Visited a custom door shop in Nashville and saw something wild

I was down in Nashville last month checking out a friend's workshop and I gotta say, I think their approach to shaker doors is way overcomplicated. Everyone raves about these super tight .003 inch gaps they aim for on cope and stick joints. But I saw a dozen doors that looked perfect on the bench go out and half of them moved enough to bind within 2 weeks. The humidity there is brutal even with AC. Me, I leave a hair more space around .008 inch and my stuff never comes back. Am I the only one who thinks chasing these crazy tolerances on interior doors is a waste of time?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan_hill7d ago

Different strokes I guess but I've gone the opposite direction over the years. Tight tolerances look great in the shop but you're right about humidity, wood moves and it's going to do what it wants. I'd rather have a door that works smooth than one that looks perfect for a week then sticks.

wells.christopher6d agoMost Upvoted

A week? Man your wood must be drier than my grandmas turkey.