Thread: How to make a pair of oversized raised panel doors?

The door you've supplied a picture of is a modern "fake" panelled door and they are available in limited sizes only. If you want a painted door you could make a traditionally jointed raised panel door from cheap pine; it wouldn't be too heavy and the paint can hide a multitude of sins!

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

The door you've supplied a picture of is a modern "fake" panelled door and they are available in limited sizes only. If you want a painted door you could make a traditionally jointed raised panel door from cheap pine; it wouldn't be too heavy and the paint can hide a multitude of sins!

Hi Chief Tiff,

Thanks for the reply and yes that picture is of the fake variety but is what is throughout the rest of the house. I'm just wanting to match what is already here and would be very happy to make it out of pine.

What I'm really after is somewhere that tells me how to make them step by step and what sort of joints are needed etc.

Cheers,
John

The joints are a type of sash joint (or cope and stick in the US) with a fairly deep tenon for strength. They are actually quite easy to make. There is also an even easier method where you assemble the frame pieces first then rout out the inside profiles before dismantling and fitting the panels; however this method doesn't have crisp internal corners.

What tooling do you have access to? A router table and a table saw make this job very easy but it is possible to do it with hand power tools or proper neanderthal hand tools too if that's what you have.

If you were to make a door similar to your picture then it consists of two full height sides, three rails going across and two muntins in the middle; plus four internal panels.

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

The joints are a type of sash joint (or cope and stick in the US) with a fairly deep tenon for strength. They are actually quite easy to make. There is also an even easier method where you assemble the frame pieces first then rout out the inside profiles before dismantling and fitting the panels; however this method doesn't have crisp internal corners.

What tooling do you have access to? A router table and a table saw make this job very easy but it is possible to do it with hand power tools or proper neanderthal hand tools too if that's what you have.

If you were to make a door similar to your picture then it consists of two full height sides, three rails going across and two muntins in the middle; plus four internal panels.

Hi Chief Tiff,

Back in my days everything was mortice and tenon with wedges for added strength but I'm assuming things have changed quite a bit since then. I'm actually a former carpenter & joiner by trade but that was a long time ago now, and in reality I did not do that much of the joinery side of things during my apprenticeship.

Tooling wise I don't have too much of that left either although I could probably lay my hands on it still if I need to.

With regards to the muntins I had not envisaged the need for them, but hey I could be totally wrong with that idea of mine.

I'm beginning to think this could be all too hard to make a couple of doors and am contemplating maybe buying standard sized doors and trying to fudge up the panel either end of the existing door frame?

Cheers,
John