Divided Light Door design

[akobari]

Hello forum,
 
I am trying to replace a rectangular stained glass (1/8" thick) in my front entry door (see picture below). The replacement that I am considering is a 6 piece True Divided Light (see example picture).  The door thickness is 1 ¾, and the glass type is 5/8” thick dual pane insulated glass. My question is what’s the suitable Routing bit for this job? I have looked at all know router brands, like Freud , CMT  or MLCS, they all have options for much thinner glass like 1/8” or ¼”. I realized, that I might need  some  out of norm trick or adjustment to do this job. So, I am looking for  ideas and suggestions. I am also attaching some picture I found from web, which shows what I am trying to do. I would appreciate any help.
 

[jteneyck]

Exterior doors aren't built with captured glass panels.  The panels are held by the nailed/screwed on molding on the outside against a rabbet in the stiles and rails on the inside, or moldings on the inside as well that are glued in place before the panels are installed.  

Measure from the inside and outside of the stiles to the stained glass panel in your current door and figure out how thick it is.  If you are lucky it will be 5/8" and then all you will have to do is pull off molding on the outside, set the new panel in place, and tack the moldings back on.  If your current panel is thicker or thinner than 5/8" then you can change the moldings and/or adjust the depth of the rabbet by milling it deeper or padding it out with spacers.  

Above all, pull off two pieces of molding and make sure you understand how wide and tall the stained glass panel is in there.  You want the new glass panel to be very close to the same dimensions.  

John

[WilliamHodge]

Hello forum,
 
I am trying to replace a rectangular stained glass (1/8" thick) in my front entry door (see picture below). The replacement that I am considering is a 6 piece True Divided Light (see example picture).  The door thickness is 1 ¾, and the glass type is 5/8” thick dual pane insulated glass. My question is what’s the suitable Routing bit for this job? I have looked at all know router brands, like Freud , CMT  or MLCS, they all have options for much thinner glass like 1/8” or ¼”. I realized, that I might need  some  out of norm trick or adjustment to do this job. So, I am looking for  ideas and suggestions. I am also attaching some picture I found from web, which shows what I am trying to do. I would appreciate any help.
 

You could use a 45 degree chamfer cope and stick profile, 3/8" deep and wide, with a 1/16" flat, to the glass. Make the glass 1/2" thick. Nail in a 3/4"  tall glass stop, the caulking uses up the remaining 1/16" to make 1 3/4". The muntins are 15/16" wide, 11/32" rabbets, 1/4" left between the rabbets. You will need custom cutters (Whiteside), a mortiser, some machine for coping (shaper, tenoner), custom narrow siteline tempered insulated glass units, stainless steel brads, and the best caulking.

Expect fifteen years before the insulated glass fails.

[jteneyck]

Now that I realize you want to install divided lites, your project just got even harder.  I'd say a lot harder.  You need to create an interlocking gridwork to support the glass panels which need to be mortised or otherwise fixed in the stiles/rails, like this.



I installed this grid as I glued up the door, but you can't do that so you will have to cut vertical notches in the stiles/rails so the grid can drop into place.  The molding added later will capture the grid so it can't move.  

Over the grid you glue the coped/sticked muntins.  



As long as the profile is symmetrical about it's centerline you can do it with a single router bit.  First you cope the ends, then flip it over and cut the sticking profiles on the sides.



With my door the same profile was cut on the inside edges of the stiles/rails before I glued up the door.  



But with your already built door the profile will have to be cut on the new molding you make that fits around the inside of the stiles/rails.  Keep in mind, this is all on the inside of the door, and everything is glued in place.  The glass panels are installed from the outside and held in place with nailed/screwed on applied moldings.  



Normally, the moldings used with exterior doors are much beefier and typically overlap the stiles/rails to improve weather resistance.  In any case, the moldings are mitered to fit and nailed or screwed in place.  






John