Is there a simple way of fitting a door to an arched internal walkway?
I could probably use off the shelf items for the doors and straight bits, but how would the frame be fitted to the arch? Is there a wood that can be shaped to accomodate the door then soaked or steamed to get it to follow the contour?
REgards
HN
If you are just going to paint the door frame rather than stain it to match some other woodwork I would consider a form of plastic wood. You can get composit plastic/wood combinations but an all plastic material will bend better and if heated properly will take to the arch with little trouble.
I know the following long url link is to a USA site but the info is still valid. About half way down the page is some info about bending the stuff.
Yes, install a normal 'square' door frame and door, and block off the half round bit above with whatever material you like, wood, plasterboard etc
This would probably cost more and take longer than WW2
I think we need a bit more info, and possibly a photo or two of what you are trying to do. Obviously a rectangular door in a frame, with the arched section simply filled is easy. However if you want a door with an arched top, or an elegant arched glazed panel etc above the door then that gets harder.
Quick & dirty way...
- Mitre cut 30-degree six pieces of 6x1" timber, fit on perfectly flat base, glue end grain until they form a 180-degree arch. Repeat from the OTHER side so the joints are offset (stretcher bond in brickwork speak), glue & screw the front & back together.
- Clamp to a flat surface. Create a bar of steel to link a plunge router to the centre of the arch. Sweep the router repeatedly increasing the depth each time until you have a perfect arch.
- Waterproof glue is required, kiln dried timber joinery grade 4 (IIRC) a good idea.
Very slow way...
- Buy veneer of whatever you want. Create former for the arch, screwed & glued layers of MDF. Fold veneer around arch, glue, repeat until a sufficient large number of bent layers built up. Leave to set as long as necessary.
The quick & dirty way works fine, I have seen it done in both UK & USA. I suspect, however, in the USA that curved arches are available readily if not quite off the shelf (California for one). If you do not have a plunge router you could jigsaw (decent pendulum ideally), then simply plane & sand into the desired shape. I have seen that done on a UK porch arch, vastly cheaper than the several hundred some fool place wanted for a steam bent frame and built up as a laminate with waterproof glue it was immensely strong).
Thank you. I never thought of this approach. It does give me the idea that I might be able to cut and glue layers of MDF to fit the arch and size the layers so that instead of fiddling about with a router I can match the profile of the verticals of the frame, which I intend to buy from Wickes.
I wouldn't bend the MDF to fit, I would just produce the arch from many cut "U" shapes, like the spars of a boat all glued on top of one another.
The only remaining problem will be the opening mechanism. The corridor is too wide for one door, so I might have to go electrical as I havn't seen anything on the market similar to the handle and rod arrangement on two door electrical cabinets.
Many thanks
HN
Seen that done just that way -- only not veneer, but strips of wood maybe 3-4 mm thick. Glue, then even up the thickness on a table saw. Glueing is less work than it sounds...
(And then run the atched strip over a shaper head with a ball bearing ring to cut the rebate. Serious tools, and seriously scary...)
Thomas Prufer
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.