I just completed my new companionway doors. One major flaw, and is easily correctable...next year. Tony B
Companionway Doors
- Thread starter sailortonyb Allied Mis
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Beautiful job
Is the missing latch and locking hardware intentionally missing, or is that next year's addition?
Is the missing latch and locking hardware intentionally missing, or is that next year's addition?
Nice work, Tony.
Joseph and Stu
The missing latch and locking hardware are intentionally missing. I am trying to come up with some kind of mechanism that can be put on the sliding hatch and not on the doors themselves. I think I found a way to to it. I dont want the doors damaging eachother when they are removed and placed together. Hardware is a killer on varnish. The flaw is in the center where the 2 doors meet. The Styles are not the same 'visual' size. Next year when I varnish, I will easily repair that. It is air conditioning season down here and i wanted the doors right away. So I didnt correct the problem. At the time I built the doors, all i had was a table saw and a hand held flush trim router. I still managed to make the raised panels. Next year I will have a lot more tools and will work a lot quicker. It took me 2 actual days to make them not counting the varnish. The 2 actual days were really more like 6 days with about 2 to 3 hours a day. When I get a shaper, I will be able to make the set in less than a day. Cant tell from this photo, but the finish shines like its under glass. Tony B
The missing latch and locking hardware are intentionally missing. I am trying to come up with some kind of mechanism that can be put on the sliding hatch and not on the doors themselves. I think I found a way to to it. I dont want the doors damaging eachother when they are removed and placed together. Hardware is a killer on varnish. The flaw is in the center where the 2 doors meet. The Styles are not the same 'visual' size. Next year when I varnish, I will easily repair that. It is air conditioning season down here and i wanted the doors right away. So I didnt correct the problem. At the time I built the doors, all i had was a table saw and a hand held flush trim router. I still managed to make the raised panels. Next year I will have a lot more tools and will work a lot quicker. It took me 2 actual days to make them not counting the varnish. The 2 actual days were really more like 6 days with about 2 to 3 hours a day. When I get a shaper, I will be able to make the set in less than a day. Cant tell from this photo, but the finish shines like its under glass. Tony B
Looks Great
I plan to make a new set of doors thhis spring. I am putting mine on lift off hinges so they will be removeable and can be stored out of the way.
I plan to make a new set of doors thhis spring. I am putting mine on lift off hinges so they will be removeable and can be stored out of the way.
Lift off Doors
The Previous owner had screen doors made and all I have to do is pull the pins. Rather than replace all of the hardware, I just bought one new set of hinges and mounted them on the new doors. I had to "punch" the pins out of the new hinges but once i did that, they easily fit with the old hardware. I just pull the pins to swap doors. If you are starting from scratch, lift-off hardware is much better. Tony B
The Previous owner had screen doors made and all I have to do is pull the pins. Rather than replace all of the hardware, I just bought one new set of hinges and mounted them on the new doors. I had to "punch" the pins out of the new hinges but once i did that, they easily fit with the old hardware. I just pull the pins to swap doors. If you are starting from scratch, lift-off hardware is much better. Tony B
Joinery
Did you use mortise and tenon joints or biscuits in addition to the stile and rail cutters or can you just trust the stile and rail cutters alone? I am thinking of making doors for my boat also. Rick P.
Did you use mortise and tenon joints or biscuits in addition to the stile and rail cutters or can you just trust the stile and rail cutters alone? I am thinking of making doors for my boat also. Rick P.
Rick P - none of the above
Lost my entire shop in Katrina and am starting out new. That means that there is a severe tool shortage. This project was accomplished entirely with lap joints. I only had a table saw, laminate trimmer router and a POS router table from Harbor Freight. Spent most of my time building jigs. In the past, I rarely use stile and rail cutters on a shaper. No particular reason, I just like making mortise and tenon joints. I make my mortise with a mill end bit on a drill press in conjuction with a cross slide vise and my tenons on the table saw with a dado blade. It dont take as long as you might think. Most people that use a shaper with stile and rail bits just glue up on small doors like these. Maybe someone else will chime in and help you out. Tony B
Lost my entire shop in Katrina and am starting out new. That means that there is a severe tool shortage. This project was accomplished entirely with lap joints. I only had a table saw, laminate trimmer router and a POS router table from Harbor Freight. Spent most of my time building jigs. In the past, I rarely use stile and rail cutters on a shaper. No particular reason, I just like making mortise and tenon joints. I make my mortise with a mill end bit on a drill press in conjuction with a cross slide vise and my tenons on the table saw with a dado blade. It dont take as long as you might think. Most people that use a shaper with stile and rail bits just glue up on small doors like these. Maybe someone else will chime in and help you out. Tony B
Mortise & tenon
The advantage of doing a mortise & tenon is that you can slide the panel into the slot that you cut for the tenon. Panels need to be able to "float" with the expansion and contraction of the wood..... so no glue. If you glue them then the other members will crack asthe wood tries to expand/contract. If you really want to get technical you can "pin" the tenon in the mortise without any glue, allowing for a lot of flexibility. These techiques are why antique furniture is still around and more contemporary furniture has such a short lifespan. Tony B... The doors look nice. Is there a reason why you didn't mortise those hinges?
