# sauna door and casing build tutorial



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

*sauna door and casing build tutorial *

here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made










http://lumberjocks.com/projects/66801

it has some standard things and some different innovations

i though it might be of some use to someone thinking of building a door
and how the parts go together

first off i only had access to the big box store for supplies
so got 2×6 redwood for the door frame and the casing

here is the casing parts with the stops and room for the insert seals
(notice the side rip goes down further for the fin on the seals)









then the top needs to be rabbeted too
to accept the rail (make sure there is a right and a left)









i had to also add a spreader underneath the threshold
(it too needed to be rabbeted on the bottoms of the styles)
as the one i could find was hollow everywhere









that's it for the casing for now

the door needed a wider lower rail (for stability)
so after straightening and ripping my boards to 5" 
(i do that to make it easier to measure and add or subtract numbers)
i glued two together slightly longer than the rail and it's tenons need to be
since the door styles are 5" and the tenons are 2 1/2" 
i just subtract one style for the full length of the rails from the overall door width
(plus hinge and clearance space while opening)
that brings it to 25" plus the clearance of 3/16" total
(hinges normally need 1/16" and the nose of the door 1/8" )









after running a dado inside the door rails and styles
(1/2"x1/2" for most doors)
i do the mortices in that centered grove
and start them an inch from the top and bottom
which will require a haunch-ed tenon
so the styles have some strength there
and in case the door needs to be cut at some later date
if it is rubbing or is used somewhere else someday
to 2 3/4" for excess glue as the tenons are 2 1/2" deep









here are the parts for the complete frame
notice i didn't make a spreader rail for the middle of the door
(if one is used it would be dado-ed on both sides)
but did a mortice for the inner rail that will come soon
(at this point more rails and shorter styles could be made
for a raised panel door as many as you like
the parts all the same thickness
and the mortice and tenons throughout 
for the smaller raised panels









so i assembled the frame and routed a rabbet 1/2" w x 1/4" deep
for the paneling T&G material









and made my mid spreader rail 1" thick (so the paneling rides over it)
with a dado on both sides to receive the vertical sleepers
that are spaced evenly and give me a place to nail and glue the paneling to
taking the flex out of the thin paneling









and having some 2" pink polystyrene foundation insulation
i ripped it to width and them re-sawed it to fit the spaces
(now that is some easy re-sawing) lol
after paneling one side i set the insulation in the spaces









and then did the other side paneling

well from here it is just mating the door to the casing
the hinges first with my home made jig

http://lumberjocks.com/patron/blog/22313










notice the jig is offset at the door top for the clearance there to the casing









setting the router bit to the jig and the hinge thickness 
i route the door









so here we have the hinge pockets with 1/4 round corners
(i usually use 1/4 round corner ones for most new work
as i don't have to square the pockets off for them)
but it is best to leave the jig on and with a chisel
just cut them square at that point if needed
as the chisel has a stop to stay straight

now for the casing side the jig goes to the top of the casing
this is the clearance for the top of the door









i should mention here that as casing has a seal 
that asks for at least 1/4" gasket space(i like 5/16" better)
i marked the door and casing with a sliding square to the hinge inset distance
on the parts and put the jig to that mark inside the jig
for exterior doors and ones like this the seal space is in the casing rabbet
and wider than the door for an interior door it is not that critical
so long as you leave a 1/16" for finish and clearance when the door is closed
so it doesn't bind on the stop

so now the door and casing have corresponding hinge sockets
and top clearance
now the bottom is slightly bevel cut to rub to the threshold









so all that's left is the handle cut outs and latch catch
here i had to make another smaller jig for the 1/4 round corners on the latch and strike
(the strike was the same lenght as the catch but wider
so i just marked the centers inside the jig
and pin nailed it in place and then ran it off the casing edge with a chisel
after removing the jig




































well there you have it









i hope this may help someone 
that has wanted to make a door sometime

like allot of our work
it isn't really that hard
but a bunch of small steps 
that need to be done in order

if you have any questions 
ask here or send me a PM
i will be happy to answer them if i can

have a good time
and be safe

thank you for looking


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Nice work David!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


hi bob 
long time no see

how are you these days
must be some nice weather up your way

hope things are good there


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## NateMeadows (May 11, 2012)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


David,

You do some of the nicest work! I need to make some doors soon…when the floor is done. I will be coming to you for advice for sure!

Your Friend,

Nate


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


anytime nate

i just finally got back to my regular site
after months of going thru the pulse pages
just to see what is going on here

now i will get notices when you and other buddies post

after you learn the 88 keys
and the three pedals
and pauses and tempo
the rest is just figuring out 
what you want to play


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## lilredweldingrod (Nov 23, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


OK lil brother, I knew you would get the "hang" of it sooner or latter.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


hey rand

now aren't you 
a breath of fresh air


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## REK (Aug 30, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Nice work and a good lesson. Glad to see that you are on line full strength!!!


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## alba (Jul 31, 2010)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


*David *

that is a great tutorial on door making.

Making a door is great, something that is very

satisfying.

Did you say "Sauna?" That must be the keyword

to get Rand out in the open. 

jamie


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## Schummie (Feb 3, 2008)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Hello David,

that's a very nice door.
When you see the photos it looks so easy to make,
but this is work from a great woodworker.

All the best, my friend.


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


hey what happens both Rand and Patron 
has come out of the cave …. is it the sun or could it be becourse 
they wanted us to scared …. LOL
anyway happy to see you both 

David 
when you say sauna is it for a dry sauna or wet sauna 
I gess the door is for a dry sauna since you hadn´t made it with 
plastic over the insulation on the side that is on the inside of the sauna

thanks for the toturial this going to be favorited …. need to make two doors myself …...... maybee 

take care
Dennis


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## SirFatty (May 5, 2012)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


I like the look of cedar, that door looks fantastic! Thanks for posting the details.


