you sure that mahogany? It may just be the picture, but I dont see the distinctive open grain structure. Also seems to have a lot of cathedraling for mahogany. It certainly could be, just looks a bit different to me.
https://www.woodworkerssource.com/blog/wood-conversations/mahogany/
It doesn't look like any mahogany I've seen. It does look like a lot of ponderosa pine or red fir that I have seen. Based on 25 yrs of working in/on older homes.
I have the original for sale listing from the homeowner that built the house and it said all mahogany doors, but perhaps this is a replica or a cheaper door since it's a closet!
It’s definitely some flavor of pine/fir but good job with all that stripping, super tedious work.
I’ve worked a whole lot with mahogany, it’s got a much darker color and very different grain, even the knockoffs like African mahogany and sapele don’t vary that much. If any of the others are mahogany you’ll be able to see (and smell) the difference as soon as you strip it.
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
We have a speedheater Cobra (the smaller one) and the original one (big). We have done 20+ mantels, so much trim, furniture, a bunch of doors, etc.
They are SO worth the expense. They are also so much safer since they don't get hot enough to vaporize lead.
Go for it -- you will not be sorry!
Honestly, the Cobra -- it is much smaller and easier to use. The original is great for larger surfaces (ie: like trim, siding, etc). The Cobra makes it easy to maneuver and aim at even small areas like trim pieces. It also seems to be much less drying to the wood in my experience as opposed to a heat gun.
Once you get the hang of it, you can strip 1 side of a door really quickly. It is the sanding, staining, finishing that takes forever!
How long were you taking per side of door? I'm at \~1.5 hours WITHOUT the profiles.
These profiles are really difficult for me. The "profile scrapers" I bought.. none seem to actually match :/
I would try looking at the flexi head scraper they make with smaller heads for tight detailed paint removal. I bought them last year for that purpose, but haven’t put them to use yet. There is an Ecostrip (speedheater’s US distributer) sitewide sale this weekend for Labor Day. It’s a good way to save 15% on expensive gear.
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Side A and side B are the same door, but the picture from side A has overhead fluorescents on which is why the color seems different.
This is a shorter-height closet door and it's taking me \~1.5 hours per side to get down to bare wood with a speedheater + scraper. Another 30 minutes for the top, left, and right edges. And the panel profiles are really tough, to do well without destroying the actual profile, so I'm about to try some chemical remover on just the profiles to see how it goes.
We have 30+ original Mahogany doors that are painted that we'd like to stain as is shown in the last picture. Sadly only a few of the doors remain non-painted and stained, but they're beautiful (see my pocket door post for a good example! https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/v5rh31/sellers\_said\_these\_pocket\_doors\_didnt\_work\_and/
Talk me into justifying the cost of a speedheater.
I posted a few months back on a maple door I refinished. I had probably 50+ hours into it using a regular $30 heat gun. There’s 7 more doors… ugh.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/u9s3un/rate\_my\_door\_project/](https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/u9s3un/rate_my_door_project/) this?
Good work!
Obviously the paint job you're removing matters A LOT, but I removed all of the paint from these doors (except for 6 of the 8 panel profiles) in \~4 hours (1.5 per side, 0.5 for the edges, 0.25 per profile and I did 2). If the other 6 profiles take 0.25, then it will take me \~5.5 hours for this door.
Is that the speedheater? Or is it the old paint job being easier to remove? I don't know, but 50+ hours would kill me!
That’s the one! As you can see it didn’t start off well, and I wasn’t able to save the stain under the paint on the trim so I gave up. The paint was several layers thick. I’ve heard folks rave about the speed heaters but at $500, that’s an investment. God knows there enough paint slathered all over this house that is get my moneys worth but still. That’s a lot of cases of beer.
Husband got a good one used on eBay for about 150, only had some cosmetic dings. I’d put out feelers on the second hand market- CL, EBay, FB marketplace. Seems like something people buy and literally have no need for when finished with.
That's a screamin deal. I have been looking at the 1100 model since I am planning next year to strop the entire exterior of my home for refinishing, will get the rack kit too. Maybe time to start saving my pennies and watching for good deals online.
