Armored doors with their own hands. Do-it-yourself metal door manufacturing technology. Anchor bolt mounting

It is quite possible to make a metal door with your own hands, if you correctly approach this process. The front door is one of the most important elements of the apartment. It protects the house from unauthorized entry of intruders, so this design should be as strong and reliable as possible. Metal input products are in special demand, but their cost is quite high. If you want to get a door with a minimum of money, or you need a custom-sized design, then you can do it yourself.

Why you may need to self-weld doors

Gone are the days when you could leave your house open and not worry about losing all your valuables. Even being in an apartment, one cannot be sure that robbers will not break into an unlocked door. Therefore, more and more people are replacing thin wooden canvases with armored metal structures.

A huge range of steel entrance doors is presented on the construction markets. All of them have an attractive appearance and are positioned by sellers as reliable impenetrable structures. However, often after the purchase it turns out that the iron “armored” door you purchased is opened with an ordinary hairpin or knocked out with a kick. This disadvantage is typical for Chinese models.

With self-manufacturing of a metal door, you can be sure of its quality, practicality and safety.

High-quality imported and domestic products, the booking of which really meets all standards, have a high cost.

If you want to become the owner of a durable metal door, then do it yourself. Making such a design yourself is not as difficult as it might seem, while you will spend several times less than you would pay for a similar design in a store.

The production of durable doors at home requires a fairly large list of tools and materials. Most of them can be purchased at a hardware store, and some will have to be ordered from a factory.

Tools and materials that will be needed to make the door:

2mm steel sheet;
Several meters of a profile pipe;
Two door hinges;
Door fittings (handle, lock and peephole);
Anchor bolts and mounting foam;
Drill and grinder;
Welding machine;
insulation material;
Plywood or boards;
Materials for finishing the finished structure.

We have provided you with a comprehensive list of tools. Depending on the purpose of the product and its design, some materials may be added, for example, forged elements.

How to make a drawing of a metal door with your own hands

Before proceeding directly to the manufacture of the door, it is necessary to make measurements of the doorway. It is also important to carefully inspect the walls adjacent to the place where the door will be installed. They must be made of concrete or brick, since the metal structure is too heavy for a drywall base.

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a metal door, first of all, it is necessary to prepare its detailed drawing

After all measurements are taken, it is necessary to make drawings of the future door. The diagram must match the actual dimensions on the scale. In your drawing, depict the installation location of the lock, stiffeners and door handle.

To make a home-made door look no worse than a purchased one, you need to carefully consider every nuance before making it. You can also add designs of decorative elements, for example, decorate with glass or wrought iron patterns.

The drawing will help you see all the shortcomings of the circuit and understand in time whether you need to add stiffeners or it is better to leave everything as it is. Also, relying on a well-designed plan, it will be easier to weld the door correctly.

How to weld a door from a profile pipe: we make a door frame

Before making a door, it is necessary to properly prepare the doorway. How flat this part of the apartment will be depends on how tightly the steel structure will fit to the walls.

The doorway must be carefully puttied, plastered and adjusted in size to the door frame. To make sure that the doorway is processed correctly, you can use the level.

For the manufacture of the door frame, you can use profile pipes

When the doorway is prepared, and its dimensions match the dimensions of the door structure in the drawing, you can proceed to the assembly of the frame. It is she who is made the first, since it will be easier to make a canvas according to the size of this element.

Thick shaped pipes can serve as a material for creating a door frame. With their help, it is possible to weld the most durable structure.

Making a door frame:

First of all, you need to measure the parameters of the already prepared doorway and cut profiles according to these dimensions. At the same time, keep in mind that the finished door frame should be approximately 1.5 cm smaller than the doorway. In this case, the installation of the door structure will go as smoothly as possible.
Next, you need to lightly weld the frame elements to each other. This is necessary so that in case of an error, you can easily redo your work.
Now you need to measure the iron frame. The distance is measured from corner to corner diagonally, as well as vertically and horizontally.
If the frame is perfectly flat, then the final welding of the elements is performed. Welding points are polished with a special machine.
At the last stage, it is necessary to drill holes for the anchor bolts and weld the hinges. The places of welding of the loop and profile are cleaned with a grinder.

The device of the door frame cannot be called complicated. If you have minimal welding skills, then you can handle this stage of creating a door without much difficulty. However, if this is your first time holding a welding machine in your hands, then we advise you to first practice on pieces of a metal corner.

