In this episode, I build a whole house of Modern Contemporary Doors featuring a stainless steel accent.  My Colorado Springs Client was remodeling their entire home and wanted me to make all the doors.  They were going for a contemporary, modern feel, so the doors I came up with were panel-style, with each panel divided by a stainless steel band.  I modified the design of the doors to fit each application.  I designed all the custom doors to fit all the standard-sized doors, pocket doors, fire-rated doors, and barn doors.

Brian discussed his experience in creating custom doors for a client’s house, including four barn doors, a pocket door, and several bedroom and bathroom doors. He detailed the process of milling the lumber, cutting dados for the panels, and creating mortises for the tenons. Brian also shared his strategy for managing the large number of doors, which involved using a jig system with stop blocks and a domino for alignment. He demonstrated how he used the table saw to cut all tenons. Brian also discussed the process of creating custom doors with stainless steel accents, highlighting the use of a protective coating, a jig for centering the stainless steel pieces, and self-tapping screws for assembly. He finished the build by showing off the cherry wood with an espresso stain, highlighting the stainless steel accents.

When I was commissioned to build all the doors for a client’s home, I knew it would be a challenging but rewarding project. The order included four barn doors, a pocket door, and several bedroom and bathroom doors. Each door required precision, patience, and a few clever tricks to streamline the process. Here’s how I tackled the build.

As with any woodworking project, the first step was milling the lumber square. The doors featured a six-panel design, separated by stainless steel accents. To create the frame, I cut a dado down the length of the stiles to accept the panels.

Each panel needed a centered tenon to hold it in place while allowing the rest of the panel to expand and contract within the dado. To ensure consistency across all doors, I set up a jig system using stock blocks matching the width of the tenons.  By screwing these blocks in place, I could quickly position them for each door and remove them as needed. This saved a ton of time, especially since I had 12 doors to build!

We’ve all heard the saying, “No woodworker ever has enough clamps.” This project was no exception. With so many panels to glue up, I had to get creative.

The tenons were cut on the table saw in two passes—one to establish the initial width and another to refine it. Since the panels were wide, I avoided fullwidth glue joints to prevent splitting due to humidity changes. Instead, I only glued the center of the tenon for added strength while letting the rest float in the dado.

The stainless steel accent pieces added a sleek, modern touch. To attach them:

The protective PVC coating on the steel was stubborn to remove—more like vinyl than plastic—but a little mineral spirits cleaned up the residue nicely.

To prevent panel rattling, I added weatherstripping inside the channels, ensuring constant pressure even if the wood shrank. Since the panels were prefinished, I used blue tape on the tenons to avoid glue squeezeout.  For assembly, I opted for slowset epoxy to give myself plenty of time to align everything perfectly. Once clamped, I did a final cleanup before delivery.

The doors were crafted from cherry wood with an espresso stain, complemented by stainless steel accents. They looked stunning as barn doors, traditional swing doors, and pocket doors.  This project was a great reminder that with the right jigs, a bit of ingenuity, and a whole lot of clamps (even if you never have enough), you can tackle even the most demanding woodworking jobs.  What’s the most challenging door or panel project you’ve worked on? Let me know in the comments!