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## SASmith (Mar 22, 2010)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


David, great blog. You make it look easy.
Thanks for sharing.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


thank you all

easy is relative
after the build
when i went to mate the casing and the door
i found out the hinge post on the casing
was bowed and bent more than a 1/2" 
out of true and was not lining up at all with the straight door edge


















so off to the store yesterday
to get another 2×6 
and re-mill and hinge socket the new one

as i had left all my tools set up
it was a still the same every step from the start
but i didn't have to dial every step in 
just pay attention

'the best laid plans …......'
as they say


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## Dennisgrosen (Nov 14, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


at least you where able to fix it before the 
it shuold have been placed in the wall 

years ago when it was only DIY for me I got a heavy frontdoor with frame that has 
a vindow in full length on one of the sides oppesit of the hingeside 
was installed correct on the hingeside ….. but on the outside of the glass 
was it more than 4 inch off ….. it still amaze me the glass wasn´t kracked 
and still isn´t … though we had the side corrected with more than 7 big screws
to make it straight …. lot of stress on that side of the frame

Dennis


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## JoeLyddon (Apr 22, 2007)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Very good, David!

I like watching your Step-by-Step tutorials…

You make it look so simple…

It was nice seeing the Gotcha too… I guess that is what happens with what you get from the big-box stores…

*Did you look for certain type of grain over others to hopefully NOT have as many problems like that?*

Thank you very much!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


i sure did joe

i looked for straight decking boards
(all they have)
without monster knots in them

as you know
working a pile there
by yourself 4' up 
and keeping it from falling and getting injured
is not to easy
most of the piles are just trashed
from other customers

but i always straighten them out anyway
i'd hate to see someone get hurt


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Nice Work David, you make the difficult look easy!
Great to hear that you're not in cyber-limbo anymore too!!


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


hey michael

yep 
piece of cake lol

how is your house and shop coming along

any fun projects in the works
or are you just doing fix-ups


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


I just went down to the basement to do some laundry
and it's half-flooded down there…
It's been raining, hard, since yesterday morning
and the forecast is for two more days of the stuff…
I suppose it's good, I'll see it at its worst,
and be able to locate the dry spots (if any)
and get everything off the floor that needs to be
Haven't had time for any project work
still sorting moving boxes,
putting in the air conditioners
passing cable wires through walls and ceilings for TV…
You know, all the "spare time" stuff…


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


sorry about the flooding

that is a real bummer

do you have a sump pump down there

i could use some rain here
while i was gone to colorado
the cows tore the water level hose
off my spare tank that i collect from the rain
and i lost 1,750 gal
big tank is down to about 1,600 now for the summer


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## littlecope (Oct 23, 2008)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


It's not that bad, just puddles here and there
It's not a standing lake thankfully…
That stinks about your water…
You'll have to show us how to build a cow-fence next, to keep them away from water tanks…


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


well things are ok there i guess

thinking cow in freezer would be better

well you are off to work
and i'm off to bed again

have a good one
been nice talking


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Doors aren't as easy as I thought. Good work and good blog.


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## lumberdustjohn (Sep 24, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Thanks for the blog.

Great pictures and details.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


well first coat of 3 of BLO yesterday
(24 hours drying each)
in the shade
i didn't know it 
but if allowed to dry in the sun
it loses some of it's water repelentness
(and doesn't soak in as deep)
done properly it works good
and allows the wood to breath


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## mafe (Dec 10, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Hi David,
Yes just a bunch of steps that need to be done in the right way.
But also plain magic.
Yes David you are a magician. 
Thank you for opening our eyes.
Best thoughts,
Mads


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


hi mads
you are the best traveled person from copenhagen i know

no wonder you do so much 
and show us all how too

keep on keeping on
we love it


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Well- you made that look easy. HAHAHAHAHA… Never in this lifetime could I build that…. but you already knew that. In regard to the dry/wet sauna comment someone made above- something about the door needing plastic whatevers…. I will add that I owned a day spa for years and years.. and we had a dry/wet sauna- meaning you could throw water on the rocks and steam it up (or not). When I closed the day spa- I dismantled the sauna and brought it home where it sat in my basement for another 10-15 years. The sauna was basically a really big box probably 15X15 or so- made of tongue/groove cedar panels- 4 walls- roof- floor - and in one wall was a … door. Now that sauna has been in a damp environment since it was brand new- I just recently used the ceiling wall and floor panels to make raised beds for my dogs in the indoor kennel. My point here is (I just looked because I was curious)- the door is solid cedar wood- it did not have any plastic sheeting etc anywhere in the door- and guess what- it is still hung squarely in the front panel- and the door is still functioning perfectly. Just thought I would mention that.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


Also- my sauna door has a wooden handle- also cedar- metal handles will burn you in the sauna.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


well i just googled the insulation again
not to worry
it is the stuff they put around foundations
to keep the floor from transmitting cold inside
last forever it seems

same stuff that made it to the west coast first
floating from japan


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


I think your door is and will continue to be marvelous.  I was agreeing with you- as in not needing additional vapor barrier. Sorry if I confused everyone.


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## KOVA (Nov 21, 2011)

patron said:


> *sauna door and casing build tutorial *
> 
> here is a step by step of the sauna door i recently made
> 
> ...


*GENIAL LA PUERTA Y GRACIAS POR EL PASO A PASO DAVID!!!!!!!
ME PARECE QUE LLEVAS HECHAS MUCHAS PUERTAS VIEJITO, O ME EQUIVOCO?????*


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