We make a canvas of an iron door with our own hands

After the assembly of the door frame is completed, you can proceed directly to the manufacture of the door frame, and then to welding sheet metal onto it. For these purposes, you can use a metal corner and a two-millimeter steel sheet.

Before proceeding with the manufacture of an iron door, it is necessary to properly prepare the tools for work

How to make a door leaf with your own hands:

The metal corner is cut into pieces of the desired size. To do this, you need to take measurements from the inside of the box. The door leaf must be 5 mm smaller than the frame on all sides.
Frame elements are welded. Diagonals are checked.
A stiffener is welded vertically in the center of the frame. It is also necessary to weld horizontal profiles, for one half you will need 2 metal ribs.
Now you can mark up the steel sheet. It should be 1 cm larger than the door frame on the side of the lock, above and below, and at the point of attachment to the hinges it is worth leaving an overlap of 0.5 cm. The cut sheets of steel are welded to the frame.
Welding points must be cleaned with a grinder.
Drill a hole and holes for the lock and install it on the door. Don't forget to make a hole for the peephole.
Weld door hinges to the frame and canvas.
Insulation is placed inside the door structure between the stiffeners.
We decorate the inside of the door with a sheet of plywood, which can then be pasted over with veneer or wallpaper.
The metal side of the door must be primed and then painted or glued with leatherette.

If you wish, you can make a glass insert in the door leaf or decorate it with artistic forging elements.

The resulting homemade door has all the characteristics inherent in purchased counterparts. However, it will cost you much less than the finished structure and may even be of higher quality than many factory options.

How to weld an iron door with your own hands (video)

Making a metal door with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Even if this is your first time holding a welding machine in your hands, with a little practice, you can create a quite decent product.

Sections of the article:

In the market of entrance doors, steel structures rightfully occupy one of the leading positions. The manufacturing technology and the positive characteristics of the material make it possible to prevent unauthorized entry into the premises and withstand all illegal opening attempts by selecting door keys, destroying or deforming the door leaf. The range of finished products in specialized stores is quite extensive, however, making an iron door with your own hands is not only possible, but also accessible to virtually everyone. It is only important to have the desire and experience to work with a welding machine, as well as to strictly adhere to the sequence when working with materials and tools.

The main reasons for the manufacture of steel doors on their own include:

Non-standard dimensions of the structure, which should be the result;
The embodiment of the exclusive idea of the designer;
Use of special materials;
Opportunity to obtain a high quality product;
Economic component.

A high-quality iron door has high protective properties, provides sufficient heat and sound insulation, and has a long service life.

Iron structure design

The process of manufacturing an iron door should begin with the creation of a drawing, which indicates the actual dimensions of the product. The resulting scheme will serve as the basis for the assembly and subsequent installation of the door.

You need to start by measuring the width and height of the doorway. The measurements obtained are transferred to paper, a diagram of the future design is drawn with the specified width and height of the door leaf.

The standard size of the metal structure is 900 mm x 2000 mm. If the dimensions are larger, then an additional block is installed on top, closed with sheet metal, glass, grating, or a blind or swing block is welded on the side. All elements are specified in the project.

The dimensions of the door frame should be 2 cm smaller than the size of the doorway. The resulting gap will subsequently greatly simplify the process of installing the box and allow you to adjust it if necessary.
The number of loops is calculated taking into account the weight of the structure, as a rule, 2 - 4 canopies are used. To evenly distribute the load, the hinges are welded at the same distance from each other. In this case, the first and last are welded at a distance of 15 cm from the outer edge of the door.

The next step is to reinforce the door frame with additional stiffeners. The main stiffener is located in the middle of the door leaf, and additional stiffeners can be put in from the corners of the product or from the hinges, which will evenly distribute the load over the entire door area. The main thing is that the stiffeners do not interfere with the insertion of the lock, the installation of the handle and the peephole. The stiffeners must ensure the strength of the finished product, their number is also chosen at your own discretion.

Materials and tool kit

The necessary tools for assembling an iron door with your own hands include:

Electric drill;
Screwdriver;
Bulgarian, equipped with a cutting disc for metal;
clamps;
A set of files, a grinder;
A set of measuring tools.

Materials for the manufacture of a standard design include:

Steel sheet (2 - 3 mm thick with a dimension of 100 x 200 cm);
Metal corners for the frame (3.2 x 3.2 cm 6 p.m.);
Profile pipe for the frame and stiffeners (5x 2.5 cm 9 p.m.);
Canopies for doors;
Reinforcement plates for fastening the door frame to the wall (40 x 4 cm, thickness of which is 2 - 3 mm, in the amount of 4 pcs.);
Door fittings (locks, handles);
Anti-corrosion protective compounds, paint;
Mounting foam, anchor bolts.

