Finished Doors

All in all I am very pleased with how my doors have turned out, the simple idea of shaving and distressing MDF to make it look like real wood was simple but effective. The only comment I have about this technique is the time and labour it takes to achieve it. We could have used real timber for the doors but then we would have had multiple issues of warping, lack of resources and not to mention getting around the problem of machining a real panel. I think the doors are a big success and think they give the set an extra aura of disturbance that is not imposing yet noticeable.

Doors (Front Door)

This door was by far the easiest to make as it only has to be seen from one side yet it does have to function as a door. Again, the same process of paint and wax was used and we also didn't distress it as near as much as the other doors as this door i the neatest and best cared for of all the doors within the set to give contrast to how badly the others are destroyed.

Doors (Living Room)

For The creation of the double doors I decided a four panel look would be suitable, and these door also had to be completely practical, unlike the front door which only had to work on one side or the bedroom door which is non-practical therefore doesn't move at all. The same process' were used to create the doors except for a new splash effect I discovered with using the ethanol and button polish with water technique.

Doors (Bedroom)

Here are the designs I drew in autoCAD to help me get an accurate idea of what my doors should look like. This will also give me the advantage of knowing exactly how much wood I shall need and give me a reference to draw to should I need a dimension.

The first door I decided to make was the Gregor's bedroom door. This door would be the most difficult to make as the paneling for the door would have to match the angle of the slant of the ceiling. To measure the door correctly I asked Henry Jones for some assistance.

We used a chalk line to draw out where the vanishing point for the whole room would be then used that line to mark where the panelling should go

Door with chalk lines ready to be built

I had to clamp and move the door frame to the correct size as it had warped since the set went up.

We created 'panels' out of MDF and then glued and nailed them down

We then used the router to give the centre panels a rounded look

We then proceeded to distress the door as if it had been scratched and scarred

This wire brush drill bit was particularly effective

We then gave it a base undercoat of black

Painted a light wood colour underneath

Sped up the drying process with a hot air gun

Then gave the door a dark wash of black

we then used button polish to wax the door to give it texture

We then used a combination of ethanol button polish and water to create a mould effect

Giving some fresh distress to the scarring

The finished door