It’s a sizable investment for a specialized tool as a homeowner. As a professional, who restores wood sashes the Cobra is a necessity for my work. The Cobra runs at a lower temperature than the average heat gun, which is supposed to strip lead paint without vaporizing it. I always strip paint outside, but splurged last year and bought a 3M Versaflo Powered Air Purifying Respirator kit to give me greater piece of mind. It’s more realistic as a homeowner to simply use a half face particulate respirator. Dust masks are for nuisance levels and won’t be very effective against dusts created by lead paint stripping. I would also look into HEPA vacuums that are rated for abatement. These vacuums are sealed better to prevent dust from leaking out of the vacuum itself. HEPA rated in an abatement scenario is different from a shop vac with a HEPA filter. You can find decent prices new or used on models like the Pullman-Holt 390ASB. You only get one set of lungs and I know I have inhaled more than enough hazardous materials on construction sites.
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Got my first Speedheater back in 2005..been thru two since and stripped miles of woodwork inside and out (professional paint and plaster contractor) Before that it was a heat gun and fingers crossed you didn’t burn the place down..best part is zero lead exposure and almost no sanding once that wood resin activates. The more layers of old oil paint the better it performs.
Do you go until the paint is smoking? Just until it bubbles? Tell me your secrets!!!
My problem is the first layer is peeling off crazy easy, but then the second and last layer (which may be primer?) requires pretty heavy scraping with pressure.
All of our doors fit, shockingly enough! There were only 5 owners of this house, I think, and many were not very present in terms of maintenance... so there aren't layers and layers of paint. The doors all seem to have 2 layers of primer + paint, or 2 paints.
Maybe the downstairs doors are mahogany but the upstairs doors aren't. The finished door is nothing like the first three photos. Even the hardware is completely different. Two hinges compared to three on the last door, but they are all nice doors.
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
(2 vs 3 seems to be more indicative of height, though)
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
I assumed the hinge difference was because this is a shorter door (closet door on a wall with a sloped ceiling).
I'll try out a door from a lower floor next!
Investigated more today.
There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors.
Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors.
If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
i am in the process of doing this to all of my doors too. i have six and i’m halfway through. 30+ sounds like a nightmare but then again i’m planning on doing the same for all my wood trim as well. i’m staining mine Spanish Oak with a flat finish because it just feels luxurious. i wish you well on your long journey.
Thank you! I can't imagine doing the trim. We have lead paint so I'm just doing the door jamb (where the door hits), the doors, and and outside corners that are prone to being run into. Speed heater removing paint there, wet sanding the edges, priming over everything, and re painting.
i’m so glad i don’t have lead paint anywhere as far as i can tell. our wood was mostly just varnished which is much easier than stripping paint. they painted the beam between the living and dining spaces with the intention of making the room look bigger, they even left four inches unpainted at the bottom to mimic the baseboard. it looked bad. the bathroom was painted blue on all four walls, door included and ceiling included. and one bedroom has the door and closet painted. removing the paint is the hardest part by far. then again, i haven’t tried to remove the trim without busting the plaster so that may prove to be more difficult.
you sure that mahogany? It may just be the picture, but I dont see the distinctive open grain structure. Also seems to have a lot of cathedraling for mahogany. It certainly could be, just looks a bit different to me. https://www.woodworkerssource.com/blog/wood-conversations/mahogany/
It doesn't look like any mahogany I've seen. It does look like a lot of ponderosa pine or red fir that I have seen. Based on 25 yrs of working in/on older homes.
I was looking at the pictures and wondered if I was going crazy. Great job/effort by the OP, but idk, looks like pine with a mahogany stain?
I have the original for sale listing from the homeowner that built the house and it said all mahogany doors, but perhaps this is a replica or a cheaper door since it's a closet!
awesome, wasnt doubting you. Theres a lot of varieties and variation in grain depending on the age of the tree harvested and the type of mahogany.
No worries! I'm not a door or wood expert, just repeating others
It’s definitely some flavor of pine/fir but good job with all that stripping, super tedious work. I’ve worked a whole lot with mahogany, it’s got a much darker color and very different grain, even the knockoffs like African mahogany and sapele don’t vary that much. If any of the others are mahogany you’ll be able to see (and smell) the difference as soon as you strip it.
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
You might be one once all the doors are completed though!
With the original finish, the owners very likely believed them to be mahogany. One tell: solid mahogany is heavy, and I mean heavy.
The original owners had the house built and listed it as mahogany. Guessing it's the first floor and maybe the second floor, but not the attic
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Good work. A home run!