The range of door fittings and locks is quite diverse, the choice depends solely on personal preferences. But the most popular mechanisms are locks with crossbars on three sides. Such products are much more difficult to install, but their protective functions are much higher.

If the iron door is intended for utility rooms, you can apply a more simplified and cost-effective option in financial terms: the reinforcing bar will perform the function of a stiffener.

Assembly steps

The process of assembling a metal structure consists of the following steps.

collection box

Frame parts are cut from a profile pipe and laid in the form of a rectangle on the welding table. Once again, all dimensions are checked, including diagonally. The control measurement will allow you to set the angles clearly at 90 degrees. A correctly adjusted design is tack welded.

After completion of welding work, it is necessary to check the perpendicularity of the sides and measure the distance between opposite pairs of corners. Compare source data.

If everything worked out correctly, you can proceed to the final welding work. Upon completion, the seams must be sanded. Then reinforcing plates are welded to the door frame.

Door leaf assembly

To assemble the canvas, it is necessary to measure the inside of the door frame. On each side we retreat 7 cm - these are the dimensions of the future structure.

From the metal corners, the blanks necessary for the length are cut and pre-treated to eliminate burrs. The prepared corners must be laid inside the structure to form a rectangle. After that, control and measuring actions are performed.

If there are any nuances, they must be eliminated and fit all the details in size. Docking points are welded tightly.

The next step is to cut the material for the stiffeners, they are welded tightly to the door frame. It is important to take into account all the places indicated in the project for installing the lock and related fittings.

The fabrication of the blade begins with the laying of the steel sheet on the welding table or gantry. A finished frame is laid on top of the sheet and a contour is drawn according to the dimensions specified in the project, while 10 cm must be indented from the outer edges of the frame.

According to the outlined contour, a steel sheet is cut out, the cut sections must be polished. The prepared canvas is mounted to the frame using a welding machine.

An important point: in order to prevent distortion, welding cannot be done with a continuous seam.

The best option for a welding seam is 30 mm pieces with an intermediate distance of 15 - 20 mm. To avoid subsequent hidden defects, the product must periodically cool down during operation, otherwise it may need to be repaired in the near future.

Having finished with the outside of the door, the canvas must be turned over and the door frame laid on top.

For the convenience of fitting the box to the frame, you can use linings, the thickness of which is from 2 to 5 mm, they are laid around the entire perimeter of the structure. In the resulting space, a sealing tape will be installed in the future to improve the soundproofing qualities of the door.

When the door leaf is completely ready, special cuts are made to install the internal lock and peephole, a hole is drilled for the door handle. The edges of the holes must be sanded.
An important point: the size of the hole for the lock at the same time should allow the installation of the lock without play and provide free access to it in case of repair work.

For a padlock, special pads must be provided.

Installation of door hinges

The upper canopies, equipped with grooves, are attached to the door frame, and their lower parts with pins are welded to the door frame. Docking seams must be polished.

The assembled metal structure must first be cleaned of foreign particles (dust, chips) and treated with an anti-corrosion compound. The final chord is either tinting or decorative door trim.

In order to understand in more detail and clearly how iron doors are assembled with your own hands, it is recommended that you first study the videos that clearly show the whole process from A to Z.

Assembly work on the installation of the door

A box is placed in the doorway and the structure is adjusted relative to the opening, all actions are carried out using a plumb line or building level.

Installation work on the installation of the door frame takes place exclusively with its geometrically verified location. Anchor bolts are used to fix the steel hinges to the wall. After that, you can hang the door leaf on the awnings.

Checking the correct installation: the iron door should both open and close freely, and the hinges should work smoothly and without undue effort.

Installing the lock and door handle

After installing the lock, the end sides of the crossbars must be rubbed with chalk and make marks on the door frame with them. In the marked places, holes are cut out - grooves for the crossbars.

If there is a need for additional protection of the lock, a corner of the required length should be welded to the door leaf in those areas where the crossbars come out. Another way is to strengthen the door leaf in the place where the lock is mounted. For this, a 6 mm thick steel plate is welded on the inside. At this stage, it is recommended to adjust the operation of the locking mechanism and take care of the tight fit of the door to the frame.

After studying the detailed manufacturing instructions, you can understand how to properly make a metal structure. It is quite possible to assemble an iron door with your own hands at home, the main thing is to arm yourself with the necessary material and tools.

