I have a number of old 4 panel doors that I took to get stripped (hot lye). I’m getting the last bits of paint off and getting them stain grade. Many of them have issues for me to work through. These are four panel doors with a floating panels and around the panel are applied moldings. A couple of the doors have warped panels. Here I attached a couple pic’s of a door with warped panels and moldings. This door had the rail/stile loose up so I broke it apart.
Can I flatten the panel? I am thinking about putting some plastic down on my work table, followed by a wet towel, the panel(wet), and another wet towel. Then fold the plastic up over it and put down a piece of plywood and some cinder blocks. Any chance? How long? Do I need to heat it?
The panel is about 5/16″ thick. I’m not sure of the wood. Some of the other doors I’m pretty sure are pine. This one has a lighter grain and is heavier. Maybe maple, but that’s just a guess.
A few of the pieces of molding are warped too. I am guessing those are just character now. Can I do anything with them?
Some panels on other doors are split. Is this a reason for me to get a biscuit cutter, can I get a biscuit in a 5/16″ panel?
I’m going to finish stripping, neutralize it, neutralize it again, sand it, white pva glue it together, and then shellac it up. When it s done it will probably be the prettiest thing in the house.
Eric
Replies
Probably poplar from what I can see.
Biscut a 5/16ths? Nope. theroetically you CAN, but it will telegraph with a shrunken outline when the glue dries. Any biscuit too close to a surface will do that.
I'd scrap the mouldings, and probably the panels too.
That warp is there for the long haul..trust me.
Next time, don't dip. Heat gun and scrapers. Dipping is a bad idea most times for joinery.
Maybe make a flat panel from 1/4" ply and then apply new mouldings would be an option that is fairly straight forward.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
poplar...hadn't thought of that.At the same time that's bad news and good news. Damn the history get me a trash can! Scrapping and starting new will certainly move the project along more quickly.Trashing the moldings is a great idea, which never occurred to me. Cleaning the paint off of the moldings is probably 90% of this job. I don't even need to get exact matches as long as I get the same pattern for all of the doors. damn genius.And I had these dipped a while ago. I am all about the heat gun and scrapers these days. With the moldings in the trash can the flat areas could have been heat gun'd in an hour or two.Eric
I would guess no amount of work is going to do what it will take to straiten that panel, the one with the level rocking on it!
You might consider replacing the panels. I didn't pay much attention to the wood but for flat panels plywood makes a better choice, less likely to twist and warp.
As you mentioned the panel mouldings is just going to have to be character, cause theres little chance that anything can be done with that.
You do know that you have a long way to go before those doors are stain grade ready dont you?
Doug
Edited 1/15/2008 10:36 pm ET by DougU
Edited 1/15/2008 10:37 pm ET by DougU
I hear an echo, don't you?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
"Success is not spontaneous combustion, you have to set yourself on Fire"
Yes, yes, yes, yes
It looks like poplar to me too, which was never intended to be used as a stain grade wood.
That panel with te big warp in it probably got paint bound when it was trying to expand from moisture. I am guessing that trying to flatten it would be akin to a chiropractor trying to turn me into a young stud again. He might make me feel better and stand straighter for a day or too, but facts are facts and it's been too long...
as for the panelmold, you can steam it to twist it back into place., but not really worth it. Myself - I would just change out the moldings, but I have a machine I can make more of them with from poplar. I might even have a nearly identical molding already made up in the shop attic now.
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>but I have a machine I can make more of them with from poplar. I might even have a nearly identical molding already made up in the shop attic now.show off.Is anything particularly a problem about staining poplar? The clear wood on this door looks OK. I admit I haven't looked too closely. I had generally interpreted the concept of poplar is for paint grade as being due to the green streaks commonly found in it. I haven't noticed any of that in this door though.Also a general question I have is that the moldings I removed were nailed through the panels into the rails. That should anchor them all together defeating the purpose of the floating panel. I would think the moldings should just be nailed into the rails.Also is white glue on the dowels the right way to re-assemble?Eric
white glue would work, but for staining, if you have any ooze out to surface, it prevents stain from absorbing to the wood.
Also with old doors, things are usually starting to loosen up so Gorilla glue could be a better choice. The ooze can be sanded off easier after cured and it will accept stain somewhat at joints.I use Titebond for paintgrade usually but sometimes Gorilla You can stain poplar but it does have a lot of different colours in the wood from yellow to green to purple.
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