Currently 027 layout on 4X8 ply 0.58 thick. It’s fun but unwieldly thus never gets used. It may be used periodically then put away till next time. I read about doorway layouts of hollow core Lauan doors, or Bi panels, and felt how light and strong they are at home depot. Super! But just how does one do that anyway? Can a 36X80 be ripped by skilsaw in two at 40" for easy handling/storage then reassembled or combined? Are there optimal or standard sizes? Thanks for your help, Jack (newbie!)
Hollow core doors are hollow. There is a little room on the edges to trim to fit a strange door opening, but cannot be cut in half.
I bought 4 walmart 2x4 tables for the corners. I dropped 4 doors in a rectangle onto those corners using cork pin up board as levelers. Then 1/4 birch on top after foam is cut into the gaps to stablize the whole thing with hurricane braces.
That was after the wife said, here are 4 doors we dont need, 1 inch thick, solid wood and 25 years aged with no errors.
If you cut a hollow door in half you would be left with an unsupported edge - two pieces of thin ply or veneerboard separated by blocks and/or spirals of corrugated cardboard. The cut edges can be reinforced by inserting a piece of 2x2, 2x3 or 2x4 into the gap, well coated with glue, and then clamping it overnight.
One thing. The door may not (probably will not) be an exact fit for the filler piece. It may have to be hand or machine planed to size. The alternative is to use a sander, and generate a lot of very fine sawdust instead of shavings.
Standard hollow-core doors are available (usually in stock) from 24 inches to 36 inches wide (in 2 inch increments) at most big box home improvement centers. 80 inches is the standard height. Other sizes may be special ordered. Check with customer service for details.
There have been many fine layouts built on hollow core doors. Just be aware that the skin is usually only about 1/8 inch thick - not very good at holding fastenings other than adhesives.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on ‘C acts like L’ girder steel stud benchwork)
Instead of buying them, stop by a local lumber yard, and you’ll most likely get ones with “defects” for free.
How I got mine awhile back.
See the second paragraph above - it didn’t show as an addition to my post. When you cut the door, score two lines, slightly more than the thickness or kerf of your saw blade, on the top side - cut from this side. Try to get a fine tooth blade - 30 or more teeth for a 7 1/4" blade - and cut slowly. As a former contractor/carpenter/cabinetmaker I have cut hundreds of doors this way. Use ordinary carpenters wood glue for this. My [2c]
Many thanks for the addition to my post, Lou.
As a carpenter, I’m a pretty good tin-bender - which is one big reason my benchwork is built with steel studs.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Thanks, Ivanhen.
I appreciate your professional experience and input. There’s nothing worse than going great guns then running into a situation that I didn’t know about that leaves a big idea just dead in the water.
In a Lauan hollow core door, is there solid wood all the way across the midsection where a doorknob would be installed? What is on the inside of the doorknob zone?
The biggest door I saw retail at home depot was 36x80. I was so impressed with how light it was. If that was cut in half that would make two pieces about three foot square for a single module. Cutting it in thirds may make smaller modules but then that many tracks to reassemble might defeat it’s purpose. Perhaps half is optimal. Designing trackage to cross that midline minimally might help. Thanks, j
Thank you for your input, Chuck.
Is the thin wood/fastener situation a limitation for hollow doors?
Thanks,
Jack
How about ripping a plywood board into two sections of the shape you want and framing it with 1x3? If you have left over lengths of plywood after ripping the shapes you want you could use that for framing instead.
You can then attach the two halves together with bolts. Alternatively, you can attack the two halves with hinges either on the side or bottom which may make for more precise alignment.
Another approach would be to design it such that the two sections can be set up on top of a regular folding table eliminating the need for long leg sections. I have also seen people attach folding legs to their layout that are available at home improvement stores. I would not go this route with two halves, however.
Regards,
Chris