Today, not only the townspeople, but also the bulk of the owners of suburban property prefer metal structures as entrance doors. In theory, they are much stronger, more reliable and durable than wooden or plastic counterparts. But in fact, many solid-looking metal doors from the budget segment can be opened with a can opener, and a crowbar for them is a universal key. Not everyone can afford to install a massive expensive structure, and high cost is not a guarantee of appropriate quality.

Therefore, craftsmen who have welding skills and the appropriate tool base prefer to make such doors on their own. In this situation, you can be sure of the strength of the frame, and decent parameters of sound absorption and thermal insulation, and give the appearance in the general style. FORUMHOUSE users have also mastered the process and share the results. We study their experience and - we cook a metal door.

Experience is the best assistant
Useful tips for beginners from experienced

Metal entrance doors - constructive

In a typical version, a metal door consists of a frame, leaf, hinges and mounting elements (plates, lugs, pins). You can’t do without certain costs for materials and components, but a self-made door will cost much less than a purchased one. The exact list of consumables depends on the design, dimensions and purpose - if for a fairly simple frame with sheathing and a latch, then to enter the house the door must be multi-layered, with effective locking fittings and decorative cladding. In the second case, an approximate set of necessary things looks like this:

Metal corner (from 5 mm) or profile - for the box;
Metal corner or profile pipe - for the frame, stiffeners;
Sheet of metal - for power sheathing (optimum thickness 2-3 mm).
Thermal insulation material (mineral wool, polystyrene foam, XPS or PSB);
Accessories - hinges (preferably with bearings), seal, peephole, lock / locks, handle, etc.;
Finishing - wood, forging, plastic (for the inside, various panels or laminate).

One of the most important stages is measurements, if you make a mistake, in the future it will become much more difficult to install the door, so you should follow certain recommendations:

All measurements are not from the finishing layer, but from the draft wall;
There should be a groove between the box and the opening, the standard one is 2 cm (for alignment and mounting seam);
The gap between the box and the leaf on the side of the hinges is 3 mm, on the side of the lock - 5 mm.

Having a working drawing with dimensions, or at least a sketch, will be of great help, not everyone has a fantasy developed enough to imagine the final result in their mind. Fortunately, there are enough workable drawings on the Web, if drawing and drawing are also difficult.

Experience is the best assistant

But the best assistant is the experience that the participants of our portal generously share.

A profile pipe 20x40 mm, a metal sheet 3 mm thick went to the frame, mineral wool was used as an insulator, and MDF was finished.

Since it is necessary to cook the frame on a hard, flat surface, and the craftsman did not have a suitable cooking table, he used beams set in the same plane. He also used clamps to keep the geometry of the product, some of them slightly “grab” the elements to the hob during the welding process. dronduletus made the door in several stages.

I cut the pipe to size, did not observe 45⁰ angles, since welding was carried out end-to-end, assembled the frame, beat off the diagonal, grabbed it, checked it, and fixed it with clamps. Welded the frame and welded stiffeners.

I cut the sheet for the sheathing, taking into account the overlap allowances around the entire perimeter (1.5 cm), fixed it on the frame with clamps. First, I welded it from the inside of the frame - from the middle to the edge, with tacks (about 2 cm in increments of 15-20 cm). To make the sheet less led, cook diagonally - opposite sides in different directions. After that, I boiled the outer seams in the same way, cleaned them with a grinder, and boiled them along the stiffeners in the same order. One rib could have been dispensed with, but the sheet turned out to be bent. Next, I welded a “pocket” under the lock - cut a groove at the end, scalded the profile around the perimeter.

I cooked the box from a corner of 40x40 mm, used a channel for the threshold, 100x50mm, when cutting the segments, I added gaps not only for the hinges and the lock, but also up and down (4 mm each). As a protection against those who like to profit from someone else's good, I welded additional plates / plugs over the place where the crossbar will enter the full width (on both sides). I welded metal strips for attaching the box to the wall (two on top and three on the sides). It protected itself not only from knocking out the bolt, but also from removing the door from its hinges.

dronduletus

I welded pieces of a corner 8 cm wide inside the door, onto the back side of the frame, lifting it 8 mm from it - these are anti-removable crabs.

The canopies were welded in a horizontal position - putting the canvas in a box and placing a 2 mm thick steel plate between the canopy and the canvas, in order to stick the seal afterward and avoid friction. The canopies were welded at a distance of 25 cm from the edge of the canvas to the center of each canopy, after checking the level and fixing it with clamps.

