Front doors

[don1938]

I am looking for information for front doors on a narrow boat I am fitting out.

 

Should I make the double doors or should I purchase them

Don1938

[carlt]

I am looking for information for front doors on a narrow boat I am fitting out.

 

Should I make the double doors or should I purchase them

Don1938

How good are your woodworking skills? If you're capable of making an attractive pair of doors which close cleanly and will keep out unwanted things like thieves and weather, then it's always more satisfying to make it yourself.

 

Secure, weatherproof doors aren't the easiest things to make though.

[David Schweizer]

I am looking for information for front doors on a narrow boat I am fitting out.

 

Should I make the double doors or should I purchase them

Don1938

I have been trying to make the same decision for several years. Purchasing will cost anything between £600 and over £1000. However because it is quite difficult to source the material in the correct sizes, it will cost over £300 just for the timber to make them, plus aproaching another £100 for the Glass and hardware. Still a lot of money to spend on two very small doors.

 

I am learing to live with the single large door, until I reach a decision

[carlt]

I have been trying to make the same decision for several years. Purchasing will cost anything between £600 and over £1000. However because it is quite difficult to source the material in the correct sizes, it will cost over £300 just for the timber to make them, plus aproaching another £100 for the Glass and hardware. Still a lot of money to spend on two very small doors.

 

I am learing to live with the single large door, until I reach a decision

What timber are you using? Are you buying to the precise planed cutting list or can you convert the timber yourself?

£300 is 10 cubes of hardwood at retail, unconverted. That's a lot of doors.

[John Orentas]

I have made the front doors myself for both of my boats. Have your ever seen those silly DIY programmes were some bloke says, "Pop out to your local timber merchant and buy 35 feet of 6 inch x 2 inch oak, he will plane it to size for you if he is not too busy". Like hell, I have tried to buy decent hardwoods, the usual reply from the spotty oaf behind the counter, "we only sell wood".

 

Anyway I have always managed something, there is a lot of job satisfaction in such jobs and a lot of expertise you didn't know you had comes flooding back, a spectre of my old woodwork teacher (Charlie Plank) would somehow hover over me with a disapproving expression and a shake of his head. Even now when faced with a little problem, I still think "What would Charlie do".

 

It is also a job you can do at home if you have any kind of workshop and in winter time, buy yourself some decent tools and a pair or two of sash cramps they will be in constant use for the next couple of years. As it is early in the build you are still fired with enthusiasm.

Edited March 24, 2007 by John Orentas

[carlt]

I have made the front doors myself for both of my boats. Have your ever seen those silly DIY programmes were some bloke says, "Pop out to your local timber merchant and buy 35 feet of 6 inch x 2 inch oak, he will plane it to size for you if he is not too busy". Like hell, I have tried to buy decent hardwoods, the usual reply from the spotty oaf behind the counter, "we only sell wood".

If the spotty oaf is saying that to you, then you are in a diy store, not a timber merchant. Fewer and fewer timber merchants will prepare a cutting list for you (as more and more diyers acquire the necessary tools to convert wood), but, barring the few which only deal in Deal, they will all be able to supply you with the hardwood you require, or point you in the right direction.

[David Schweizer]

What timber are you using? Are you buying to the precise planed cutting list or can you convert the timber yourself?

£300 is 10 cubes of hardwood at retail, unconverted. That's a lot of doors.

I was looking at Mahogany, prepared to size, for two doors and a frame. I got two quotes, one from a timberyard on the internet, and one from a local timber yard where I get trade price, the prices came out very similar.

[John Orentas]

If the spotty oaf is saying that to you, then you are in a diy store, not a timber merchant. Fewer and fewer timber merchants will prepare a cutting list for you (as more and more diyers acquire the necessary tools to convert wood), but, barring the few which only deal in Deal, they will all be able to supply you with the hardwood you require, or point you in the right direction.

 

 

Silly me I must have been fooled by the deceptive sign saying 'Timber Merchant'.

 

Carl I live in Manchester, you can take it from me that there is not a single place within 50 miles of me who would ever have prepared from a cutting list and they would not know a length of Deal if it fell on their heads. If you know a timber yard that be able to supply all the hardwood I require then please let me know.

[John Orentas]

Another possible problem, it is usually considered necessary to make the doors in such a way that they will open back through 180 degrees, to do this you will need a set of 3 or 4 inch 'extended' hinges, I have found these increasingly difficult to get hold of. Please don't be fobbed off with 'Brassed' ones they will stand out like a sore thumb and be rusty within a few years.

