Well, I have started building an entry door for a house that is to be built as well. I have plenty of time before it is to be installed.
It is out of Honduras Mahogany. The door will be 8' tall and 42" wide but with two side lites and posts the whole unit will be approximately 86". I say approximately because I haven't finalized my dimensions, as always I modify them as I go. It might sound crazy but I have an order in which I prepare the pieces and each time I find the nearest lumber that would go with what I have done so far without much change (e.g. the plan calls for a 6" wide post and I can get it with some of the lumber to be 5 7/8" it will be the new size).
Anyways, here is a rough drawing of it to see how it is supposed to look at the end:
plan1.jpgplan2.jpg
The door and side lites will be 2.25" thick. First order of business was to get all the hardware needed (hinges, handle set, weather stripping, threshold, etc). The threshold was for standard 1.75" thick doors so I have to modify it (as will be seen).
The order to build is to first build the frame, posts, and the jambs. Then side lites, and finally the door. The side lites will be from 3 lamination of 4/4 material. For the door I'll be doing stave core, all from Mahogany.
First started milling the pieces for the jambs and frame:
e1.jpg
Then the materials for the posts. The posts will be 6" wide and 4.5" deep plus a half cylinder column that will be attached. The posts will be made out of three 8/4 pieces.
Here I use dowels for aligning them and then use a few clamps. The column is made from two 8/4 and two 4/4:
e3.jpge4.jpge2.jpg
Cutting the wast of the column before starting to "turn" it:
e5.jpg
Since I don't have a lathe that could turn this 101" piece I built a box to use a router to do the work. This box was in fact built as an I beam to which I'll do my glue ups but can use this for turning this as well. One little trouble was I made it out of 4x8 material and so wasn't long enough. Had to add an extra short piece to one end to extend it.
Used 3/4" pipe flange and a short pipe to make the shafts:
e6.jpg
continue...