An Exterior Door with Lites - Part 3 - Printable Version +- Woodnet Forums (https://forums.woodnet.net) +-- Thread: An Exterior Door with Lites - Part 3 (/showthread.php?tid=7334750)

An Exterior Door with Lites - Part 3 - jteneyck - 11-14-2017 Here's a link to Part 2. After getting the clamps off I flushed up a couple of the stile/rail joints that needed it with a hand plane set very fine.  It only took a couple of swipes at eacy joint.  With that done, I cut the bevel on the lock side of the door with the TS set at 2°.  I put roller supports under the door on both the in and outfeed sides. Then I set the door on edge into a little cradle to clean up the ripped edge with a hand plane. Finally, I cut off both ends of the door to final length.  I used a router with a 1/2" bit with top bearing riding against a 1/2" plywood straight edge. I didn't have a 2" long bit, so I flipped the door over and finished the job with a bottom bearing bit. Next I cut the door frame members to final width.  This frame is a little more complex than normal because the door has different woods on the inside and outside.  I made the frame the same way, ash on the inside and white oak outside.  I did that by joining the two boards with a spline.  (I didn't have any 5/4 white oak so that's why that side is formed of two layers.)   One advantage of this construction is I could plane each piece to final thickness before gluing them together.  Also, I could easily cut the dado for the Q-Lon weather stripping before gluing the pieces together.  The frame has an overall width of 4-9/16" + 1/16" fudge factor.  The inside width is sized for the 1-3/4" door; I think it's 2-1/8" IIRC.  Anyway, that width is dependent upon your door width, the type of weather stripping you use, and how deep you set the hinges.  The top of the frame is joined with a simple dado and rabbet joint.  That little notch is so the weatherstripping can run unobstructed. The inside width of the frame is door width + twice the reveal.  I used a 3/32" reveal.    Next I cut the hinge pockets using a little shop made jig and a very clever top bearing Whiteside mortising bit.  The bearing is the same diameter as the bit so you can make the template exactly the same size as the hinge; no + 1/6" for the collet, etc.  Also, the template is  constructed so that it sets the hinge 1/4" back from the outside edge of the door.  I set the top hinge 7" down from the top of the door, the bottom hinge 9" up from the bottom (or was it 10"?, can't remember for sure), and the middle hinge half way in between.   I actually measured to the center of the hinge pockets, because it's easier to locate the jig that way, and to transfer the marks from the door to the frame.   You can get very close the final mortise depth by putting the hinges on top of the jig and lowering the bit until it just touches the door.  Test in some scrap and adjust as needed.  After the hinge pocket was routed I cleaned out the corners with a very clever right angle chisel from Rockler. To mark the hinge locations on the frame, I just put the frame member on top of the door with a 3/32" spacer at the top, and then marked the centerline locations of the hinge pockets onto the frame. The jig is used exactly the same on the frame.  Cutting the hinge pockets may sound a little complicated but it's not.  You can look all this stuff up on most hinge manufacturer's website.  Once you've made the jig it's just a matter of marking carefully and aligning the jig to those marks.  If you do that, the hinges will align perfectly and if one is just a little cantankerous you can usually convince it into place by loosing the screws on the frame side.  If it still won't go in then a very minor amount of trimming with a chisel might be needed.  John RE: An Exterior Door with Lites - Part 3 - jteneyck - 11-14-2017 Mods, please delete one of these posts.  I don't quite know how I double posted it, but somehow I managed to.  Sorry John