Interior barn-style door and wood movement


MisterDrow

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So my wife wants me to make her a barn-style door for the doorway from our kitchen/dining area to the laundry room. We've purchased the hardware and this will be the first project in my newly cleaned and organized shop space (can't start before then or @Chet K will scold me :P). I'm looking at my hardwood supplier's current stock list and they've got some rustic (read stable knots, lots of character) alder, cherry, and maple that I'm considering using for this (Not all of them, of course... I need to decide which to use). 

My question is, lots of the DIY sites that have barn door designs just put everything together, screw on the frame to hold it all together, and put it up. Is wood movement an issue with these? I'm assuming on the DIY sites they are not edge-gluing a panel for the main part so each board can move independenly but maybe I need to consider something with a floating panel in the middle instead?

Might be overthinking this... and if I am, feel free to let me know. Just a thought I had on this and I figured I'd ask.

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If it's a frame and panel construction done correctly it shouldn't have issues, all that's required is some gap for the floating panel, especially if it's solid wood, (something like this?)

design-rustic-sliding-barn-doorjpg-25163

...OR are you talking about something that looks like this? Because yeah something like that will probably have issues...

contemporary-hall.jpg

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With regard to wood movement, search for Todd Clippinger's video about building an interior door.  He made the door with a core of OSB and wrapped it with 3/4 inch stock (poplar, I think, because he was painting it).   It made for a very straight and stable door.   I will follow his method next time I need to build a door.

I found the link: 

http://americancraftsmanworkshop.com/journal/2014/7/20/demystifying-door-construction

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@JosephThomas That second one is more like what I've seen, albeit more simple (and kind of ugly, IMO)... I'm thinking something more akin to the first one, there. So it sounds like I am correct in thinking frame-and-panel style is the way to go with this, then. That helps a lot in choosing a design/pattern for it. Thanks for the input!

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I did some in our house and used "traditional" doors with barn style hardware (bought the doors but I made the hardware). If you do this style it won't be an issue - this kind of doors have been around forever.

As far as the more rustic look you will be fine with just using screws with no glue. If the wood is wet you can butt the boards. If it is dry you leave a small gap. Use a halflap joint to cover the gaps

IMG_20160127_221559582.jpg

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Oh, I will. I'm in dangerous territory right now as I have to finish that trash cabinet this weekend and (hopefully) that desk on Sunday... I'm starting to pile on projects and it's not good. I've got some gifts to make as of yet, too. This door is a Christmas gift for my wife, though, so it's definitely high on the priority list.

One step at a time and I'll get there. :D

One thing I'm going to do is take some extra 1/2" ply I have and make a dust box for underneath my table saw... until I get full dust collection I need to contain it as much as I can.

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Oh, I will. I'm in dangerous territory right now as I have to finish that trash cabinet this weekend and (hopefully) that desk on Sunday... I'm starting to pile on projects and it's not good. I've got some gifts to make as of yet, too. This door is a Christmas gift for my wife, though, so it's definitely high on the priority list.

One step at a time and I'll get there.

One thing I'm going to do is take some extra 1/2" ply I have and make a dust box for underneath my table saw... until I get full dust collection I need to contain it as much as I can.

Don't stress yourself out with too many projects and deadlines. Before you know it, your most loved hobby will be an annoying chore instead of pure pleasure.

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

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I am going to need to go back to my supplier today before they close and get two more pieces of 6/4 Alder for it because I mis-measured and won't have enough for all of the rails & stiles of the door (am I using those terms correctly?). At $1.38/bdft it's no big deal, though.

Am I missing something here? The more I look, the more it doesn't look like wood movement is accounted for very often with these. The shiplap isn't glued to each other but the tops and bottoms of the boards are glued to the bracing.

 

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