Reduce door size

[Tigger90]

I have LPD pitch pine doors in my house and I need an extra one for a new room. They are discontinued but I managed to find one on eBay. The only issue it’s 30 inch wide and I need 24inch. I am thinking of taking it to a local timber/carpenter to have them cut through the rails so I can then remake into a smaller door. I have a 24inch door on the airing cupboard so I can use that as a guide for the rails and stiles sizes.

is this the best option to deconstruct the door?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

If it is solid pitch pine, yes. At least it will look better than those horrible doors where people take way to much off the rails/stiles, leaving the door looking all out of proportion.

But are you sure it is solid?

 

[Tigger90]

If it is solid pitch pine, yes. At least it will look better than those horrible doors where people take way to much off the rails/stiles, leaving the door looking all out of proportion.

But are you sure it is solid?

Yes it is solid.
Yep would drive me scatty if I knocked 3 inches off each side!
I wonder if once cut down I would be able to reuse the mortise if I carefully drill/chisel out the old tenon?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Can you actually see the ends of the tenons in the stiles at top, middle and bottom of the door? I would hazard guess that the centre and bottom rails should have two tenons at each end (they should both be wide enough to accommodate a double tenon) if the doors are traditionally made.

If you can seevtenon ends, they are traditional M&T work, but that is uncommon these days with many doors like these being assembled using dowels, so no tenon ends. I personally that you are not going to be able to get such tenons out, let alone reuse them. BTW that doesn't stop you from (re-)dowelling or using loose tenons or Dominos to remake the doors

Also, what does the top of the door look like from above? Are these doors made using counter profiled rails? Any chance of a photo? What type of panel mouldings are used? I am trying to determine if it will be possible to re use the existing rails hence the questions

 

[Tigger90]

Yes, can see the ends of the tenons at the top middle and bottom.
From above it looks like a rebate? 4th photo
The moulding has been nailed in. As the new door is to hold 2 glass top panels the moulding is loose, so was going to remove them before I take the door to be cut down.
I have been measuring the stiles and they are all the same width across all the doors I have 24, 30, 27 and 33! It’s an old cottage but I had an extension so I have lots of door sizes
Here are a few photos


I can’t access the new door to take a proper photo as it’s laying flat under my bed! The last photo is the solid door version.