Manual of Purpose-Made Woodworking Joinery

72 Making doors and doorframes

Scribed- joint details

Figures 5.1(e) to (n): Scribing and fitting edge-

moulded components has already been illustrated

and described in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, but

Fig.1(e)(f )(g) and (h) below highlight points of

difference between hand- made joints and scribes and

stiles, which creates numerous structural right- angles
(like un- braced gallows’ brackets) – the most sup-
portive ones being the inverted brackets created by
the wider rails, such as the bottom rail; this being
the main reason why it is wider than the top- or
intermediate- rails. Wide middle rails also add extra
supportive strength, but their main original function
was to accommodate a mortise lock – hence they
are also called lock rails. In the case of flush doors, the
interior perimeter- framing and cross- rails can be of
much smaller sections, because the framing strength is
gained when the outer layers of plywood (or hard-
board) are glued on, thereby creating a self- supporting
unit. Finally, in the case of framed, ledged, braced and
matchboarded (FL&B) doors and ledged, braced and
matchboarded (L&B) doors, the framing strength is
achieved via the diagonal bracing between the hori-
zontal ledges – where the gallows’ bracket principle is
openly displayed.

BASIC DOOR TYPES

Basically, there are five types of door and bespoke,
purpose- made joinery nowadays is only usually
involved with the first three types. These are 1)
panelled doors; 2) glazed doors; 3) FL&B- and
L&B- doors; 4) flush doors; and 5) fire- resisting (FR)
doors.

PANELLED DOORS

Figures 5.1(a)(b)(c)(d): The number of panels
depends on design, but they are usually between
two and six. One- panelled doors are feasible (and
do exist), but if the panels are of solid, edge- jointed
timber, the rails and stiles need to be of quality
redwood or hardwood of a substantial size. Also, the
stiles should be wider and the bottom rails should
be deeper (by at least 13mm) than the norm of
ex 100mm for stiles and ex 200mm for rails. And
because of the lack of extra support from middle-
and intermediate- rails, the dry- jointed panels should
only be given a few millimetres fitting allowance in
width (for expansion and contraction), not in length
(height). The thermal movement of converted timber
lengthwise is scientifically known to be negligible,
so such a snug fit of the panel between the top- and
bottom- rails will add extra supportive strength to
the framing arrangement. As illustrated at 5.1(a) and
(b), the most common number of panels seems to be
four and six.

Figures 5.1 (a) and (b) scaled elevations of panelled

doors; the broken lines show the hidden detail of the

mortise- and- tenon joints and the horizontal section lines

A- A and B- B refer to details shown separately. The num-

bered parts are: 1) stiles; 2) top rails; 3) bottom rails; 4)

middle- or lock- rails; 5) intermediate rail; 6) muntins; 7)

plywood or solid timber panels; and 8) raised, sunk- and-

fielded panels. Note that – although not shown – the

above through- tenons should be wedged – and the

muntins’ stub- tenons (in practice) are not, (although some

text books show them fox- wedged).

Figure 5.1 (c) 9mm × 9mm Ovolo- moulded door stile

(of interior- type door) grooved (12mm deep) to receive

9mm- thick plywood panels; and (d) similar grooved and

moulded door stile with a one- sided raised, sunk- and-

fielded solid panel. Note that when the tongued edges

of the raised panels are being formed – whether by hand

or machine – a 100mm to 150mm long, purpose- made

grooved block (traditionally called a ‘mullet’ and resem-

bling an offcut of grooved stile) can be slipped along the

edges to control the snugness of the fit.

4-Panelled door

2

4

11

76 7

7

3

67

AA

6-Panelled door

2

4

11

8

6

8

86 8

8

3

68

BB

Equal

Equal

5

(a) (b)

(c) Section A-A (d) Section B-B