zThe Aloha Door Project

These are The Aloha Doors
They are two interior doors
They are a full 1-5/8" thick (rather than 1-3/8")
They are made of quartersawn California Golden Oak
One is a master bedroom door
and one is Neriahs Bedroom door.
The panels are bookmatched figured Cherry
The stained glass will be designed and provided by the client.

CLICK HERE to view the making of Neriahs Bedroom Door

CLICK HERE to view the making of Neriahs Bedroom Door (the other door)

This is the "history" of the construction of The Aloha Door



Here is an earlier door that inspired the master bedroom door	Here is closer look at an earlier door that inspired the master bedroom door	Here is a drawing of the master bedroom door


CLICH HERE to view the Bathroom Door	Here the styles (and one extra) are joined straight and allowed to "settle down"	Here are some "end cuts" from the wood in these doors. Notice how closeness of the growth rings	The wide bottom heels are glued together from the same quartersawn board and will be thickness sanded due to the high "figure"


The bedroom stained glass oval is first drawn to full size	Then a full size template is laminated to a piece of material to serve as a hard copy of the oval	After being allowed to dry, the oval is cut out	The that template is laid on a 3/4" piece of hardwood plywood, which will end up as the final template for the Oak oval


The hardcopy is transferred to the piece and the cut out	The center is still oversize	The the original "hard copy" is used as a pattern makers template with my flushing router	A few days later we have the oval template that will be used for the Oak oval


A few stroke with my shaping file makes it a smooth and a true oval ( I hope)	The figured Cherry planks are surface sanded	The planks are then resawn into "thick" veneers	Each veneer is 5/16th thick. Here they are allowed to settle down and stabilize


The veneers are the sanded and surfaced to equal thickness	The the "thick" veneers are vacuum pressed on the a very stable substrate and each panel will be bookmatched on each surface and front and back	Here are the pieces for the oval	the layout


Here are the pieces of the bedroom door before I shape them	Here is the oval glued up and being sanded	Here I start to cut out the pieces	Them use a template to rout them into the designed shape


On piece ready to go !!	Here are all the horizontal pieces shaped	..... in place	a side view


check the oval and vertical rails for fit	Here is the oval blank	Here is a template for the arc cutouts	The arc is routed out.....


........ then routed again for flush	.... and another fit	the the panel grooves must be made while the fitted door is dry clamped together	here is a template for the mid panels


here is a finished template for one of the "arcs"	Here is the door with the panel dado's, cut into the styles and rails	........ then it's off to work on the oval for the stained glass	... from that big plank of wood to this delicate inner oval


this will hold a stained glass window design by my client	..... a close up	here we use the machine for finish sanding	here the templates are traced onto the figured cherry panels


then the Cherry is cut out	here are all the panels for the Master Bedroom door	Here is the door with panels. It is "dry fitted" and then disassembled	....... a close-up of the oval


........ cool parts !!	the panels are finish sanded by us ..... without the "machine !!	then sealed with sanding sealer	all of the panels with three coats of pre-catalyzed lacquer


Because the detail is routed, we dry clamp and chisel each corner to a square corner	...... then all the edges are hand sanded before assembly. This prevents scratching the sealed panels	The oval is also hand sanded	then .... the glue up begins. All parts are pre-glued with exterior glue ..... and allowed to penetrate the fibers


.... and the build begins ..... the door is assembled from the inside out .... and the bottom up	......... and up	then the sides are applied	and the door is clamped from side to side and top to bottom


then all of the excess glue must be removed while the exterior glue is still soluble to water	this beautiful door will stay in clamps for at least 72 hrs	a close-up of the bottom detail. ...... not bad !!	Here is the door out of clamps ...... ready to be trimmed to size, hand sanded, and finish sanded ...... then oiled.


The finishing begins	........ and interesting view	the lacquered panels are taped off to prevent scratching	After the pre finished panels are masked off ....... the hand sanding is completed

the hinge pockets are mortised and chiseled
then I sign it !!
here is the boring for the hardware
here is the beautiful Emtek solid brass knob and deadbolt

then we chisel out the square pins and set them in place
they are each hand chamfered ....
........ and the mid rail pins are set as diamonds
Both doors have been oiled with 3 coats of my varnish oil and are curing

any "bleed-out" is wiped down
...... and the protective covering over the pre-catalyzed lacquer panels is removed
Then the jambs are mortised for solid brass commercial hinges
and the master bedroom door is prehung on my bench with 4 hinges

....... then I make a form for steam bending the oval stops
The pieces are steam bent and left to dry for 24 hrs in this form
Here is the upper half of the oval stop
here is my steam box which was given to me by Master Joiner I apprenticed to 30 years ago

I had to modify the burner several times to generate enough steam to penetrate the wood ........ you see here a true "learning curve" !!
The stop pieces are glued together
...... being oversized, I carefully trim it to size (width)
the stop is screwed into places .....

..... and then hand chamfered and sanded.
when it is completed it is oiled with varnish oil
Here are the jamb pieces and stops for both doors. They are curing after 3 coats of varnish oil .... this is an interior door
Here I provide a little jig that allows the installer to center the hole for the striker plates

The doors were hung from screw eyes for their making ..... I glue in Oak plugs and oil
Here are the stops in the oval.
The steel screws will be replaced with brass screws when the stained glass is installed.

CLICK HERE to view the making of Neriahs Bedroom Door (the other door)

Click Here to see how the shipping case for these doors is constructed and packed

RETURN to my Door Gallery



the hinge pockets are mortised and chiseled	then I sign it !!	here is the boring for the hardware	here is the beautiful Emtek solid brass knob and deadbolt


then we chisel out the square pins and set them in place	they are each hand chamfered ....	........ and the mid rail pins are set as diamonds	Both doors have been oiled with 3 coats of my varnish oil and are curing


any "bleed-out" is wiped down	...... and the protective covering over the pre-catalyzed lacquer panels is removed	Then the jambs are mortised for solid brass commercial hinges	and the master bedroom door is prehung on my bench with 4 hinges


....... then I make a form for steam bending the oval stops	The pieces are steam bent and left to dry for 24 hrs in this form	Here is the upper half of the oval stop	here is my steam box which was given to me by Master Joiner I apprenticed to 30 years ago



I had to modify the burner several times to generate enough steam to penetrate the wood ........ you see here a true "learning curve" !!	The stop pieces are glued together	...... being oversized, I carefully trim it to size (width)	the stop is screwed into places .....


..... and then hand chamfered and sanded.	when it is completed it is oiled with varnish oil	Here are the jamb pieces and stops for both doors. They are curing after 3 coats of varnish oil .... this is an interior door	Here I provide a little jig that allows the installer to center the hole for the striker plates


	The doors were hung from screw eyes for their making ..... I glue in Oak plugs and oil	Here are the stops in the oval. The steel screws will be replaced with brass screws when the stained glass is installed.