Since the walls are old and leave much to be desired, I abandoned the usual anchors, and used the pins only to fix the threshold (channel). The box was fixed on studs, 25 cm long (diameter 12 mm) and chemical anchors, after mounting the box, I hung the door and drilled holes for the crossbar. I laid insulation in the cavity of the door, sewed everything up with MDF panels, and painted it.

Another member of the portal did not take pictures of the process, but his observations will be useful to everyone who is going to make a door.

outsider FORUMHOUSE Member

I also welded the doors, I didn’t take a photo in the process, but I’ll tell you the subtleties. I did it with my father-in-law, they welded a bunch of these doors as a coven at the factory.

Do-it-yourself metal door, life hacks and conclusions:

Iron for sheathing is better to take hot-rolled, cold-rolled is tight with geometry and right angles;
To weld the hinge plate to the box with a clamp, you need to hold it slightly and immediately release it. When the seam cools, the plate will bend with the required clearance. All loops are scalded after fixing;

If you make a special fixture (as in the figure), pressing the sheet to the corner during welding will avoid "bubbles";

So that during the operation of the door the canvas does not touch the frame, the hinges are welded so that the axis of the hinge falls on the edge of the sheet;

Intermediate draft result in the photo.

Master81 welded two metal doors - double and single (255x110 mm and 210x0.72 mm), and, looking at his creation, it is clear that he is "on a short foot" with metal.

The box was cooked from a corner with a thickness of five millimeters, six is possible, but four is undesirable, a frame made of a profile pipe 40x20 mm. Difficulties in the manufacture of the structure did not cause.

Master81 Member of FORUMHOUSE

I measured the doorway, minus a centimeter from the width and length, cut the corner with a grinder evenly, first assembled the box, then the frame under the door.

Another one of our craftsmen, a FORUMHOUSE participant from Moscow with the nickname oss, has already made the sixth metal door, if we count the garage doors. The canvas is three millimeters thick, the frame is made of a profile pipe 50x40x3 mm, like the majority, but he approached the issue of security thoroughly. Armored plate, inner plate, lever lock with four crossbars, protective shutter in the well. These improvements have increased the cost of the product, but peace of mind is more expensive. No photo oss compensates with a streamlined build process and helpful tips.

oss Member FORUMHOUSE

Prior to this, the doors were made using various methods, including first strapping, and then tacking and frame assembly. The sequence chosen this time seems more optimistic.

The optimized version looks like this:

I started with the front vertical profile, made a frame, fixed the lock in the frame, checked how it works;
I made a rear vertical profile, immediately welded the protivosemniks (behind the hinges);
I assembled the entire frame from profiles for tacks;
I cut the skin along the frame (with an overlap of 20 mm);
“Baited” the sheet, scalded it with tacks in increments of 150 mm;
In the racks of the box (strapping), I cut out grooves for crossbars and protivosemnik;
Welded a box with gaps (3 and 5 mm);
Welded the loops.

ABOUT ss advises to insert one combined door lock instead of two different types.

Output

In a topic on the forum dedicated to, the opinion was expressed that the costs of homemade products would be tangible, and the savings would not be so significant that the game was worth the candle. However, for skillful hands, the manufacturing process is quite feasible, and the ability to choose decent materials, and not guess what is inside the purchased structure, is an important factor. Therefore, while some talk about expediency, others do and share real experience in order to make it easier for beginners.

How to save on entrance wooden doors, you can learn from the article - also on our portal. In the video - an overview of popular novelties of doors from the famous exhibition.

The installation of iron doors is carried out both in apartments of residential buildings, and in baths, garages, adjoining buildings, private houses, providing reliable protection of property from thieves and other intruders.

If the purchase of a high-quality metal door is not possible due to the high cost of materials, or because of the need to manufacture a door of a certain size, then with the independent manufacture of iron doors, there is no doubt that the design will be reliable, and the cost of the materials used will not be too high.

Useful information:

Planning and sketch

First you need to take careful measurements of the doorway, and also make sure that your walls are made of brick or concrete, and not plywood under a thick layer of plaster. After that, you should display the dimensions of the doors, the installation height of the hinges and the lock, the stiffeners and other features of the product on paper.

Since metal door blocks are installed at the entrance to the apartment, the door leaf should open from the inside out. In accordance with fire safety regulations, the front door must not create obstacles for evacuation if necessary.

The quality of installation depends on whether you correctly prepare the doorway before installing metal doors. It is important to adjust its dimensions to the dimensions of the door - the more accurately this is done, the smaller the gap between the opening and the door, the more securely install the door. This can be explained by the length of the protruding part of the anchor bolt. If the opening is too wide, then the door is installed in a suspended state - the parts of the box will not adhere to the walls.

