Building a Door

Rich, this is a doable project. Here is a project that Rhett posted a while ago. He made a door laminated with cherry and walnut. It would not be any different substituing oak for the walnut.

-- Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful- Joshua Marine

Might consider using an oil, like Penofin, on the outside. You’ll have to retouch the finish for a few years, but you can do it easily.

Since most doors I see these days seem to have a laminated plain-sawn board center covered with a veneer this should work just fine.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California, http://www.flutterby.net/User:DanLyke

Something that I don’t know to much about but Scott Bryan always has good info:
Dan’s idea looks good too.

It sounds like a great project.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

I remember seeing a project where the interior panels were a different wood than the exterior. I can’t for the life of me remember where I saw it. Anyway, they did not glue the two panels together. That allowed the exterior wood to expand and contract without affecting the interior panel.
I did some searching and can not find the project. I think it might be in an old WoodSmith issue. I did find a door project on New Yankee is similar.
Maybe you already thought of this – if not take a look.

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

I also think Steve is right. As I write this, the outside of my door is subject to temperatures below zero and the inside of the door is subject to room temperature. Variations in expansion and contraction seem likely.

With respect to the panels, I can keep them together because they will be set (and not glued) into grooves. I might make the grooves a little thicker than normal.

With respect to the frame of the door, I think I have to glue them up but if I keep the rails and stiles narrow, expansion and contraction should not be a major concern.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

Sounds like you’re on the right track Rich!

-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive

I have to admit that I’ve not done it myself, but somewhere along the line I read an article about building up a door with a core of insulation foam board, with the inside and outside surfaces connected mainly at the perimeter of the door with either a wood that moves very little or metal that is itself insulated from the panels to prevent thermal bridging. I will try to find that article … I suspect it was in Fine Homebuilding.

-- Kacy, Louisiana