Fixing A Door

[Tony Augruso]

I have a French Door that has come partially unglued at the top. I was thinking of using some epoxy and clamps to repair it. Any other ideas?

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[John TenEyck]

If you meant you want to put epoxy in those little gaps where it's opened up, and clamp it up, forget it. That won't last long. I think you have a couple of better options for a durable repair w/o taking the door apart. You could use regular or Miller dowels through the stile and into the top rail. If you countersink them enough to put in a plug of matching wood, it will be almost invisible. The other option that comes to mind is to route a mortise from the top down into the end of the stile and into the rail and glue in a loose tenon. That would be a completely invisible repair, except from the top.

John

[Jerry Miner]

+1 on John's advice. I've repaired many doors over the years. Use some long clamps to get everything back into proper position, then through-bore through the stile & into the rail a couple inches. Add glue and a dowel, (I would use 2 or 3 1/2" dowels) then either plug the hole with a face-grain plug, or cut the dowel flush.

[Bill Huber]

I have never fixed a door with it but I have fixed a lot of chairs, just drill a very small hole and then force the glue in, clamp and that's it.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22068&site=ROCKLER

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I have never fixed a door with it but I have fixed a lot of chairs, just drill a very small hole and then force the glue in, clamp and that's it.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22068&site=ROCKLER

Does regular wood glue (i.e. Titebond) work with that beastie?

[Bill Huber]

Does regular wood glue (i.e. Titebond) work with that beastie?

Yes, that is what I use, TBIII in most cases.

[Pat Barry]

Of course, depending on how its constructed there may be more options. I assume you don't want to take it completely apart because that means breaking something else. From the top side, you could screw on a piece of brass or steel strapping material. If you wanted to get fancy you could create a recess to put the piece in and then screw it together with long screws.

[Tony Augruso]

A piece of steel recessed into the top might work. Thanks.

[Tony Augruso]

Routing a mortise from the top might work and I like the fact that no one would be able to see the repair.

[Peter Quinn]

I've used 3/16" brass rods to repair old circular windows, ,I imagine a similar thing would work here. I got an aircraft bit, drilled a long skinny hole, went in and out a few times to make room for glue, scuffed up the brass with 80g sandpaper after cleaning it with alcohol. Glued them in with epoxy, strong as new. The metal rod is nice because it's quite strong at a thinner diameter, that makes the plug less noticeable. If this is on the lock side I'd plug it, if it were on the hinge side I'd knock it in flush and forget its there.

Wood dowels would work too, but the diameter would have to be more like 1/2". Another option I have seen used is to run a 3/4" dowel down through the center of the top rails near the stile edge, then run a fasten master lag through the stile into the rail. The dowel in the rail gives the lag a cross grain connection. Plug the holegood as new. Bed bolts would obviously work here as well, probably even better if you had the bolt and barrel type, simply drill a hole in the rail, come in through the stile, plug both holes later. The metal fastener option would probably hold better than a dubious glue joint.