12-21-2019, 02:48 PM
When my late Wife and I sold our previous home, it had a beautiful 42" solid lumber entry door. It was a "teardown sale," so we salvaged the door and had it installed at our son's home. By now, the door is about 30+ years old and is in desperate need of refinishing. It now resides on sawhorses in my shop. I am an accomplished woodworker, but a total novice at refinishing, so I desperately need guidance.
1. The door is a 42" door with 7 raised panels. I think it is Douglas Fir, but not sure.
a. It is in good physical condition except for a couple of minor stress splits and some carpenter bee holes. I will repair these while it is on the sawhorses. The exterior side is up.
b. It is a brute to move, and requires two men, one of which is not me, to move in any direction. I live alone and my son lives 40 miles away, so I have to schedule any movement.
2. I plan to do the repairs and sand the now almost unfinished surfaces while it is on the sawhorses. I don't know how to sand around the raised panels, but think steel wool might do the trick. Then comes the hard part.
3. I think it needs to be stripped next. I think it needs to be in vertical orientation for this, so the stripper doesn't accumulate in the raised panels. However, I think the stripper would work better while it is flat.
a. I have a hook in my ceiling which will sustain (not suspend) it in vertical mode.
b. I plan to set it on blocks on the shop floor and use the ceiling hook to sustain it.
c. The interior side is in good condition with whatever kind of exterior varnish was favored thirty years ago. I have thought about leaving it alone, other than some touch-up, and try to match the refinished exterior side to it.
d. I have also thought about un-adopting my son and donating the door to the homeless.
e. Also don't know what kind of stripper to use.
That is how far I have gotten. I am adrift in a sea of ignorance, so don't worry about "talking down" to me. Questions invited and all advice will be enormously appreciated.
Merry Christmas,
Russ Walden
1. The door is a 42" door with 7 raised panels. I think it is Douglas Fir, but not sure.
a. It is in good physical condition except for a couple of minor stress splits and some carpenter bee holes. I will repair these while it is on the sawhorses. The exterior side is up.
b. It is a brute to move, and requires two men, one of which is not me, to move in any direction. I live alone and my son lives 40 miles away, so I have to schedule any movement.
2. I plan to do the repairs and sand the now almost unfinished surfaces while it is on the sawhorses. I don't know how to sand around the raised panels, but think steel wool might do the trick. Then comes the hard part.
3. I think it needs to be stripped next. I think it needs to be in vertical orientation for this, so the stripper doesn't accumulate in the raised panels. However, I think the stripper would work better while it is flat.
a. I have a hook in my ceiling which will sustain (not suspend) it in vertical mode.
b. I plan to set it on blocks on the shop floor and use the ceiling hook to sustain it.
c. The interior side is in good condition with whatever kind of exterior varnish was favored thirty years ago. I have thought about leaving it alone, other than some touch-up, and try to match the refinished exterior side to it.
d. I have also thought about un-adopting my son and donating the door to the homeless.
e. Also don't know what kind of stripper to use.
That is how far I have gotten. I am adrift in a sea of ignorance, so don't worry about "talking down" to me. Questions invited and all advice will be enormously appreciated.
Merry Christmas,
Russ Walden
