Anyone shortened a Solid Core door

[Donnie]

I have a Solid Core door that I am thinking about reducing its sixe from 80" down to 60" or 70". This will be used for my first workbench. I found some simple plans on "PlansNow" that I like that uses a Solid Core Door.
Would I regret this? I was wondering if cutting off some of the end lenght would mess things up.
ALso, what kind of materials are inside a Solid Core door ?

Thanks
Donnie

[steve_ma]

Actually, I have been thinking about something similar myself....I want to cut one in half to make a "1/2 door" to my shop....I dont know what you call it, but I want to be able to close the bottom half to keep kids out, but keep the top half open to see in/out. I dont see where you can buy something like this....
I think some solid doors have some kind of foam insulation inside. You want a solid wood core door.

[Pappy]

Donnie, the door should have strips laminated vertical to the door to form the core with a horizontal strip top and bottom for looks. After you cut it I would add another strip across the cut end.

Steve, that's a Dutch door.

[autiger1]

Solid Core or Hollow core???

[LarryG]

quote:Originally posted by Donnie

ALso, what kind of materials are inside a Solid Core door?

Depends on whether it's a fire-rated door, but for the kind of residential doors you'd get at a home center, usually it's some flavor of particleboard.

[BobSch]

quote:Originally posted by LarryG

quote:Originally posted by Donnie

ALso, what kind of materials are inside a Solid Core door?

Depends on whether it's a fire-rated door, but usually it's some flavor of particleboard.

Non-fire-rated doors are usually a particle board core with approx. 2" of solid wood around the outside. Most fire-rated doors have a core of gypcrete, a mixture of gypsum and concrete. Not the kind of stuff you want to be cutting into.

[mr.g]

Donnie,

It sounds like you are interested in the "weekend workbench" from PlansNow.com. I built this bench a couple of years ago and used a solid core door that I got from Home Depot. Check around the area that sells the doors, sometimes they will have returns that they will sell for discount.
Why are you wanting to shorten the door? The plans call for using a full size 80" door. Unless you absolutely have to make it smaller because of space issues, I'd stick with the original size. If you make the top too much shorter then you will have to adjust the size of the strechers that run between the legs and also will need to adjust the width of the drawers.
I have mine in my workshop/garage and to help with space issues I installed casters on the bottom to make it mobile. This way I can move it around if I need too, but it mostly just sits in the same spot along a wall.

Good luck,
Mark

[Donnie]

How did you guess ! Yep, that is what I am doing is wanting to build the PlansNow weekend Workbench. I do not intend to shorten it now.

Thanks for the tip.

[Daryl]

The door I trimmed last year had plain ole cardboard edge-wise in it to provide support. Score the cut with a knife before sawing and then just glue in a new bottom strip. You can use your stud finder to get kinda of a picture of what is inside it.

[Jim-Iowa]

Donnie: Replied to your email this morning.
I did just as you propose and cut my 32X80 door down to 60".
The cut left an exposed particle board edge. I put 3/4 pine banding around the whole bench(would have prefered oak but used what I had on hand.
My door was particle board core and I simply cut it down with my circulat saw.
Now a hollow core door will have a cardboard core,I once shortened one. It was one of those" I cut it off twice and it`s still too short deals". I had painstakenly chizeled off the veneer and glued the band back in, before I dicovered I had measured wrong. I gave it to my dad to use in a restroom at the church. No big loss, just a lot of aggravation. And lesson learned, I always check my measurements now.

I probably had room for a full size door bench but cut mine down and have yet to regret it.

[Bob Webb]

quote:Originally posted by steve_ma

Actually, I have been thinking about something similar myself....I want to cut one in half to make a "1/2 door" to my shop....I dont know what you call it, but I want to be able to close the bottom half to keep kids out, but keep the top half open to see in/out.

What you are doing is making a "Dutch Door". It can be pretty handy.
My work bench is made of 2 solid core doors glued together. Heavy as %&*$% but not going anywhere. Put it 6 300# rated casters with a short block Chevy to move it around.


Good Luck,

[messmaker]

I am getting ready to put the door(top) on my bench this weekend. Are you going to put hardboard on top and are you going to put trim around the sides?