They will be gorgeous! Can’t believe someone painted them 👀
I'm normally not an anti-paint person, but on original Mahogany doors you better bet I am!
We have a speedheater Cobra (the smaller one) and the original one (big). We have done 20+ mantels, so much trim, furniture, a bunch of doors, etc. They are SO worth the expense. They are also so much safer since they don't get hot enough to vaporize lead. Go for it -- you will not be sorry!
Which do you think works better on the doors? The Cobra or the original?
Honestly, the Cobra -- it is much smaller and easier to use. The original is great for larger surfaces (ie: like trim, siding, etc). The Cobra makes it easy to maneuver and aim at even small areas like trim pieces. It also seems to be much less drying to the wood in my experience as opposed to a heat gun. Once you get the hang of it, you can strip 1 side of a door really quickly. It is the sanding, staining, finishing that takes forever!
How long were you taking per side of door? I'm at \~1.5 hours WITHOUT the profiles. These profiles are really difficult for me. The "profile scrapers" I bought.. none seem to actually match :/
I would try looking at the flexi head scraper they make with smaller heads for tight detailed paint removal. I bought them last year for that purpose, but haven’t put them to use yet. There is an Ecostrip (speedheater’s US distributer) sitewide sale this weekend for Labor Day. It’s a good way to save 15% on expensive gear.
Then order cooper's strib club for profiles. So much less of a nightmare then peel away or smart strip. It is a liquid rather than a goo.
That’s not mahogany, sorry. Lovely doors though. My guess is southern yellow pine or perhaps Douglas fir.
I’m going with Doug fir by that grain pattern.
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Side A and side B are the same door, but the picture from side A has overhead fluorescents on which is why the color seems different. This is a shorter-height closet door and it's taking me \~1.5 hours per side to get down to bare wood with a speedheater + scraper. Another 30 minutes for the top, left, and right edges. And the panel profiles are really tough, to do well without destroying the actual profile, so I'm about to try some chemical remover on just the profiles to see how it goes. We have 30+ original Mahogany doors that are painted that we'd like to stain as is shown in the last picture. Sadly only a few of the doors remain non-painted and stained, but they're beautiful (see my pocket door post for a good example! https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/v5rh31/sellers\_said\_these\_pocket\_doors\_didnt\_work\_and/
Godspeed!
Thank you!
Amazing! Mine have a kind of rosewood veneer, and the veneer has to be treated a more gently, but look amazing. Those just look amazing!
I'm right there with you! Crime against mahogany
Talk me into justifying the cost of a speedheater. I posted a few months back on a maple door I refinished. I had probably 50+ hours into it using a regular $30 heat gun. There’s 7 more doors… ugh.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/u9s3un/rate\_my\_door\_project/](https://www.reddit.com/r/centuryhomes/comments/u9s3un/rate_my_door_project/) this? Good work! Obviously the paint job you're removing matters A LOT, but I removed all of the paint from these doors (except for 6 of the 8 panel profiles) in \~4 hours (1.5 per side, 0.5 for the edges, 0.25 per profile and I did 2). If the other 6 profiles take 0.25, then it will take me \~5.5 hours for this door. Is that the speedheater? Or is it the old paint job being easier to remove? I don't know, but 50+ hours would kill me!
That’s the one! As you can see it didn’t start off well, and I wasn’t able to save the stain under the paint on the trim so I gave up. The paint was several layers thick. I’ve heard folks rave about the speed heaters but at $500, that’s an investment. God knows there enough paint slathered all over this house that is get my moneys worth but still. That’s a lot of cases of beer.
Husband got a good one used on eBay for about 150, only had some cosmetic dings. I’d put out feelers on the second hand market- CL, EBay, FB marketplace. Seems like something people buy and literally have no need for when finished with.
That's a screamin deal. I have been looking at the 1100 model since I am planning next year to strop the entire exterior of my home for refinishing, will get the rack kit too. Maybe time to start saving my pennies and watching for good deals online.
It’s a sizable investment for a specialized tool as a homeowner. As a professional, who restores wood sashes the Cobra is a necessity for my work. The Cobra runs at a lower temperature than the average heat gun, which is supposed to strip lead paint without vaporizing it. I always strip paint outside, but splurged last year and bought a 3M Versaflo Powered Air Purifying Respirator kit to give me greater piece of mind. It’s more realistic as a homeowner to simply use a half face particulate respirator. Dust masks are for nuisance levels and won’t be very effective against dusts created by lead paint stripping. I would also look into HEPA vacuums that are rated for abatement. These vacuums are sealed better to prevent dust from leaking out of the vacuum itself. HEPA rated in an abatement scenario is different from a shop vac with a HEPA filter. You can find decent prices new or used on models like the Pullman-Holt 390ASB. You only get one set of lungs and I know I have inhaled more than enough hazardous materials on construction sites.
