Subject: Solid Core Oak Veneer Composite Fire Door

From: [email-masked]
Date: 10 Feb 1997 16:58:41 GMT

Hi..

At a recent auction, I managed to buy 4 solid core oak veneer composite fire
doors (Weyerhauser).  Each is 1 3\4" x 24" x 80", very heavy, and dead flat.  
Anyone have any idea what the core material is?

I want to use one of them to build a benchtop complete with dog holes and vises.
My plan is to sandwich the door between a piece of 3/4" plywood and a piece of 
1/2" plywood giving me a full 3" benchtop.  The main reason for the "sandwhich" 
is that if, as I suspect, the core is particleboard, I'm not sure that the core would
stand up to "dog abuse".  Also, the veneer appears to be between 1/16" and
1/8" thick - rather thin to stand up to "dog abuse". 

Does the above plan appear sound?  Any comments, suggestions, etc. greatfully
appreciated.

TIA
Al Hart

---

From: "Frank K." <[email-masked]>
Date: 11 Feb 1997 00:26:13 GMT

I bought a solid core school gymnasium door at a garage sale. It's 4 feet
by 9 feet and I am using the whole thing as a workbench/assembly table for
my shop. It works great. Plenty of room. The core is particle board an I
have my woodworker's vise mounted at one end and have a line of 3/4" holes
for the 3/4" bolt that I use for a dog. The holes go all the way through as
does the bolt. I have not had a problem with the holes. If I were to find
the holes elongating, I would cut some 1/2" hardwood donuts and inset them,
but again, I've experienced no problems in the five years I've used the
table.

BTW. I have the door mounted on a mobile base. I have about a dozen 3/8"
stove bolts to support it that allow me to adjust it to keep it flat. I use
the space under the top for storing sheet materials.

Good luck.
-- 
Frank

---

From: [email-masked] (Mike Tripp)
Date: 12 Feb 1997 18:02:54 GMT

>Anyone have any idea what the core material is?

"Fire doors" are filled with non-flammable material (not wood) to prevent 
fire from spreading through them.  I once hung them years ago in a Sears 
Auto Center, between the bay/pit area (where the fire would theoretically 
originate) and the office counter area.  Wasn't allowed to cut any openings 
in the door, but in the course of attaching handles, kickplates, and mounting 
automatic closers, I did have to drill a few holes, which yielded white chalky 
matter that was similar to gypsum inside...though a bit caustic to sweaty skin.

>Does the above plan appear sound?  Any comments, suggestions, etc. greatfully

Plenty of heft, and warpage due to humidity shouldn't be a biggie...but you'll 
have to be careful not to penetrate the outer veneer with tools and I'm 
betting that you'll  have to line the holes to keep the dogs from chewing 
up the core material. 

Mike