Work is carried out on a metal workbench. First, we will assemble the box, for which, according to the markup, we will cut a metal corner, a profile at 45 °. Then you should check the accuracy of cutting, for this you need to connect the frame and attach a carpentry corner. You can assemble a frame from pipes by welding them in the shape of a rectangle.

In the course of work, it is important to check the accuracy of the connection of corners and diagonals so that the structure does not skew. Welds should be processed using an angle grinder so that the canvas fits snugly against the door frame.
We make blanks for the frame from a metal corner, using pre-prepared rectangles of a certain thickness as templates. The gap between the frame and the door frame will be about 5 millimeters on the lock side and about 3 millimeters on the other 3 sides. It should be marked and cut, then put it in the door frame, and then check the diagonal.

A slot for a lock is required in the side profile. Weld frame corners and frames in several places around the perimeter. Now metal strips can be welded onto the frame, which will fix the door trim.
Inside the door leaf, it is necessary to weld the 1st stiffener - measure the length of the frame, cut off the profile of the required dimensions and weld it vertically in the center. Then you should clean the welds with a grinder.
After all this, it is necessary to mark the canvas. We recommend keeping the overlap of the steel sheet on the box within 10-15 millimeters, and from the side of the hinges - 5 millimeters. Cut the sheets of steel with a grinder and weld them to the frame.

Stiffeners located horizontally should be welded inside the canvas. If they are not enough, then the volume of reinforcement should be increased.
To install the lock, it is worth making markings with a marker or chalk on the canvas. Drill a hole for the lock, process it with a file. Drill the holes needed to fix the lock, cut the threads and fix the lock with bolts. Install the lock handle.

Other actions may be required to install the lock in the door (it all depends on the type of product). Read the article about.
Lubricate the hinges, weld them to the frame of the leaf and the door frame. It should be cut with a grinder at the junction of the frame and the canvas, open the door and fix the hinges from the inside using a welding machine.

You can also make a hole for the peephole in the door either through the central profile and metal, or by moving the peephole to the side, and then drilling a hole only in the metal sheet.
For the manufacture of fasteners for the door, we take 6-10 strips of metal, weld them to the door frame.

In these strips we will then make the holes necessary for the anchors.
To insulate the door, cut a piece of foam, mineral wool or other insulation, fill it with the entire area located between the stiffeners.

For the manufacture of internal decorative cladding, we recommend taking a sheet of plywood, which is pre-cut to size, and fasten it with rivets. For finishing, you can use plastic, laminated panels or lining (if you install the door in the bath).

If, after manufacturing, you still have suspicions that the door was insulated unreliably, we recommend that you read.
Everything is ready. It remains to cover the door with auto primer, then paint.

If you wish, instead of painting, you can sheathe the door with leather or leatherette. If necessary, seals should be installed on the door frame. Drill holes in the welded steel strips, fix the door frame with anchors in the opening, use a level to prevent the door from skewing.

Decoration of the door with a window and a figured lattice

The front door with a double-glazed window is installed in private houses. Due to the fact that the light penetrates the window, the hallway will be better lit, and forged elements will give the main entrance a respectable look.

Do you need a normal iron door, but the prices on the market “bite”? There is an option to build it yourself. Let's take a look at how a metal door is made with our own hands, starting with preparing a tool, purchasing material and sketching a sketch, and ending with insulation and a fine finish.

Making an iron door yourself is quite realistic.

Making a metal door with your own hands for an amateur is a very real task, but there is one caveat: you must work freely as a grinder and own a welding machine at least at the initial level. But before you make the door itself, you need to prepare the tool and material.

Tool selection

Bulgarian;
Welding machine;
Screwdriver or a set of screwdrivers;
Electric drill with impact function or hammer drill;
Round "bastard" file;
Hammer;
Roulette;
Kern;
Level (preferably 1.5 m);
Square.

Home craft tool.

In addition, you will need a variety of accessories for power tools. This refers to discs for a grinder for metal, a cord brush for a grinder, drills for a drill, emery and other small things without which it is impossible to make a metal door with your own hands.

Purchase of material for the manufacture of a metal door

For iron doors you need to buy:

Metal sheet with a thickness of 1.5 to 3 mm;
Profiled pipe 40x20 mm - at least 7 - 8 m;
Corner 50x50 mm - about 7 m;
Strip 40x4 mm - 2 m;
Loops are ordinary father-mother or articulated - 2 pcs.

