DO YOU
LIVE IN A
BARN?
Rip the pieces to width. Cut off
the tongue and groove for square
edges on the end pieces.
of 1-by and its job is to project
the rollers and door slab past
the existing door casing. Having
the rail 6 inches above the head
jamb looked great, and projecting it 3 inches proud of the rail
on each side worked nicely, too.
On the wall in the backer location, make a small mark showing
the center-line of the backer on
the right side. Measure up half
the width of the backer (in this
case, 3 inches) and make a second mark. This marks the top of
the backer.
Finally, strike a level line from
the top mark.
TOOL SETUP
There’s really nothing that
says “I did this” like making all
the pieces to a project such as a
door—something people touch
and use everyday. Since it must
both look good and work, I take
a little extra care making it.
Success starts with the tool
setup. Having the right tools,
bits, blades and clamps—
before you start working—is
key. I mainly used:
• Miter saw and cut table
• Table saw
• Router with cove and 3/8”
dado bits
• Jawhorses and squeeze
clamps
• Impact drivers
•2x4s
• Circular saw with straight edge
• Random orbit sander
• Socket set
MAKING THE RAIL
BACKER
I cut my rail backer 3 inches
longer than the rail to get a 1-
1/2-inch reveal on either end. I
ripped the backer on the table
saw out of 1-by- 10 flooring stock
to a full 6-inch width.
Next, I sanded the backer on
the show face and on the edges
with 100- and 120-grit sandpaper. Beyond smoothing out
imperfections, sanding does
three things. First, sanding the
face of the pine opens the grain,
enabling the wood to accept
Rout a decorative edge on
the backer.