South Slope Reno

Well, we’ve seen the door in the shop. Now it’s time to get it home. Of course, there is still one issue to be resolved: What hinges do we use? Nathan has quite a store of old hardware, and if you see what you like, you are welcome to it. This is a heavy door, that will require large hinges. We went through his hinge drawer, and there was nothing that was both pleasing and heavy duty. I was about to give up and order some, when Nathan opened another drawer and says, “hey, what do you think about these antique olive knuckle hinges?” Say what? But as soon as I see them, we agree immediately, these are the right hinges.

Here they are installed in the door:
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676952

And here is the matching set temporarily installed (to check the height) in the jamb:
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676948

A match made in heaven. Simple and elegant.

The door is delivered. It’s heavy!
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676946

In the middle of this, I should note that we had a bit of a problem getting someone to install the door. But, to the rescue comes Nabil, a friend of Nathan’s, a cabinet maker in his own right, and a local resident. Perfect! I ask him for a price, he gives me a ridiculously low number. Dude, are you kidding? I need this door installed, I need a storm door picked up and installed, I need a plywood piece installed in the transom, etc. So, we agree to start with his number and go from there as his hours build up.

Time to get rid of the old POS door:
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676947

Then we can route out the hinge inserts…
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676949

Except there’s a big problem… The metal door frame for the storm door prevents the router from plunging in. So, time to do it by hand, with wood chisels.
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676950

The old fashioned way…
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676951
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676953

The hinges are being screwed in… Note that the hinges needed some adaptation in the molding. Fortunately the molding was MDF, so an easy job.
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676954

The door being fitted…
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676955

But it’s too tight… Not shown are some screws shot into the frame to bring it in. Not enough, so time for some jamb planing…
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676957

After that, time to install the what’s it called? Strike plate?
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676958

Done! Here we are on the inside. Beautiful! Even the dumb dog is happy. This door is solid. The hardware feels like a cross between a Leica and a Glock 17.
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676959

What about the outside? Hideous! Absolutely hideous! Like an ugly frame around a beautiful painting.
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/126676956

Today I went to see Nathan, and Nabil was in the house. I said, I need you to come by, rip out this crap frame and go to Lowes for me and pick up the appropriate storm door, the dimensions of which I need you to determine. Then we need to install a piece of hardwood-faced plywood in the transom.

So Nathan gives me his funny smile. He says, we could make the storm door out of the same wood. I said, not for what Lowe’s sells a storm door for. He says, how much would you be willing to pay for a custom storm door out of the same wood? I give him a number around twice as much as a Lowe’s storm door, but not a lot of money, and he’s cool with it. This one would be painted, not oiled, of course. So, tomorrow, back to the shop for more pictures!