The advantage of doing a mortise & tenon is that you can slide the panel into the slot that you cut for the tenon. Panels need to be able to "float" with the expansion and contraction of the wood..... so no glue. If you glue them then the other members will crack asthe wood tries to expand/contract. If you really want to get technical you can "pin" the tenon in the mortise without any glue, allowing for a lot of flexibility. These techiques are why antique furniture is still around and more contemporary furniture has such a short lifespan. Tony B... The doors look nice. Is there a reason why you didn't mortise those hinges?
We are sanding
We will be varnishing all of the teak. Just havent gotten to it yet. After I put the doors on, GF got out the sandpaper. The doors made everything else look worse. Thanks for the compliment. Tony B
We will be varnishing all of the teak. Just havent gotten to it yet. After I put the doors on, GF got out the sandpaper. The doors made everything else look worse. Thanks for the compliment. Tony B
Very nice doors...
judging from the hinges... it would be pretty easy to break in? What do you do with the doors when you are sailing? Shut... open... down below? Where the previous doors hatchboards? Just curious,
judging from the hinges... it would be pretty easy to break in? What do you do with the doors when you are sailing? Shut... open... down below? Where the previous doors hatchboards? Just curious,
Thanks Rich
Yes it would be pretty easy to break in. We dont normally lock the doors. When we are going to be gone for any length of time, we put the drop boards in and lock them. Locks only keep honest people out. I have not yet seen a boat that I couldnt get into quickly and quietly with either bolt cutters or a small crow bar. Normally when we are sailing we leave the doors open. If we have a bunch of people, then we remove the doors and put them below. The previous doors are screen doors. Just a simple frame and screening. We just pull the pins on the hinges and swap doors. Heating and A/C days are the solid doors. Cool breezy days are screen door days. And when gone we use the drop boards. Takes all of 30 seconds to swap doors. Right now I am coming up with a 'no hardware' on the doors set-up to lock the boat. When you have hardware on the doors, they destroy eachother when you put them away no matter how careful you are . Tony B
Yes it would be pretty easy to break in. We dont normally lock the doors. When we are going to be gone for any length of time, we put the drop boards in and lock them. Locks only keep honest people out. I have not yet seen a boat that I couldnt get into quickly and quietly with either bolt cutters or a small crow bar. Normally when we are sailing we leave the doors open. If we have a bunch of people, then we remove the doors and put them below. The previous doors are screen doors. Just a simple frame and screening. We just pull the pins on the hinges and swap doors. Heating and A/C days are the solid doors. Cool breezy days are screen door days. And when gone we use the drop boards. Takes all of 30 seconds to swap doors. Right now I am coming up with a 'no hardware' on the doors set-up to lock the boat. When you have hardware on the doors, they destroy eachother when you put them away no matter how careful you are . Tony B
Tony B...
very true! If you want to get in... you'll get in. At least the damage will be at a minimal! For what it is worth... If you can drop hatchboards in... this is an easy and quick set-up for screens. All that is needed is two rails. Bottom split-rail holds screen down... top split-rail can only go down as far as taper. Just sandwich a screen between the rails... no styles needed! Keeps only the bugs out! Rolls up and stows for storage.
very true! If you want to get in... you'll get in. At least the damage will be at a minimal! For what it is worth... If you can drop hatchboards in... this is an easy and quick set-up for screens. All that is needed is two rails. Bottom split-rail holds screen down... top split-rail can only go down as far as taper. Just sandwich a screen between the rails... no styles needed! Keeps only the bugs out! Rolls up and stows for storage.
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