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Tips on finding a skilled wood worker for replication or restoration (Indianapolis)

user-7269683 | Posted in General Discussion on December 20, 2018 01:00am

I have a pair of 100 year old french doors that needs work (1 set out of 4 that makes up the front of my house).  In addition to about 47 coats of paint, the wood is damaged at the locking pin, resulting in it blowing open. The mullions that hold in the glass, particularly the lower ones, are in terrible shape (probably from 100 winters of condensation) and so there is terrible peeling of the interior paint (assumed to be lead based).  Other than at the lockinng pin, there are no obvious problems to the casing, interior or exterior, but who knows what it will be like when it is stripped. I’m running into the semi-classic problem of the big restoration companies don’t want a job this small and the little guys want to just sell me new doors (but I’ve got that matching problem).   It’s really a standard old-school carpentry construction, so if it’s easier to do a replication, that would be fine….but how do I find a guy?

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Replies

  1. calvin | Dec 20, 2018 04:19pm | #1

    Sorry for the quote.

    user-7269683 wrote:

    I have a pair of 100 year old french doors that needs work (1 set out of 4 that makes up the front of my house).  In addition to about 47 coats of paint, the wood is damaged at the locking pin, resulting in it blowing open. The mullions that hold in the glass, particularly the lower ones, are in terrible shape (probably from 100 winters of condensation) and so there is terrible peeling of the interior paint (assumed to be lead based).  Other than at the lockinng pin, there are no obvious problems to the casing, interior or exterior, but who knows what it will be like when it is stripped. I'm running into the semi-classic problem of the big restoration companies don't want a job this small and the little guys want to just sell me new doors (but I've got that matching problem).   It's really a standard old-school carpentry construction, so if it's easier to do a replication, that would be fine....but how do I find a guy?

    If Westfield, In. is close, take a look HERE

    Acorn Woodworking.  They build in the shop, some really beautiful things.  Whether or not they'd repair I don’t know.  If not, maybe they can help find someone.  Mention this site as he used to post here when this site was prolific of talent.

    1. john7g | Dec 28, 2018 09:52pm | #2

      I PMed him Cal.  Hopefully he'll stop in soon.

      1. calvin | Dec 29, 2018 10:29am | #3

        Thanks

        I fingered the poster might find him but no way of knowing that here in the land of nod.

        potica this year mucho good but certainly not enough of it unless we lose some friends.

        .

        1. john7g | Dec 30, 2018 08:09pm | #4

          I miss it.

          He hasn't checked in yet. 

          Haven't had potica in quite some time. Everyone up home makes it but it's not a place I go to at the holidays or even all that much anymore.  

          One of these years I'll set aside the time to do it, plan ahead they say, put it on your calendar they say...

          Back to the Old Country again this year.  Kids are making friends.  

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