If you do not have much experience in welding work, then it is better to take a thicker sheet for front doors, at least at least 2 mm, and preferably 3 mm. Welding of metal doors the matter is not particularly difficult, but a thin sheet is very easy to burn through.

Material for metal doors

You will also need a good flat table or some kind of goats, it is very difficult to make a metal door on the ground, and for a novice master it is not realistic at all.

Making a sketch

Professional drawings for standard iron doors can now be found, but the problem is that these documents were made in accordance with GOST 31173-2003, that is, 2200x900 mm or 2200x1200 mm (for wide openings).

Professional drawing for a door welded from metal

The entrance metal door in an apartment or a private house does not always meet the standard, so it is better to make a sketch. Otherwise, on a non-standard opening, you will either have to cut out part of the slope, or somehow close up the gap next to the door.

An example of a sketch for a non-standard iron door.

Since we are already making an iron door with our own hands, then at the stage of creating a sketch, you need to take into account some tolerances, they are shown below in an example:

The starting dimensions of the doorway are 216x90 cm;
It is impossible to make a frame (loot) close to the walls, since there will be nowhere to fill in the mounting foam, therefore, along the upper edge we leave 10 mm for the foam, plus 5 mm thickness of the corner;
At the bottom we make a small threshold, respectively, 25 mm from the corner will be cut off, the total remains 212 cm frame height along the inner perimeter;
On the sides we also leave 10 mm for the foam, plus 10 mm is the thickness of the metal in 2 corners, the total width of the internal opening is 87 cm;
The steel door itself, or rather the frame under it, cannot be made close to the loot, if the house starts to “walk” and the loot moves a little, then the canvas will jam. Therefore, we leave a gap of 5 mm along the outer perimeter, respectively, it turns out 211x86 cm;
We take a larger sheet (90x215 cm), as it will overlap with part of the loot.

The tool was prepared, the material was bought, the sketch was made, now you can start building iron doors with your own hands.

Seven stages of steel door assembly

You can make metal doors with your own hands only from a corner or only from a profiled pipe, but the mixed version is more reliable and practical. It is better to weld the outer frame (chute) from a corner of 50x50 mm, and the frame for the door leaf from a profiled pipe 40x20 mm.

Stage number 1. We weld the loot

First of all, we cut off the corners according to the scheme and fix them on the desktop or goats with clamps. It is important here that the bottom plane is even, and the corners are connected at 90º. We check the rectangle of the box along the diagonals, if they are the same, then the corners will be right.

Fixing the frame with clamps.

It’s not worth scalding the corners right away, they can lead, first we grab at several points and again measure the diagonals until everything is boiled, you can still adjust minor inaccuracies.

Spot grip.

When scalding corners, first we apply all vertical seams, and then move on to horizontal ones, so the metal will overheat less. We will cut out the extra part of the corner later.

Corner welding.

Now we turn the frame over and check the plane with a long level or any even standard. There should not be any distortions and bends.

Checking the plane of the frame.

We boil the outer joints and immediately grind these seams with a grinder.

Welding of external seams.

As shown in the photo above, we still have a piece of the corner not cut out from the inside, it needs to be removed, as it will interfere with installation. To do this, turn the frame over again and cut out the extra parts with a grinder. Lootka is ready, now you can move on to the frame for the iron door.

Cut out the excess parts.

Stage number 2. Frame for the door leaf

When cutting profiled pipes under the frame of the door leaf, first measure all the long parts, and then cut out the short ones from the remnants. Otherwise, you may not guess even then, large vertical racks will have to be welded from pieces.

It is better to make a slot under the lock immediately. To do this, we measure 1 m from the bottom of the rack and make 2 vertical cuts along the dimensions of the lock, and cut this strip obliquely in the middle. To make it easier to break the pieces, we make small cuts on them, the arrows in the photo indicate these cuts.

Primary fitting of the castle.

In order for the frame of the door leaf to clearly fall into place, we fix the profiled pipes with clamps on the inside of the loot. Do not forget: there should be a gap of 5 mm between the profiled pipe and the corner, for this we insert gaskets. As gaskets, you can use the same trimmings of the corner.

Fixing the profiled pipe on the frame.

Here it is important how to put profiled pipes, any such pipe has a welded seam, and so, this seam should “look” inside the canvas.

Welded seam of profiled pipe.

When constructing a frame for a door leaf, it is no longer necessary to check the diagonals, since we are “attached” to the outer frame. The corners are welded by analogy with a loot, that is, we grab at several points, and then weld the joints from the center to the edges.

