Hi- I've got a couple of doors I'd like to break down so I can replace the 2 bottom panes with a panel.
I can only do this if I can take the door apart - is this possible?
The door is hardwood.
- posted
19 years ago
breaking apart doors
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- posted
19 years ago
It may be easy, hard, or almost impossible. You need to examine the door, and see if you can find out how it's been put together. It may be pegged with dowels, pinned mortices, deep glued mortices, ...
With some of these, you may be able to free them, drill out the dowels, or drive out the pins, ...
However, with some construction methods, it's going to be nearly impossible to dissasemble, and even harder to do without much damage.
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- posted
19 years ago
It all depends on the glue used. If it is a modern resin glue your chances of separating the joint cleanly are not good. Modern glues give a joint which is stronger than the wood, so to break it you need to break the wood. You could try steaming the joints or soaking them in solvents. Be aware that the joints may be pegged, from one side only or right through, if the door is painted this will not be obvious. If there are pegs you will have to drill them out, however that may not mean the glue will let go or there is no glue.
Having said that there is a solution. Break the glass panel and remove it. Get, rent, borrow a router and a straight cutter with a top bearing. On the inside of the door place a straight edge xmm in from the inside ege with x being the depth of the slot the panel was in. Setting a depth to remove only the inside portion of the slot remove it. Insert new panel, holding it in place with mouldings stained to match the door.
Peter
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- posted
19 years ago
The bottom panes are held in by a beading on each side. On an original door, these were probably formed in-situ by machining a groove into the door parts. However if you get a suitable saw (I use a Japanese azebiki, from Axminster, which is ideal for this) you can saw the beads on one side free from the door rails. This should then allow the panes to fall out (they may ned help). Make new panes, put them back into the door, then hold them in with either the old beading or some new beading.