DB Lenck's Mutinous Musings: The Door Project - It Has Begun! Part 1: Planning & Sawing

Conservatory door - that is plaster I added at the top of the door, about three inches worth, to make up for the sagging of the door and keep the cold out. That door got patched with anything going, duck-tape, plaster, nails, screws, mending plates, blue tack, and bits of plastic sheeting. Shame shame shame!

The conservatory door is a disgrace. I have been patching it up now for almost 20 years, ever since I bought the Little House. My approach to DIY is, the less the better, and never replace anything that can be repaired. But this door really is beyond repair now. I would have attended to this matter a long time ago, were it not for the unusual dimensions of the door - I can't buy one off the peg, and would have to commission it. And my experience with handymen is dire. They re-painted my windows 15 years ago, and they are still stuck together!

'Nuff said. What am I a feminist for, if I need to cry for a man every time something needs doing around the house? Exactly. So I decided to build that door myself. I mean, how hard could it be?

Plenty hard, alas. Building a solid wood door is not a problem, but I wanted one that didn't cut out the light, so I needed one that is basically a frame with glass panels added. The frame needs to be sturdy, of course.

First I thought of using dovetailing to join the separate plank-pieces into a frame, but the wood I have access to is cheap deal (spruce) - and that splinters easily. Dovetailing was out. Then I thought of tongue and groove, but again was defeated by the quality of the wood.

The thought of simply screwing and gluing the wood together, and to strengthen it with metal mending plates, occurred to me, but was immediately dismissed as unworthy of the granddaughter of a master carpenter.

Finally, after a number of sleepless nights of thought-experimenting the various options, I caved in and looked at my Practical Woodworker by Bernard E Jones. It first came out in 1914, my version is about 1920 - I don't like modern manuals, they require a lot of fancy equipment and I don't do woodwork often enough to justify buying it all - I have enough tools as is.

Anyway, the Practical Woodworker suggested using dowels, which makes a lot of sense to me. I once repaired an antique broken gate-leg table by using a piece of pencil as a dowel, so I know all about them.

I spent the morning going to the DIY market, yet again, and stocked up on dowels, short screws, enhancers/strengtheners, and paints - because the door has to be painted, once done.

Then I measured the door frame, and made a proper drawing. Then I ordered four perspex panels online - hope they'll arrive while I am still on vacation! Then I sawed my planks.

Sawing can be tricky! For example, ideally the sawing groove should be a little higher than the two sides of the plank you are sawing. If the two sides are higher than your sawing groove, your saw is wedged between them and you can't move it to and fro any more. I will illustrate below with a few photos.

Additionally, if you have to operate in a tiny space, like me, any sort of DIY can cause difficulties!

You have got to be flexible and improvise - there is no point in aiming for perfection if you have no training, only basic tools, sub-standard raw material, and a house that was never all that perfect to begin with, and certainly has not improved with time.

If you are a dab hand at DIY you will probably find my efforts rather amusing, but I don't care - most people I know can do even less than me, DIY-wise, and might learn from my experiences.

Next up I shall have to drill the holes for the dowels - but it is now getting dark outside, and tomorrow is another day ....