice! Just make sure you select barn door hardware capable of taking the finished weight, and that your wall can support this weight too.
The tool Dale used are:
- Sawstop SST-JSS15-PRO Portable Table Saw
- Kreg KR-KPHJ320 Pocket-Hole Jig
- Bora BORA-PM-4500 Saw Horses
- Topman JTM-3708-105 Tapered Drills
- Bora BORA-NGX-50 Saw Guide Rail
- Bora BORA-NGX-PLATE Saw Plate
- Carbatec DC-500H Dust Collector
- Wolfcraft WLF-PRO-100450 Quick Action Clamps
- Zetsaw Z-7029 Fine Tooth Japanese saw
Other consumables that were used are:
The process:
The timber used in this door was already dressed-all-round (DAR), and ready to use. Basically, all that is required is building a supportive framework, to hold the vertical panels together. Diagonal bracing of some form is important to hold your door square.
- Cut the Tasmanian Oak to the required finished door width. Stack two togethe & butt up one end and cut together, to ensure they are the same length. Dale joined these boards two high top and bottom, to give some rigidity and a solid look to the top and bottom of the door panel.
- The Kreg Pocket-Hole jig 320 makes joining these boards very simple and almost seamless. 6 or 8 holes across the width of the panel is plenty. Simply clamp both sides down flat when screwing together with the appropriate screws.
- Lay the vertical door panel boards across two sturdy saw horses. You may need to use a couple of pine studs or similar, across the top of the saw horses, to increase their width.
- Arrange door panel boards face down, butted up to each other as desired. You may need to rip one or more boards to make the desired door width. Avoid leaving one very thin length, instead try ripping a wider piece on both sides.
- Use two or more wide clamps across these loose panels to hold together. You may need to clamp boards on top and underneath, to stop the loose panels bowing and coming loose.
- Measure and mark the cut lines for the top and bottom of the door. Make sure you check the diagonal measurements to ensure the door is square.
- Using a circular saw and saw guide (we used the Bora NGX rail and saw plate), cut the top and bottom of the door, making sure it does not come un-clamped, or that is does not move.
- Apply a line of glue along the top and bottom of each vertical panel, and lay the pre-joined top & bottom (double width) panels across the top & bottom of the door panels.
- Pre-drill and screw the panels into place. You may need to clamp each one to ensure these joints are tight.
- Lay the last remaining 2.4m Tasmanian Oak board, diagonally across the structure. Mark the desired position, and carefully mark the angles required for this board to sit flush inside the top & bottom panels.
- Using a Japanese saw, follow the line (or just outside the line), and cut these angles. Remember it’s better to cut too long, than too short!
- Check the fit, and when correct, glue and screw into place. Dale followed the same line of screws used on the top & bottom panels.
- Let the glue dry before unclamping, lightly sand all faces and edges, dust well and finish with your desired products. Dales used Whittle Waxes Hardwax Oil for a natural looking finish, with not too much gloss.
- When completely dry, mount the door facing in or out (up to you!), according to the instructions on your Barn Door Hardware kit.
|