Welding the corners of the door frame.

Here, while the frame is in the loot, we weld the transverse stiffeners, they are made of a profiled pipe.

Fastening ribs.

Now we remove the clamps, remove the outer frame and weld the ends of the joints in the corners, after which we grind all the seams. Be careful, the metal is thin and burns easily.

Grinding welded seams from the outside is mandatory.

Always control where you have the top, bottom, hinges and lock. At this stage it is very easy to confuse and then it will be difficult to correct the situation without losses.

Stage number 3. Sheet fastening

First we need to cut the sheet to size. From the frame of the door leaf, to the edge of the sheet, we leave 20 mm (5 mm for the gap, plus 15 mm for the overlap of the loot). To cut the sheet exactly according to the markup, you can use a profiled pipe, just fasten it with clamps and cut it with a grinder along the edge.

Standard for cutting a sheet with a grinder.

We put the door frame on the cut sheet, check that the overlap is clearly observed everywhere and spot-weld the profiled pipes to the sheet (a step of about 100 - 150 mm). To prevent the frame from moving during welding, it can be fixed with clamps.

Grab the frame not along the perimeter, but diagonally. That is: they welded one point, then switched to the opposite one, and so on until everything is scalded. Otherwise, the design may lead.

Spot welding door leaf.

Stage number 4. How to weld loops

Illustrations	Recommendations
	Canopies we buy usual, such as father-mother (dad with a pin). Before installation, canopies must be lubricated immediately.
	From the edge of the canvas to the canopies there should be 20 - 25 cm, both above and below.
	The canopy should be slightly raised so that the sheet does not cling to the frame when opening.
	The canopy is set so that when viewed from above, there is a gap of 1 - 2 mm between it and the sheet.
	Before how to cook construction, place a gasket under the sheet (a piece of the same sheet). The gap is for the rubber seal.
	We weld the awnings.
	To keep the canopy more secure, you can weld a metal plate with an overlap on the canvas frame, but this is more a recommendation than a rule.

Stage number 5. We cut the lock

The lock has already been inserted into the door frame, now you need to try on and mark the places of cuts in the loot.

Marking for holes in the corner.

We drill holes for the keyhole with a large drill, after which we bring it to the desired size with a round bastard file.

Keyhole hole.

The holes in the corner for the lock itself are cut out by a grinder and also processed with a file. It is advisable to close the lock bolts from the inside with a metal casing, it can be made from a profiled pipe or corner, the casing must be welded.

Cover to protect the bolts of the lock.

Now it remains to try on the overlay on made earlier holes and you can proceed to facing work.

Installing the padlock.

Stage number 6. Facing and insulation

It is cheaper and best to insulate iron doors with polystyrene, as a rule, PSB-S-25 plates 40 mm thick are taken. The plate is cut out a little less than the opening, and the gap is then blown out with mounting foam.

Insulation of entrance doors with foam plastic.

It is not necessary to insulate entrance doors with mineral wool. The fact is that any cotton wool is afraid of moisture and sits down after getting wet, so after a couple of years such a heater will stop working.

From the inside, the structure can be sheathed with any plate you like, from OSB to laminated MDF.

Laminated MDF door trims.

You can also read a more detailed article on the insulation of metal doors -.

The outer front of the doors can also be finished with a laminated plate, but it will be easier and cheaper to paint the metal with hammer paint, this is done like this:

All metal is cleaned with a cord brush (it is convenient to use a cord nozzle on a grinder);
The structure is degreased with acetone or gasoline;
The metal is covered with primer under the previously selected hammer paint;
2-3 layers of paint are applied with a brush, roller or spray gun.

Painting iron doors with hammer paint.

Stage number 7. Installation of metal doors

To fix the iron doors, you must first weld on the perimeter of the loot a kind of shanks from a strip of 40x4 mm.

Shanks for fixing iron doors.

The design is installed in the following sequence:

Insert the loot into the doorway;
With a perforator, drill blind holes in the slopes through the shanks;
Then you can hammer metal crutches or fix the structure with anchor bolts;
Hang the door leaf;
Blow out the gaps around the perimeter of the loot with mounting foam;
The door is installed, now it remains to cut off the excess dried foam and equip the slopes.

This is how an iron door is installed with your own hands.

Output

As you can see, at home “production”, without professional schemes and expensive equipment, a good iron door was assembled by hand and it cost about half as much as the factory counterpart.

With good decor, a homemade door will look no worse than a factory one.

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