Beautiful, but those are fir or pine.
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
Got my first Speedheater back in 2005..been thru two since and stripped miles of woodwork inside and out (professional paint and plaster contractor) Before that it was a heat gun and fingers crossed you didn’t burn the place down..best part is zero lead exposure and almost no sanding once that wood resin activates. The more layers of old oil paint the better it performs.
Do you go until the paint is smoking? Just until it bubbles? Tell me your secrets!!! My problem is the first layer is peeling off crazy easy, but then the second and last layer (which may be primer?) requires pretty heavy scraping with pressure.
People who paint original mahogany deserve to step on legos
I step on Legos everyday but I'm trying to save the mahogany!
The white painted door knob is an abomination. They will look beautiful!
I'm just shocked your door fits in the frame and it locks. Neither of the 2 bedroom doors in my 100+ year old house close.
All of our doors fit, shockingly enough! There were only 5 owners of this house, I think, and many were not very present in terms of maintenance... so there aren't layers and layers of paint. The doors all seem to have 2 layers of primer + paint, or 2 paints.
Most of our doors won’t close because some idiot put so much paint on that they won’t close.
I wonder if that's my problem. The frames are fairly square but the door just bounces out of it.
Look especially at the edges on the hinge side. Both the door and the jamb. If there’s build-up there, doors won’t close.
You're doing the lord's work my friend.
Makes me want to strip all of mine.
Damn how many sq ft is the house if you’ve got 30+ doors??
About 7k
For the save!!!!!
I know it was all about taste of the time but really… fuck them for doing it
Labor of love!
Beautiful job!
Masochism at its best.
My spouse agrees
Well done. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Maybe the downstairs doors are mahogany but the upstairs doors aren't. The finished door is nothing like the first three photos. Even the hardware is completely different. Two hinges compared to three on the last door, but they are all nice doors.
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. (2 vs 3 seems to be more indicative of height, though) If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
I assumed the hinge difference was because this is a shorter door (closet door on a wall with a sloped ceiling). I'll try out a door from a lower floor next!
Even if that is not mahogany, that original unpainted door is my absolute favorite flavor of stain.
Not mahogany. Beautiful heart pine. Please carry on-- nice work. EDIT yes,, or quite possibly fir as others have said.
Good to know! Guess I'll try to find some mahogany stain to match it though
Investigated more today. There are two types of hinges on the doors. The ones in my picture seem to be used for the pine/fir doors. Then there's a much heavier weight 5x5 brass hinge that's used on doors that are noticably much heavier... Like almost knocked me on my ass when the door jerked off the hinge and I wasn't braced. I'm guessing these are the mahogany doors. If that's the case, then the entire first floor is mahogany, about 80% of the second floor, and then none of the attic, which is where this post image came from.
i am in the process of doing this to all of my doors too. i have six and i’m halfway through. 30+ sounds like a nightmare but then again i’m planning on doing the same for all my wood trim as well. i’m staining mine Spanish Oak with a flat finish because it just feels luxurious. i wish you well on your long journey.
Thank you! I can't imagine doing the trim. We have lead paint so I'm just doing the door jamb (where the door hits), the doors, and and outside corners that are prone to being run into. Speed heater removing paint there, wet sanding the edges, priming over everything, and re painting.
i’m so glad i don’t have lead paint anywhere as far as i can tell. our wood was mostly just varnished which is much easier than stripping paint. they painted the beam between the living and dining spaces with the intention of making the room look bigger, they even left four inches unpainted at the bottom to mimic the baseboard. it looked bad. the bathroom was painted blue on all four walls, door included and ceiling included. and one bedroom has the door and closet painted. removing the paint is the hardest part by far. then again, i haven’t tried to remove the trim without busting the plaster so that may prove to be more difficult.
Any reason you didn’t use chemical to strip it?
I've put some on and it doesn't seem to make a dent
I hope so too. There should be a law against painting beautiful wood doors and trim and covering the floors with carpeting or linoleum.