Wood Barn

Having made the solid doors, I now had the 2 sets of double doors to tackle. These were more challenging because they contained a pane of glass in each of them. As usual, I’d put these off until last as I was unsure how to build them. I’d even considered not glazing them and making them solid but on reflection, they needed to let light through for the hallway.

My plan was to essentially make them the same way except for the rear would have 2 ledges that I’d set into the stiles at each end. This would provide the strength needed (I hoped) to keep them square.

I tested routing a square into an off-cut, as above, to check I had the skills to do it and practice. The theory was sound.

Rather than make the doors and then cut into them, I merely biscuit joined two shorter boards top and bottom to create the hole for the glass. Adding the two ledges and routing out the stiles for the ledge all seemed to go quite well. I completed a test door, with oak, as I was unsure if the whole thing would warp and move. Sure enough, after a couple of weeks stood upright, the door warped and bent in a way that wasn’t acceptable.

Back to the drawing board. I refined my design and hoped that this time it would be stronger and resist too much movement after making them. The new boards arrived and I set to work. The first one was built and at least felt stronger due to cutting and bonding the ledge deeper into the stile. The next three doors quickly followed.

I then routed a small inset into the aperture for the glass to sit in. Another first for me that went surprisingly well. (By this time, I was feeling more confident and daring and that’s definitely the way to be).

Even measuring up the exact hole for the glaziers to make glass to fit wasn’t straightforward to a novice like me. They have a tolerance of +/- 3mm, my recess itself was only 5mm! I gambled on ordering the glass slightly bigger in the knowledge I could adjust the whole bigger but not smaller!

The glass arrived and slotted in perfectly. I found the smallest oak beading I could buy online and figured I’d let David fit it when he hung the doors as I had visions of nailing a tack through the glass. When they were hung I couldn’t believe the look we’d achieved. Stylish, rustic, a weathered look and stunning.