Phew!! .......... what a day in the shop.

I sat back, at the end of the day on Friday, and gazed at the organized chaos that was spread out from floor to rafter and covered the benches with pieces of upcoming projects.  The shop looks like a disaster, but it is all methodically thrown together (or apart).

For instance, along side my table saw/bench, as you walk in there is an 8 ft template of a transom we’ll be making soon

This will fit into an arched jamb that is above a grand entry with two sidelights.

We cleared the center bench to lay down a door (for wrapping) that will be picked up on Sunday. by a client who will travel across the state to view his new entry door

When a client takes the trouble to come to our little corner of the world I like to turn on some spotlights and unveil their door ........ it’s very rewarding to watch their reaction to seeing and touching their new door in person.

While I was waiting for some thick veneers to be sanded for a round top door jamb (coming up), I made a template for my wife make her next stained glass window.  It will have an arched top and have a Coastal Cypress scene.

By making an accurate template she is able to take her finished piece and have it set into insulated glass

Yesterday morning I finished laying out and mortising for two garden gates and they were glued up in the afternoon, and put to rest (glue cure) for at least 3 days. 

A gentleman wrote me and asked for an estimate on a similar gate design ........... so I decided to make a “couple” gates to be able to give a “real and factual” estimate.  I’ll keep you posted.

After resawing and gluing 6 pieces, we placed them in a form where they will stay for 3 days.  These pieces will make the top of the door jamb for an upcoming arched top door for a gentleman outside Chicago.

The best method (I believe) to make an arched top door is to make the jamb, in which it will fit, first and then use that as a template for the top of the future door.

Along the same forethought, I have built a round top Redwood door, making the jamb first, so I now have to make an arched stop for the top of the jamb

The 2-3/4” wide stop, mirrors the arched stop.  It even has a built-in-groove that will receive the weather stripping.

Oh yes .......... since we make arched top gates I realized that we needed arched stops for the top stops of the gates

All of my arched stops are multiple thin boards  that are laminated together in a proper thickness to match the other stops to be used in these beautiful gates.

Then there was 3 different projects (to come soon) which will require 2 layers of marine plywood to be laminated together.

These pieces full of clamps help add to the “organized chaos” as I gazed about the room.

But wait, there’s more !! ............... between my two main benches is this monolith of a solid (appearing) Redwood Plank door, on its edge with these funny clamps, pressured to plywood strips, which will have been clamped at this juncture for 5 days.

These clamped plywood strips are applying constant  pressure on two stainless steel 3” wide strips.  The stainless strips will have the 18” pulls (picture above) at handle height.  Please come back to see the finished entry door.

Last but not least, we have a very simple, yet elegant, quarter sawn White Oak door that will grace a restored miners cabin in the hills above Death Valley, California

above are the Quartersawn White Oak panels in the vacuum press. The fact is ........ I have so much in clamps, I thought I’d share the “chaos” with you.

Please visit our Current Projects Page to see some of what we are working on, and all of the craftsmanship that goes into each door.

Also, please visit Our Door Gallery to see a variety of uniquely crafted custom doors.

What Is Happening In The Shop ?

Many folks visit my “work in progress” page to see what I working on and what it takes to make a custom made door ............ so I thought I’d share some pictures of the current “traffic jamb” in the shop right now.  I have some doors completed and ready to ship out or to be picked up.  There are also some doors in progress along with some “self-commissioned” doors.  The “self commissioned” doors are doors that I’ve designed and to make available to folks who don’t have the time or inclination to wait for a custom door to be made.

Click on any image to Enlarge

Some of these doors are complete, some doors are curing between the 4 coats of varnish oil, while some are waiting for glass and panels.  One door is waiting for me to install the dentil shelf and eyebrow.  I guess it is safe to say, we have some work in progress.  I forgot to take a picture of a door on the bench to be glued up tomorrow, before the weekend comes.

I build a separate web site for each client to watch the steps it takes to create their door ........ and in the end ...... the final results of their dreams for a custom made door.

All of the panels, dentil shelf, and an "eyebrow" are oiled with 3-4 coats of our varnish oil.  We do this before they are installed in or on the doors.  That way the door is truly sealed from the inside out.  That is the right way ........ the only way.

Thought I’d add a picture of 2 sets (doors worth) of panels being pressed in my vacuum press.  I keep the process proprietary, but I thought I’d include a cool shot

to see more please visit our web site at MendocinoDoors.com 

and make sure to check out our Current Projects

and thanks for taking the time to investigate my world.