I used the advice that I got on this site

[David Kenagy]

It's been 1/2 year since folks here gave me advice on making the walls of the elevator. That advice was to make mortises of 3/8" (instead of 1/4"). So my first step was to make the mortiser published by Woodsmith. I liked its ability to put mortises not only on the edge of a piece, but also the ends of long ones. (That ability wasn't needed for this project).

The wall sides use the same flat panel dimensions, but one side is narrower than the other to house the 'scissor gate'. That narrower side also has the control panel and emergency phone box, so I needed something on the opposite side to match its dimensions. A huge flat panel seemed uninspired, so I went to the CNC to make these two. The far panel is the Nittany Lion, and the near side is the symbol for an Air Force doctor (my other life).

Assembling all those mortises and keeping it square before the glue sets was a concern. I used Titebond II Extend Wood Glue and tackled this in stages. To orient the following, think of the walls as two big center panels with arrays of 2x2 'panes' above and below. Everything was squared and clamped with the entire wall 'dry fit' around any part being glued. (Glue is only at rail/stile joints, the panels 'float'). At the end I was 1/16" out of square (measured corner to corner) on a 96" x 60" wall. The first stage was each of the 2x2 'panes', which needed just two glue joints for each. The second stage glued the horizontal rail beneath the top array and the horizontal rail within the array to the center stile. Third stage was to do the same with the center panels in place as I glued the wide horizontal rail and the bottom array to the center stile. Fourth was the two outer stiles and last was the top and bottom rails. Those required 100" pipe clamps, so not much else was done in the shop for some time.

The panels and sides are quarter-sawn white oak. The stain is General Finishes "Prairie Wheat" under their water-based clear polyurethane.

I've wondered whether the elevator company (whose cabs are very plain) would have other customers who want panels like these. The trouble is, I live in Cleveland and my equipment balks at symbols for Ohio State.

[Ron Selzer]

Very nice work
Ron

[Jim Becker]

Those look magnificent! And what's not to like about a PSU logo. (We Are!)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Very elegant! Well done, Sir!

Sorry about today's loss.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Neat-O! That looks so good.

[Tom Bain]

That is really cool … not everyday you see custom-made elevator panels. Condolences on the loss today.

[Mel Fulks]

The Sawmill elevator panel people all agree that those panels elevate the look. How about a glass floor ….so you can see if the Earth

bound cabin is landing properly ! And if it’s too crowded, you would know without hanging around , and be on your way to the stairs !
I’ve noticed that with elevator music gone ….so is the dancing . Time to start carrying your harmonica ….or SMALL organ ! Let’s STOP
pretending we are alone and start acknowledging….that we have a captive audience ! THAT’s how you get on the TED MACK show !

[David Kenagy]

Whether we win or lose (which we do a lot) our Nittany Lions have class.

[Jim Becker]

Whether we win or lose (which we do a lot) our Nittany Lions have class.

I absolutely agree. It as a tough day, but it's done and next week is now the focus.

[Andrew Hughes]

Nice work David.
It stress me just thinking about all hidden problems that could arise.

[David Kenagy]

"...all hidden problems that could arise"

That was on my mind (a lot). First, I noticed that the company made 'base' cabs out of MDF. So I knew my weights would be lower than theirs (and repairs more practical). Next, I looked at their "custom" cabs, made of raised panels (oak). For reasons I can't figure, they wouldn't make flat panels (which would match my nearby cabinets). So I knew that walls made as assemblies of floating panels would work. They sold me a diagram of their cabs, and I worried that they'd have errors. Once I saw the way the cab is secured, I realized that I was more precise than I needed to be. The biggest remaining worry was whether the cab could tolerate the motion. Since doors (which move a lot and sometimes slam) are made with mortise/tenon joinery, I figured this should work.

One suggestion that made sense to me was the glue. Titebond II is not flexible when compared to a hinge, but it is more flexible than some catalyzed glues. Even wood flexes a bit. When the completed walls were lying flat in the shop, the flexion when lifting one corner was somewhat less than that of an MDF sheet. I'd estimate the assembled weight at about 100 lbs.

The hardware of a residential elevator reminds me of a tall forklift without wheels. The main part that touches the cab is a steel frame (beneath the floor). It's bolted to another (vertical) steel frame but that one doesn't touch the cab. At its top is a plate that screws to the ceiling of the cab. The angle of the floor and position of the ceiling plate are adjusted until the floor is level and the walls plumb. Walls are screwed to the floor with angled metal tabs, and at the top by the ceiling, so they can't 'rack'.

The final worry was whether there would be damage during installation (and there was). The installers have to move the cab frequently during that process, and one move occurred while the control box was lying (unsecured) in its elliptical hole in a 1/4" panel. The result was a tear-out of the bottom of the panel and ~1/2" of the horizontal rail that lies beneath it. I was pleased to confirm my expectation: if I can make it, then I can fix it (and I did).

[Curt Harms]

Those look magnificent! And what's not to like about a PSU logo. (We Are!)

live in Cleveland and my equipment balks at symbols for Ohio State.

I was just going to make the observation that David's equipment has good taste .

[Sean Nagle]

David, Fantastic work!!

It just so happens we are considering an addition to the house with an elevator. This is much nicer than any of the examples we've seen. It looks like I might have to take on another project.

Do you mind sharing the name of the elevator manufacturer? Did you go with a hydraulic lift system?

[David Kenagy]

It’s interesting how many layers there are between the customer and the actual maker. The company that we contracted with is “Arrow Lift”. But they get the hardware and engineering from a company that I believe is “Bella” ( Italian?)

We chose an “Inline Gear” system. The disadvantage is slightly noisier operation. It’s so slight that you’d only notice it if you were a business adjacent to the shaft and needed silence. If you’re the one in the elevator, it’s quieter than most autos. The downsides for hydraulic:
- higher price
- requires an adjacent room to house the related equipment
- requires more frequent maintenance
- leaks fluid and the smell of that gets worse with age (according to the installing techs).

I took a year to consider options and develop a renovation plan for adjacent living spaces. PM me if you’d like a copy of my CAD drawings of the cab, want to compare the company’s messaging, etc.

My daughter lives in CO Springs. You?

[Ron Selzer]

"- leaks fluid and the smell of that gets worse with age (according to the installing techs)."
very true
Ron