The weather is making enormous swings! One day we were working with the fan on and sweating and the next in winter clothes, hats and all, and freezing! Winter is on the way and we need to close this barn in! We’re making the doors because we want them to look like they’re 100 years old and they came with the barn and they have to be an exact size, not easy to find! Our good friend Dave who is a very talented blacksmith, one of his many talents, is hand forging all of the hardware for us to maintain the period look, huge hinges to support huge doors! Here’s how we made them. First, we used pine, “box car” siding, joined it together to size, using black, square head screws, we needed 2 doors, 5 ft wide, and 8 ft tall, then we cross braced it with 2 X 4’s, then set the window bucks. Next, I used an orbital sander to rough up the surface a little, so when stained, the surface wouldn’t look so smooth. Next, I used a hammer and beat dents in several places, I liked it! I used the claw end of the hammer also to make a few “scrapes”. After all, 100 year old barn doors would be roughed up! Then, I mixed up some stain, golden oak, red oak and special walnut to get just the right color and stained both sides of the doors, two coats each. When completely dry, I applied a wax finish for a hand rubbed look and then buffed it. Of course when they’re exposed to the elements, they will age on their own! Next, we hung the doors, with help, very heavy! We’ll take the window bucks out to do it. On a warm, sunny day, thank God, we put the doors in place, making sure everything was plumb, level and square so that the doors would swing properly, then we set the hinges. And wow, they looked even better than we could have imagined! The next step was to put the window bucks back in, and set the windows. I will post how I made the diamond paned windows. I couldn’t find the exact size we needed of course, so I figured out a way to create them using old windows and lead strips without spending a fortune! Lastly, we mounted the iron handles and the lock and we are in business! I love them! They look old already! Stay tuned for the new staircase!
