Window in metal door

My experience with a couple metal doors is that they use the hardest stuff imagineable. Something like a cross between safe metal and the stuff bedframe rails are made of. REALLY hard on cutting tools. You can drill it with Cobalt drills, but typical sawzall blades will go dull in about an inch of cutting, I think.

Jon

Oops, that's sobering. I was thinking to try my metal nibbler from HF.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

My experience with a couple metal doors is that they use the hardest stuff imagineable. Something like a cross between safe metal and the stuff bedframe rails are made of. REALLY hard on cutting tools. You can drill it with Cobalt drills, but typical sawzall blades will go dull in about an inch of cutting, I think.

Jon

"Stormin Mormon" fired this volley in news:9_mUq.5$ snipped-for-privacy@news.usenetserver.com:

naaahhh... I've cut custom openings in steel doors many times!

I've used a fine-toothed carbide blade in a circular saw, cutting VERY slowly to prevent the saw from yanking up a rough edge. "Ferrous metal" cutting blades work, too, but tend to burn the foam in the door. Grit blades work great!

I've also used a 24T metal cutting sabre saw blade (in a sabre saw, yes). Works fine. Again, high saw speed, SLOW cutting.

It's very easy to do a good job, if you keep the rate of feed low and very controlled -- don't let the saw pull itself into the work.

LLoyd

The bigger deal is finding the metal frame. The terms in the industry are "vision panel" and "half light". Anyone who deals in hollow metal should have the kits or be able to get them. They do NOT normally supply the glass so you are looking for 2 suppliers. I prefer the 2 piece metal kits, put the screws on the not locked side.

It makes a bit of difference what grade of door and more so what filler is in the door. As others have said, many weapons will work.

Would you work with the door flat, on a bench, or sawhorses? I guess you'd have to, using a circle saw. I hadn't thought of that, I was mostly thinking of cutting the door while it's still on the hinge.

Thank you for sharing your metal working experience.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

naaahhh... I've cut custom openings in steel doors many times!

I've used a fine-toothed carbide blade in a circular saw, cutting VERY slowly to prevent the saw from yanking up a rough edge. "Ferrous metal" cutting blades work, too, but tend to burn the foam in the door. Grit blades work great!

I've also used a 24T metal cutting sabre saw blade (in a sabre saw, yes). Works fine. Again, high saw speed, SLOW cutting.

It's very easy to do a good job, if you keep the rate of feed low and very controlled -- don't let the saw pull itself into the work.

LLoyd

It's worth asking, I guess. I think these are 36 inches wide, not sure the height.

Listing tires without listing the size, sounds like a waste of a perfectly good ad.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

I would try asking on Craigslist for exterior doors with windows. They are most likely standard 3 foot wide doors, but measure them and say what size you are looking.

I love the listings on Craigslist for tires. They usually have no information on the size.

Dan

We might know who is the supplier who provided the doors in the first place, so might be possible to get the same kind of window.

At this point, looks like we'll exchange two doors, one for the other. Another door was found in the barn, which has a window, and the same handing as the door coming out.

I'm still curious to learn. Even if I might not actually do the window install.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

The bigger deal is finding the metal frame. The terms in the industry are "vision panel" and "half light". Anyone who deals in hollow metal should have the kits or be able to get them. They do NOT normally supply the glass so you are looking for 2 suppliers. I prefer the 2 piece metal kits, put the screws on the not locked side.

It makes a bit of difference what grade of door and more so what filler is in the door. As others have said, many weapons will work.

"Stormin Mormon" fired this volley in news:pDxUq.90109$ snipped-for-privacy@news.usenetserver.com:

I've done it both ways, but it's easier to work on the flat.

Also, cover all exposed surfaces around the cut with masking tape or safety tape, to prevent marring the remaining surfaces.

LLoyd

Oy, protect other surfaces. You're so right. My experiences with modifying wood doors, requires very careful technique, and were a bit of a learning experience. I learned that a 1 x 4 can be clamped to the door, to guide the back edge of the saw. A 2 / 4 is too high, the motor won't clear.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

I've done it both ways, but it's easier to work on the flat.

Also, cover all exposed surfaces around the cut with masking tape or safety tape, to prevent marring the remaining surfaces.

LLoyd

Ditto. A circ saw with a fresh throwaway blade is great for that, too. Just wear eye and ear protection.

-- Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. -- George Lois

WHAT!!! CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!! AND WNOE, AND HAERELDY SEE THE SDRESEN TO TYPE, THES;ER SEFRAY GLASESE SARE SO SCRATCERHEHED UP!!!!!

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

Ditto. A circ saw with a fresh throwaway blade is great for that, too. Just wear eye and ear protection.

-- Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. -- George Lois

"Stormin Mormon" fired this volley in news:i3zUq.29569$ snipped-for-privacy@news.usenetserver.com:

Stormy, you laugh, but the rule of cutting sheet metal with a toothed circular saw is, "it hurts" (pretty much everything on your body).

Wear long sleeves, and button up your top collar button, too!

DAMHIKT!

Lloyd

You know, that does sound like the voice of experience. Thanks for trying to help me avoid similar pains. I've found that cutting metal usually involves sparks, and all kinds of bad things.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

Stormy, you laugh, but the rule of cutting sheet metal with a toothed circular saw is, "it hurts" (pretty much everything on your body).

Wear long sleeves, and button up your top collar button, too!

DAMHIKT!

Lloyd

Before you drag that heavy beast from the barn, check the hinge layout and the strike height. There are no two door manufacturers that use the same layout. If all the doors were bought at one time and are all original you are probably good to go, but certainly check. If the hinges won't make, you can go to 1/2 mortise or 1/2 surface hinges or one of the newer continuous hinges. Continuous hinges are over $100.

Best of luck.

You might ask yourself WHY were they metal doors in the first place, and WHY do they want windows.

There might be better solutions jk

I'm wondering why he didn't simply ask Jesus.

-- The most decisive actions of our life - I mean those that are most likely to decide the whole course of our future - are, more often than not, unconsidered. -- Andre Gide

Because Jesus would say "build a wooden door"??? jk

He did ask Jesus. He said "Why do you think I told William Shockley about transistors? It was so you could use you computer and ask rcm!"

"Whats a cubit?" Lets see a cubit...I used to know what a cubit was Well don't worry about that Noah.

It's about three palms in length. Or 48 cm +/- 2 inches