Build Recap

The Process

The Design 

  The design idea for this project came from a previous project that I had completed a few years ago. The client had been looking at my website for ideas for a sliding door to give some privacy  in the bathroom of the master suite. The thought was to have an all white door that brightened up the space against the dark wood floors, and the herringbone pattern would provide some style to the large piece. 

The Build

I began this build with milling down some 8/4 poplar. My process for milling is to joint one side, and planing down the top and bottom of each piece as well. I am taking about a ¼” off total. This is usually enough to get flat on three sides so we have a solid starting place. An important step that I take after milling down rough sawn lumber is to let it rest in the shop so that we don’t get any wood movement after assembly. While that is resting for a few days I begin ripping down some pieces for the herringbone pieces. I ripped all of the pieces down to 3-½” so that there was consistency with the pieces. 

            The next step was to figure out the size of the opening for the herringbone pattern. I do this by taking the final size of the door, subtracting the width of the two side stiles, then adding the depth of the rabbit that the herringbone piece would float in. I then taped out those dimensions on the work bench. With a estimated size of the piece I need, I then find the middle and begin cutting the pieces to size, leaving them slightly long on purpose as I will come back and trim the entire door later. After filling the entire taped off area, I then wanted to make sure that the pattern was visible after painting, so I set up my router table with an ⅛” roundover bit and ran each piece through there on all sides. With all of the edges eased I then marked the joints for biscuits. 

I set up the biscuit jointer up to cut all the biscuits so there was good alignment. The biscuits help keep all of the pieces aligned properly and if cut tight enough and hold the pieces together for a period of time. Once all of those are cut I dry fit the pieces and cut the whole piece to the final size. I have the rails and stiles trimmed to final width, cut the mortises, and went ahead and sanded those sides that will be receiving the panel. From there it’s time for assembly. I glue and clamp the bottom rail to the stiles, then begin adding the herringbone panel one piece at a time being sure to include the biscuits and gluing the herringbone pieces to each other, but not to the rails and stiles. Once I’ve worked all the way up the door and added the top rail it was time to clamp it up and let it dry. From there a roundover bit goes on the sides, some sanding , and then primer and paint. 

        Install required a faux beam to close off an opening and add the board that the rail would attach to. I attached the rail to the board that had been screwed into the studs. Then a handle and some touch ups and the piece was ready to go.