# house door with half lap joints?



## Devildog (Apr 20, 2008)

Hi everyone
looking for some advice

I am making house doors out of paduak (Pterocarpus macrocarpus).
200cm high, 80cm wide, 3 glass panes (5mm thick), with a total of 4 rails (counting the top and bottom ones)

I want to use half lap joints rather than m+t.
which I plan to cut with a router (no table saw available)

The pieces to be joined will be about 13cm wide, so the joint face will be 13x13cm. (wood is 3.5cm thick)

I have a a choice of three glues here:
white latex, 
some Henkel construction adhesive called 'nail power 50' and 'nail power 60',
or 2-part epoxy. 

do you think half-lap is workable for a heavy-ish door?
if so, which glue?

thank you!


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## Texas Sawduster (Apr 27, 2009)

*enterior or exterior ?*

Will these doors be enterior or exterior?
Which use will determine the type of glue/adhesive you are going to use.

I would also reinforce the lap joint with some type of dowel running all the way thru to both sides. Or a tennon of some shape to accent the lap joints.


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## Devildog (Apr 20, 2008)

Hi, and Thanks for reply
yes, I will put dowels in, as you say.

The doors will lead to the outside, but will be under a roof.
So, should be protected from rain, but may get some intense sunlight, and humidity.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Texas Sawduster said:


> Will these doors be enterior or exterior?
> Which use will determine the type of glue/adhesive you are going to use.
> 
> I would also reinforce the lap joint with some type of dowel running all the way thru to both sides. Or a tennon of some shape to accent the lap joints.


Well fitted half laps will work. I would use TB III, or a 2 part epoxy. The joinery you intend to use should be workable with the method you use to install the glass.












 







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## Devildog (Apr 20, 2008)

OK, things going well here...
the doors are made, all with giant half laps, and I will use 2-part epoxy to glue them when I finish routing where the glass will go, as per advice. 
Alas, a delay. The ancient makita router (reduced to a real PoS over the years) I had mounted on the router table broke its bearings, making the most horrible noise I've ever heard. Scared the hell out of me! Luckily no wood was being cut at the moment those bearings went, so I kicked the kill switch before any pieces came off. 
anyway, it's off for repair....which I think is going to be interesting. They are going to fashion a metal collar to hold the bearings, since the one that froze up basically burned away all the plastic surrounding it and holding it in place. I'll post some pix when I get it back.


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## Devildog (Apr 20, 2008)

ok, so the router is fixed, back in the table and the doors are nearly done.
Here's a pic of how they fixed the router:
the bearing froze and so the whole thing started spinning and melted the plastic holding it.
So the guys down at the shop put in a metal collar.... works like new! 
ok, maybe not new, but works pretty good.


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