 

Not long ago I was looking at a 'top flight' boat for sale above 60K second hand. Brass plated hinges and other fittings, one time plated screws holding the windows in, another good reason to do it yourself. (I always wonder what they have done that I can't see).

[carlt]

If you know a timber yard that be able to supply all the hardwood I require then please let me know.

 

Da Daaah!

[David Schweizer]

Another possible problem, it is usually considered necessary to make the doors in such a way that they will open back through 180 degrees, to do this you will need a set of 3 or 4 inch 'extended' hinges, I have found these increasingly difficult to get hold of. Please don't be fobbed off with 'Brassed' ones they will stand out like a sore thumb and be rusty within a few years.

If you are referring to Parliament Hinges, they are not that difficult to find. Solid brass ones can be bought from Jewsons, or they can be obtained from Screwfix, Here:- http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsession...mp;x=10&y=7

Edited March 24, 2007 by David Schweizer

[John Orentas]

If you are referring to Parliament Hinges, they are not that difficult to find. Solid brass ones can be bought from Jewsons, or they can be obtained from Screwfix, Here:- http://www.screwfix.com/search.do;jsession...mp;x=10&y=7

 

 

Yes they look good, quite cheap too, they weren't around last time I was buying. Probably a regional thing but I have always known Parliament hinges as having bits of finials or other ornamentation.

[carlt]

Yes they look good, quite cheap too, they weren't around last time I was buying. Probably a regional thing but I have always known Parliament hinges as having bits of finials or other ornamentation.

Yes I've usually seen them fancier than the screwfix ones. I like them.

[jeb]

.

 

If you know a timber yard that be able to supply all the hardwood I require then please let me know.

 

Hi John

Have you tried Timbmet ? They seem to stock the entire A-Z of hardwoods. They are not within 50miles of you but I'm sure delivery could be arranged.

 

http://www.timbmet.com.

[John Orentas]

Hi John

Have you tried Timbmet ? They seem to stock the entire A-Z of hardwoods. They are not within 50miles of you but I'm sure delivery could be arranged.

 

http://www.timbmet.com.

 

 

Many thanks jeb but my boat fitting days have come to an end I am sure that address would be useful to others though, when I was messing about the internet was not really an option for me, it was then a matter of trawling the yellow pages.

 

It always seemed odd to me that in Manchester, at one time a centre for furniture manufacture it was such a struggle to source what you would imagine to be basic materials. Don't know about others but I am always reluctant to buy from the internet. You can't haggle in quite the same way.

Edited March 24, 2007 by John Orentas

[lymmranger]

When I was sourcing my wood (very frustrating)

 

I came to the opinion that new wood is of appalling quality......

 

Answer - reclaimation yards!

 

Tons of properly seasoned quality hardwood

 

I bought over 600 linear foot of oak floor boards (5inch x 1/4inch) (ex school gymm floor) for £40 (cash!)

 

made all my frames, mouldings etc (suppose I should add the cost of a router)

 

usually one in most areas (especially Oldham way john!)

[Guest]

When I was sourcing my wood (very frustrating)

 

I came to the opinion that new wood is of appalling quality......

 

Answer - reclaimation yards!

 

Tons of properly seasoned quality hardwood

 

I bought over 600 linear foot of oak floor boards (5inch x 1/4inch) (ex school gymm floor) for £40 (cash!)

 

made all my frames, mouldings etc (suppose I should add the cost of a router)

 

usually one in most areas (especially Oldham way john!)

The stuff called mahogany that we got in recently at work was dire. I would have sooner used unsorted redwood than that stuff. We were however donated a load of hardwood offcuts from a suppliers and some of it was lovely stuff. I burned the crap stuff on the boat stove.

 

Sash clamps; we use these at work and they are kid proof. They are also good value:

http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.js...24&ts=61610

[David Schweizer]

Yes they look good, quite cheap too, they weren't around last time I was buying. Probably a regional thing but I have always known Parliament hinges as having bits of finials or other ornamentation.

This is getting a bit but I think that some confusion is creeping in here.

I have never seen Parliament Hinges with finials, they would actually look rather odd, and the finials would be vunerable to damage, or more importantly could cause damage to people passing by as the hinge protrudes outside the line of the door. You can buy Finial hinges where the finial rests against the door frame, but they are basicly standard Heavy Architectural hinges with the pin extended at both ends, to incorporate fancy finiials, and are designed primarily for internal use. (I actually have some in my spare hinges box)

 

To confirm my recollections, I have just checked in one of my old Trade catalogues from the 1960's and the Parliament hinges illustrated in the catalogue do not have finials, so it would appear that it is not just that they are no longer available, but that they were never made with finials.

Edited March 24, 2007 by David Schweizer