Need help Adding on to the bottom to craftsman style doors

[Charles Grauer]

I have a project to add about 4” to 6”” to the bottom of 3 craftsman style doors. Have the original finish but someone chopped the bottom off. My idea is to make the joint between stiles and rails as I have the shaper cutters to do that.

I need help as how to make the joint between the new section and the old door. Biscuits, dowels, or a floating tension. Appreciate ideas on how to joint the new to the old.

my son is an artist so he will do the finish to match. Just that joint to add on the new section Leaning to a floating tension, what do you all think. Charles

[lowell holmes]

I think biscuits are how I would do it.

[Jim Becker]

Biscuit, dowel, regular loose tenons, splines, Dominos, etc., will all do the job for you. Glue it carefully and use cauls to keep the add-on pieces coplanar with the existing door.

[Richard Coers]

Are you talking cabinet, furniture, or passage doors?

[Charles Grauer]

Thanks Jim. My go to glue is T-88 epoxy for joints that are end grain or need gap filling. Don’t have a domino machine, just too expensive for my limited time to woodwork as my wife isn’t well. But I enjoy what ever time I get! !!

[Charles Grauer]

Passage doors. Sorry I over looked that “small detail”. They cut them off for some reason. He bought the doors at a recycle place

[Jim Becker]

Thanks Jim. My go to glue is T-88 epoxy for joints that are end grain or need gap filling. Don’t have a domino machine, just too expensive for my limited time to woodwork as my wife isn’t well. But I enjoy what ever time I get! !!

Domino was just an example. All of these methods are essentially different versions of the same thing.

If the current door bottoms are still a "rail" with grain running horizontally, good PVA wood glue will do the job very well, but yes, you can also use T-88 no problem.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I have repaired countless doors by cutting off the damaged rail or stile and adding on a new piece. I have used loose tenons, dowels, and splines with equal success. Splines are great for a door that is a little warped (Within reason) I have pulled warped doors straight by cutting out the offending board and splining in a new one.

I used cascophen aka resoursinol and also exterior grade yellow glue. The first has a quick cure time, and indestructible bond. The latter works fine and is readily available.

[Charles Grauer]

Thank you Malcolm! I have used resoursinol repairing aircraft wings. I have plastic resin on hand which I used on aircraft also. They finally approved T-88 a few years ago for aircraft use now. I will use T-88 for the doors. Thank for your imput, every bit helps. I just need to get after it now! Charles

[Bill Dufour]

after it is done add a brass kickplate to cover it all.
Bil lD

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The reason they are cut down is that the idea of a standard height door is newer than you think. Lots of doors that were made in the big eastern mills were cut down to fit into a common for the time 76" or less doorway during construction. I see it here a lot on 1880 houses. I actually did it last week to get an 80" door into a 74" doorway that had the original lockset that had to be reused at munchkin height, about 6" below where it should be. People must have been shorter then. Looked really silly to have a 6' 2" door going into a 9' ceiling bedroom, but the customer wanted original, so what do you do. I hit my head on it I think 6 times.

I personally don't use biscuits, splines, dominos, etc for adding on, there is plenty of long grain there for the glue joint to be ridiculously strong and I like to be able to tweak the joint a little on glueup. Invariably when doing this there is a taper to the door, the replacement stock is too thick/thin, there is a bow, etc and I want to be able to clamp it exactly where I want it not where a biscuit is forcing me to. Saves some time on the next step of sanding and blending that seam.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I repaired an exterior door with no storm door. I cut off the bottom (in bad shape) then used dowels and glued a new bottom in place. It has been working just fine for over 10 years. The door had lots of problems even after the repair so I might eventually just replace it, but the repair has held just fine.

I used Tightbond III and this door gets a lot of water, snow, etc. I do not remember for certain, but, I probably drilled the holes for the dowels and installed them AFTER the bottom had already been glued in place. In retrospect, I am not sure the dowels were really needed. I probably used 3/4" dowels.

[Charles Grauer]

Thanks, Bill, Steve, and Andrew. All comments have been positive and very helpful.. letting the 1/4 sawn fir I will use for the repair climate some and then I will plane in don to thickness. They are indoor doors and all three have different lengths. They will go in a apx 1920’s house. It is a Sears house. They are trying to get it back to the way it’s ghoul day be. Lots of jack leg work and nuttie ideas to correct but they are getting there. Thanks all.