Letting PINE wood dry to get 1-3/4" frame and panel doors?

[Daniel Bejarano]

Hi everyone,

I would like to know what people here think about letting solid knotty pine rest only for a couple of days before a final pass at the planer to build doors that will end up at 1-3/4". Styles and rails are 5" wide.

I planed all my boards once and they only need to be planed an 1/8" more to bring them to final dimension before I start mortising with the festool. Total I have four panels. Two panels built just like the doors that are 5' wide and the two doors at 3' more or less. They are all 8' in length.

[mike stenson]

If at all possible, I like to take my stock down to final thickness slowly and let it continue to acclimate in the shop. Seems to keep things more stable.

[Phillip Mitchell]

Too many variables to give a one size fits all answer, IMO.

What was the MC of the wood when it came in prior to milling?

What is MC now?

Was it previously stored in a humidity controlled space?

Is your shop humidity controlled?

How thick was the lumber prior to milling? 8/4 rough so ~ 2 1/16” ?

Assuming the stock has been properly jointed flat before being planed...has the stock stayed flat as you’ve milled it? This is the biggest challenge for solid wood door building...long stiles bowing out of flat either while milling or even after assembly / installation depending on finish durability and environmental conditions after installation.

”Knotty Pine” will likely not be a grade that is what I’d call extremely stable and will likely have somewhat wild/flat sawn grain which does not help with stability, but it all depends on your expectations and tolerances.

What will the finish be and is this an interior or exterior door?

These are some of the things running through my mind when designing, milling and building entry and passage doors.

I’m not quite following your details about the panels. Maybe you could show us some photos. What size are these doors?

[Mel Fulks]

If they have a bit of curve remove wood from convex side. If they are straight ,remove equal cuts on each side.

[Andrew More]

I agree with Philip, big concerns with the moisture content of the pine. Not sure where you're getting it, or what the expectations might be for drying, but if it's still somewhat wet that likely means it's going to continue moving on you.

[Mel Fulks]

Your stiles have been mostly planed . Just sight down length and follow Mel’s good advice. He’s made a lot of doors and is now passing on
good advice. I could never tell employers I had to hang ‘em up in the barn with the hams to season until I got back from Europe.

[Jim Becker]

I made a whole bunch of pine doors for a client a couple years ago. They were for lockers at an equestrian facility and not quite as thick as yours are planned, but the process was the process. I bought really good clear KD white pine for that project. Even so, I had to take it down in increments and sticker/stack in the shop over a period of a week to insure everything stayed flat. My point...don't be in a hurry and let the wood tell you when it's ready.

[Andrew Seemann]

The moisture content is the main thing to worry about first. Is it kiln dried to furniture requirements (somewhere down under 10%), or is it construction lumber dried only to 19%?

If dried down to furniture grade or at least at the same moisture content as the wood that has been sitting around your shop for a while, try to use them as quickly as possible after doing the final milling. Chances are they will move a little bit no matter what, especially since it is spring and the RH of the air typically moves a lot with the rapid changes between warm and cold outside. The sooner you use them after milling, the more likely they will flat when you assemble them.

Remember, no matter what you do, the wood will move after milling (and assembly) at some point, that is unless you can keep it in an environment with constant temperature and humidity forever

[Richard Coers]

Took the words right out of my mouth Andrew. The only thing I can add is how is the pine cut? Juvenile wood cut very near the pith, or something like Eastern White Pine cut from 100 year old trees? I assume the latter since the wood will end up at 1 3/4". One other comment, I always make the bottom rail much wider, usually 8-10" wide. Especially if you machine in a deep groove for a mechanical automatic sweep.

[Jim Dwight]

I think it's pretty much been said but some wood is going to move quite a bit for no good reason and waiting days or weeks may not tell you that. Getting parts to nearly the finish width and length help to let you know what is stable and what is not too. I am not very patient and some of my doors illustrate that but if the wood is dry and it stays stable for a few days after milling a little oversize, I often just go ahead and hope for the best. With kiln dried material at less than 10% moisture, it normally works out fine. Sometimes I used construction lumber or shelving boards that are more like 20% moisture and that is a much bigger gamble. That is how I get doors that twist after installation.

[Daniel Bejarano]

Thank you all for your suggestions

[Daniel Bejarano]

Hi Jim,
Couldn't help out to laugh out loud at your last sentence.
This is key: "Getting parts to nearly the finish width and length help to let you know what is stable and what is not too" Thank you

[Daniel Bejarano]

Thank you once again to all of you for the suggestions and advice