need help making steel door

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Hello,I am interested in making a door and frame steel for the front of my house i was wondering if any who has made one could give me direction material etcand I would like some detail on the locking mechanismThanks,          Abbas
Reply:Like these?City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:something like this i just could not fing a pic in steel.the one i was thinking of had like rectangular tube  instead of sheet metal covering everything . I just need to know how to incorporate the locking mechanism into the door the rest of it seems pretty straight forward and how do u mount the frame to the house
Reply:Dang dude,   if ya gotta have a steel door, I'd find a new place to live.  I haven't locked my doors in probably 15 yrs.
Reply:Originally Posted by Y2KDang dude,   if ya gotta have a steel door, I'd find a new place to live.  I haven't locked my doors in probably 15 yrs.
Reply:Far as figuring out how to install locks check with a gate company or door company for different ideas.  Check gates as you come across them and see how it is done. Most dook locks and handles are tied together by screws that hold it against both side of the door.  Same as on wooden door.
Reply:Originally Posted by [email protected] like this i just could not fing a pic in steel.the one i was thinking of had like rectangular tube  instead of sheet metal covering everything . I just need to know how to incorporate the locking mechanism into the door the rest of it seems pretty straight forward and how do u mount the frame to the house
Reply:get a lockbox unit, any ornamental ornamental supplier will have them, and usually locks to fit in them as well.
Reply:Just wanted to provide a possible alternative (this only applies if you are looking for the security you will recieve from a steel door instead of just the look of the steel).  One way to make highly secure doors for less money than a die pressed sheet metal door (like the one in the pic you posted) is to buy an inexpensive hollow core door and reinforce the inside of the door.  This may be done by making a sheet metal box which just fits inside the hollow core of the door, and then epoxy this box into the door (make sure to mark and cut for hinges door knob, deadbolt, etc...).  This allows you to have a door that starts out as a cheap hollow core door, looks normal, and is secure (for a stronger door, just use heaver gauge metal).  One more thing is to make sure that you reinforce each edge of the door and setup the door so that you can mount your hinges to these reinforcements (and of course reinforce the standard door frame).--Wintermute
Reply:ok cool thats what i need to know the "lockbox unit" thanks guys
Reply:do you guys have any pictures of doors/ gates u guys made with the lock box i saw it in the catalog but on gates it looks like one peice i guess u weld a plate over it so make it look seam lesS?
Reply:i would reccomend that you make a tube-frame out of some MS square/rectangle tube and just skin it in SS if you HAVE to use SS. for that thick of a door, you will have ungodly amounts of heat being put into it, which means ungodly amounts of warpage also. once again, you are also dealing with the ungodly amounts of money that will be needed to build one of these. i'm not sure how much Aluminum is, but it MAY be something too look into if you need corrosion resistance and the polished finish. you could also use MS and chrome it, or polish and clear-coat it.as far as the lock box, you can weld a plate, but there is a possibility of warping the internals and making you SOL. custom-make a little frame to BOLT the lock box into. let's say that for some reason you need to change that lock box in the future (not likely, but possible). would you rather replace the lock box, or the entire door?Just my $.02Later,Andy
Reply:I have been welding lock boxes into door frames for over 20 years now, never had a problem.I buy em from Jensen, or Classic, or Wagner, they are stamped 16 gage steel.I cut and paste em right into square tubing frames, no biggie at all.Grind and sand it smooth, and you never know its there.Need to change it? Thats why they invented cut discs.I have made my own, but its a pain. Drilling those big holes, drilling and tapping the holes for the lockset- why do it when its so cheap to buy one?Buy your lockset first though, and then buy a box to fit it- there are two standard lockset offsets, I think they are 2" and 2 and 3/8". obviously, a lock in one size wont fit a box in the other.Dont weld stainless to mild- you will get galvanic corrosion problems. I weld stainless all the time, and dont find the warpage to be any worse than with mild. You gotta jig properly, use thick enough material, and do it right. We tig it all. Something like 3 tons last year.
Reply:Originally Posted by RiesI weld stainless all the time, and dont find the warpage to be any worse than with mild. You gotta jig properly, use thick enough material, and do it right. We tig it all. Something like 3 tons last year.
Reply:If that door is metal for cosmetic reasons-well OKbutIf that door is for security then a good question is how long it would take a knowlegable person to break through it.  It seems about a secure as a backdoor to a van, and I think I believe a good mechanic would break through in about 5 minutes longer then through a hollow core wood door.Hide your valuable stuff-get a big mean dog and post a sign stating "INDOOR FIRING RANGE TARGET ENTRANCE"
Reply:Originally Posted by Knotbored...post a sign stating "INDOOR FIRING RANGE TARGET ENTRANCE"
Reply:Originally Posted by Joe HI feel ya! I don't think my front door has ever been locked. I never even take the keys out of my truck's ignition at home.
