[SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

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Lily left the valley
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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Lily left the valley »

Vala wrote:Sorry about that lol I was exhausted last night. Didn't want to copy from my camera etc and wait.

Needs some refinishing but I'm up for the task. Thinking to replace the Art Decto escutcheon with a more appropriate one - it originally did have a Victorian one this door came from an 1893 Bank down in southern IL.

Painted white on the other side but it was originally stained on both sides so I can strip it and have it stained on both sides again.

It actually is 82" x 33 3/4" exactly

door!.jpg
Wonderful find! Is there any way it might have had a mortise lock in the past, and if you remove said lock, the panel is of similar size? If you don't think filling the crack with the wood bondo folks tend to recommend here is good enough a repair, maybe even if you have to cut out the old one, perhaps the new one could be slid in via the mortise chamber? That would limit the take apart aspect maybe. I know it's a reach of an idea, but it's what came to mind looking at the door.

If you do decide to change out the hardware, may I be so bold as to inquire if you might have an interested party yet for the Deco hardware? We have a very similar hardware style on our interior doors, but our front door is quite plain.
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Vala
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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Vala »

Lily left the valley wrote:Wonderful find! Is there any way it might have had a mortise lock in the past, and if you remove said lock, the panel is of similar size? If you don't think filling the crack with the wood bondo folks tend to recommend here is good enough a repair, maybe even if you have to cut out the old one, perhaps the new one could be slid in via the mortise chamber? That would limit the take apart aspect maybe. I know it's a reach of an idea, but it's what came to mind looking at the door.

If you do decide to change out the hardware, may I be so bold as to inquire if you might have an interested party yet for the Deco hardware? We have a very similar hardware style on our interior doors, but our front door is quite plain.


Thanks! I'm glad the long search is over after 5 years! It still has a mortise lock inside the door. I was just planning to put a knob and different escutcheon on there.

And no I don't have any interested party in the old escutcheon, but I have no use for it since my house is older. And yea I see you have some similar ones.

About the cracked panel, I do have a storm door that will fit (salvaged from another house) its not like the door is going to be exposed. But I was under the impression that filler won't work because the panels move with the changing of the seasons and the crack would reappear again. The door doesn't have Bolection mouldings to keep the panels in, it's joined into the stiles and rails. Was wondering if there was any trick to glue the 2 halves back together without taking it apart. The only tutotials I could find on panel repair were only for doors with bolection moulding holding in the panels. I mean its not that big of a deal if it can't be done without major disassembly, something I'm not really up for considering how hard it was to find a door this size, I wouldn't want to make things any worse.

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Lily left the valley
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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Lily left the valley »

Vala wrote:Thanks! I'm glad the long search is over after 5 years! It still has a mortise lock inside the door. I was just planning to put a knob and different escutcheon on there.

And no I don't have any interested party in the old escutcheon, but I have no use for it since my house is older. And yea I see you have some similar ones.

About the cracked panel, I do have a storm door that will fit (salvaged from another house) its not like the door is going to be exposed. But I was under the impression that filler won't work because the panels move with the changing of the seasons and the crack would reappear again. The door doesn't have Bolection mouldings to keep the panels in, it's joined into the stiles and rails. Was wondering if there was any trick to glue the 2 halves back together without taking it apart. The only tutotials I could find on panel repair were only for doors with bolection moulding holding in the panels. I mean its not that big of a deal if it can't be done without major disassembly, something I'm not really up for considering how hard it was to find a door this size, I wouldn't want to make things any worse.
Nice that you still have the lock. Most of our doors still have them, but a few are missing bits.

I wasn't sure if it had the mouldings from the image, but it didn't seem to, which made sense why you were asking. And I learned a new term today! Thanks for that. :D

I found this thread about folks' preferences for similar wood repairs, and glazing putty is also favored in that one. Found the name of what I was thinking of, two part Abatron. Apparently it's better for staining for some folks than bondo, but also pricier. I've not yet used it myself. Jade did mention that there are some restoration cases where the Abatron trapped moisture and caused rot over the very down the road long term, which is why she prefers the glazing.

I'll send you a PM about the escutcheon.
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Mick_VT
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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Mick_VT »

Vala wrote:
Mick_VT wrote:Awesome job - use laminated glass in it for security - Personally I like mine milled with a custom bevel


Thanks and I'll remember that advice. And is there a technique that doesn't involve disassembly of the door to fix the cracked panel?


I seem to recall somebody on WG posting a method (maybe it was TexasRanger?) whereby he hot glued blocke either side of the crack, injected yellow outdoor grade glue into the crack, then used clamps on the hot-glued blocks to draw the crack tight
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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Gothichome »

Vala, you got a door, great news. Yes, as Mick mentioned, one of the regulars did mention the cleat and clamp method of drawing in cracks. Only issue I have with the hot glue technique is how do you get the cleats off. I think I would lean towards using screws. Just fill in the screw holes in at the same time your dressing out your newly compressed crack.

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Re: [SOLVED] Salvaged door conundrum

Post by Mick_VT »

Gothichome wrote:Only issue I have with the hot glue technique is how do you get the cleats off.


My guiess is more heat / steam and a sharp clout?
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