Replies

1. 
   johnnysawzall | Apr 03, 2006 03:13am | #1

   You're checkin the wrong lumberyards! (are you sure you didn't mean to same Lowesdepot?)

   Where are you from and I'll see if I can't get you going in the right direction.

1. 
   BSzydlo | Apr 03, 2006 04:21am | #2

   No, I did not check the big box stores (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.). Any advice would be appreciated, I live about 30 miles south of Minneapolis in Minnesota.

2. 
   LIGNEA | Apr 03, 2006 04:38am | #3

   Hi, BSzydlo,

   I am a cabinetmaker/architectural millworker. I recently priced the construction of 18 solid cherry doors, jambs, and casings. The price came to about $1,250/door, finished and installed. In the process of pricing another job I checked out this website: http://www.masonite.com They have a number of styles and cherry is one of their lumber choices.

   I don't know what type of equipment/machinery you have to work with but, if you choose to veneer, you should have a vacuumm press or good set of clamps for veneering. You'll also have to spend time making the substrate into a door. Making it out of solid wood will be more costly in raw materials and will require all the basic shop machinery. I make my solid wood doors with mortise and tenon construction, cutting the mortises with a mortising bit and the tenons on a table saw.

   One advantage of using the veneer is that you should have less of an issue with sapwood (assuming you don't want any) and knots. If you use solid cherry, you may have a tougher time getting two sap-free and knot-free surfaces. It can be done, but you may have a large amount of waste.

   Good luck,

   LIGNEA

3. 
   CAGIV | Apr 03, 2006 04:57am | #4

   Call around to the local lumber yards see if any of them have access to Simpson Doors

   http://www.simpsondoor.com/catalog/catalog.asp

   check here, I picked an area code in Minneapolis

   http://www.simpsondoor.com/support/dealer_locator/dealer_locator_results.asp?zip=55406

    

   

   
   

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   Edited 4/2/2006 9:59 pm ET by CAGIV

1. 
   BSzydlo | Apr 03, 2006 05:10am | #5

   Thanks, I found a dealer in my area and will give them a call.

1. 
   Gene_Davis | Apr 03, 2006 04:51pm | #7

   Here are the competitors in the particleboard-core-with-veneer-and-sidebands field:  Karona, Woodport, Stallion.  There are others.

   Rogue Valley is a westcoast doormaker that will make solid cherry interior doors.

   Craftsmen in Wood (http://www.ciw.com) is a Phoenix-based doormaker that will make cherry doors.  Their construction is to have all stiles and rails be pine stave-cored, with 1/8" "veneer" faces.  Probably more stable that all-wood.

1. 
   Marco101 | Apr 04, 2006 12:46am | #8

   Hi, I am a owner/builder and made all 7 of my doors from solid cherry including front exterior with side lites.. 

   Raised panel, applied moulding, loose tenion joints with 3hp router and made the jams from solid cherry as well.  sprayed on lacquer finish.  You need to have a shaper with cope and stick cutters as well as a panel raising cutter.  Also table saw, jointer, radial arm, ect.  You will also need a hinge jig for the jams and a jig for the door handles.  While you are at it, run your moulding, baseboard as well.  If you enjoy woodworking, the money you save can purchase all the machines you need and you will have those for the rest of your life.

4. 
   QCInspector | Apr 03, 2006 05:23am | #6

   Around here (BC. Canada) Cherry costs about $8 a board foot, Alder is about $4. If you can get good stock it can be finished to look like the cherry. I made a couple for a foreman at work in trade and I really liked the way they turned out. After he got them his wife decided to paint them white. :-(

5. 
   sotabuilder | Apr 04, 2006 04:29am | #9

   try calling shaw stewart  or try scherer brothers or spring lake park lumber, all three are top line lumber yards in minneapolis st.paul aree 

   
   

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   Edited 4/3/2006 9:30 pm ET by sotabuilder