Walnut Door Project

[crokett™]

I started this project a few months ago. I’m using a friend’s shop to do most of the work. I was hoping to be done by now but life keeps happening. I had a setback last week in after glueing up the panels I realized they were too thick. They needed to be 1.25” thick but I made them 1.5”. I found a shop here that had a thickness sander wide enough to sand them down. Today I routed the tongues on the panels. I spent almost an hour setting up and checking and re-checking before I made the first cut since I had no scrap of the correct dimensions. I was hoping to start mortising the rails and stiles but that will have to wair until next week.

Here’s the album with pics so far. I’ll add more to this album.
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0c59UlCqMuRXE

[barryvabeach]

Nice work so far.  Walnut is one of my favorite woods to use.

[crokett™]

I added some more photos to the album. I did dry fit of the panels and rails today. I got the mortises and grooves cut in the stiles and will dry fit everything tomorrow and work more on the finish.

[Bill Holt]

That is going to be a beautiful door!

[crokett™]

Thank you.

A few more photos. Dry fit of all the parts, adjustments then glue up. I prefinished the panels and the edges of the rails and stiles where the panels are. Tenons were a bit snug - somewhat planned. My 30-grit plane fixed that. The rails were also a touch long so there was a bit of a gap on one side of the panels. Also somewhat planned. I figured it would be easier to trim them down then try to trim along the length of a panel.

Prior to glue up I dyed the sapwood in the rails/stiles. After the glue dries I’ll sand out the rails/stiles and apply finish to those.

[R Clark]

Your door is coming along nicely.  To the uninitiated, a door seems like a simple thing.  But the size and precision needed can become daunting.

I love the stock you're using.  I like visual interest in projects and your door has that interest without being overwhelming.

[crokett™]

Your door is coming along nicely.  To the uninitiated, a door seems like a simple thing.  But the size and precision needed can become daunting.

I love the stock you're using.  I like visual interest in projects and your door has that interest without being overwhelming.

Thank you.  The project was daunting for me in both size and precision.  I haven't done flatwork in about a decade, and the  last project of this scope  was probably my daughter's crib.  She's 17 now.     
.   I've done bigger projects like decks or buildings, but not fine woodworking.  

The stock came from a friend.  He had a tree cut down a few years ago.  I tried to pay him several times.  He kept hemming and hawing and saying that we will work something out but never did so I gave up.  

The album has been updated with pictures of the door with the finish applied to the entire door.   It will sit until next week and I will put the protective finish on it.

[paul2004]

Nice door! It's really coming out nice.