Mission Accomplished—THE BIG Custom Doors!

Working Double-Time on Double Doors

We spent two weeks working nearly all waking hours to complete the big doors. These massive custom doors were a huge project for such a tiny shop. The size of the pieces was certainly huge, though there were only three (two huge doors and one double-huge door frame), but it was the intensity of labor and endless fine details that made this a big project. Each of these heavy, double doors measure 8’ high by 40” wide each by 2-1/4” thick solid African mahogany. They have curved, raised panels, curved glass panels and curved frame and trims, curves everywhere.

Always Ready for a Challenge

But the most difficult part for us was the wonderful Endura Trilennium^® locking system hardware chosen by the customer. The active panel of the double door system has a five point locking mechanism that operates three bolts into the inactive panel along with head and foot bolts as well. Kachunk—multiple CLICK, when that door closes. This is the best locking system I have ever seen. It took quite a bit of our time to figure out everything about the installation.

We, with our customer’s strong help, purchased the routing guide package to router out the edges of the door for this hardware brand. It was kind of a big deal around here. Tim spent a lot of time figuring it all out. He routered a practice piece first and then went to it on the doors. I told him I was responsible if anything went wrong. Nothing went wrong. Everything fit. Tim is great with these kinds of projects and he excelled on this.

Am I a Craftsman or a Preacher?

It was a really busy couple of weeks. All through it, however, I was thinking about how to actively disciple my apprentice. Just how does a craftsman communicate his best ethics and his best thoughts about being a Christian businessman to his apprentice? If I preach big gobs of unsolicited advice I am going to be ignored or worse, hated, and despised as a crack pot or someone detestable I am certain.

Talking is plenty useful but it has to be practiced within the proper framework. I am starting to think that I ought to tell (warn?) my apprentice that I will be sharing any spiritual insights I have, with him, just as a general heads up. If I had, from the beginning, let him know that I was going to do this it would have been better all around. It is not to late to tell him now though. For the sake of honesty I think I will tell him that I am going to share spiritual insights as a normal part of his training. That way he will understand more clearly the direction I am taking this relationship. For, I am remembering that, “When a student is fully taught he will be just like his teacher.”