Reply:Well, for those of us who grew up in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc... (almost any big city in the US), not locking your door will just help you end up lacking any expensive personal belongings.  The area I am in now doesn't have a high crime rate, however, I still lock my door, and lock up all of my equipment, cars, etc... even if I'm only stepping out or away for a minute or two.--Wintermute
Reply:thanks for ur input guys i love this site.
Reply:Originally Posted by wintermuteWell, for those of us who grew up in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, etc... (almost any big city in the US), not locking your door will just help you end up lacking any expensive personal belongings.  The area I am in now doesn't have a high crime rate, however, I still lock my door, and lock up all of my equipment, cars, etc... even if I'm only stepping out or away for a minute or two.--Wintermute
Reply:I build exterior custom doors for a living. If you want a solid metal door. You could, but the door frame and opening is going to have to be built to support the weight. Plus the wall should be reinforced also.The second pic is just a SS glazed panel door. The glazing panels is what holds the glass in and seals it. The glazing panels are installed from the outside. Given that with a little effort and a putty knife the glass can be removed in a few minutes and you are in. Those SS bars in the window. They are more than likely installed in the insulated glass when the glass was built.I will say this..........If a burglar wants to get in, he will. If the door looks like a problem, then he will look for a easier way pick it, window, or on newer homes with modern sliding a box knife will do. BTW....Is the door for a safe room??DanMy instructor said someone will catch on fire during class...He wasn't joking!!
Reply:Keeping a thief out!! No such thing.   It took a door like that to keep my kids in!!!!I'm in a rural area, Lots of Camps or summer retreats.   A couple years ago a new owner came to me & wanted a solid steel door & frame made to cover his entry doors.... To he** with looks I want security.  Ok he got his order.  Next he wants prison bars to cover his windows.     Ok he again got his order.I asked why he didn't install some security lighting. The wife don't like the looks of them & don't like the light coming through the windows at night.  Hmmmmm wife don't like the looks of lights on poles but will put up with prison bars.    The next time he was broken into the thief(s) used a battery operated trim saw & cut a hole through the side of his house.Moral of the story. If you have a seldom used shack don't keep anything of value in there & leave the door unlocked so your door frame don't get busted to see if there is anything to steal.Last edited by millman52; 01-01-2008 at 07:44 PM.
Reply:I agree with millman. The simplest things are what keeps burglars out, gates, motion lights, barking dogs, cameras. We have some cabins here and a whole road was broken into. The most ironically part is the ones with just rope across the driveway the burglars were too lazy to remove the rope.DanMy instructor said someone will catch on fire during class...He wasn't joking!!
Reply:Originally Posted by xccelagatorI agree with millman. The simplest things are what keeps burglars out, gates, motion lights, barking dogs, cameras. We have some cabins here and a whole road was broken into. The most ironically part is the ones with just rope across the driveway the burglars were too lazy to remove the rope.Dan
Reply:I get the church peddlers. You know the ones that won't leave ya alone.DanMy instructor said someone will catch on fire during class...He wasn't joking!!Removed because I decided I had made a silly post --WintermuteLast edited by wintermute; 01-01-2008 at 10:20 PM.
Reply:How much is that stainless steel door worth?  That looks like it would go good with my new condo, is there a company that sells parts or makes those types of stainless steel doors?
Reply:Originally Posted by theoriginatorHow much is that staiinless steel door worth?  That looks like it would go good with my new condo, is there a company that sells parts or makes those types of stainless steel doors?
Reply:Here is the way I manage the whole theft problemI have a couple of friends that are "those kind of people" you know the ones who your mama don't want you hanging with Well I also have a coulpe of big guns and they are never sure if I will use them or not Appaerntly they got the word out because I have never had a problemWide open till you see God then brake
Reply:I have the motion lights that surround the house that have the sensitivity set so as not to trigger when a dog or cat walks through the yard, but definately will for a two-legged critter. The real system though is the second line of defense. A friend, who is an eletronic wizard, has a second row of motion sensors at the doors and low windows that trigger the recording of the three dogs barking inside the house. In 4 years that this system has been installed, it has only been tripped twice. Both times I have collected a few tools used for breaking and entering that were dropped when the perps took off running. My home owners insurance considers it a monitored security system and I get a reduced price for my insurance.