Building a glass door

Hi,

I am interesting in building a new door with a glass pane as a center panel. The glass will be tempered and frosted (privacy glass).

I know that just buying a door and putting it in would be easier but it justs blocks too much of the light.

I am looking for some resources as to what tools I might need and general plans for building doors.

Thanks a lot!

dce

 

Check at home centers and specialty door retailers. There are full length glass doors available.

 

I built one years ago for the doorway from our kitchen out to the ajoining sunporch. Used 2x6 redwood for the rails and stiles, dowel and some super good glue. Took a router and rabbeted a lip in the edge inside for the glass panel to sit in. Held up well for many years.

If you have a table saw, I'd run a dado the thickness of the glass, with a shoulder tenon on the rail ends to match the dado in the stiles, then assemble with the glass. If the glass every needed replacing, you'd have to get "creative", but it would be a strong door.

I make red oak interior doors now using a rail/stile bit set on a shaper and slide stained glass panels in the panel dado on some of them.....that might get into more woodworking than you want to do , though......machine and tooling will set ya back 2k before the first door comes off.....