Thank you. @Casey: Looking forward to that spray class that I'm hoping someone will host/teach soon.
@Luke: Sapele @scott: RE: Blocking Grill - maybe. @JohnnyR: the photo doesn't do it justice. All the rails and diagonals are grain matched.
I'm getting ready to do the same thing X18 so I was wondering where you got the hardware and was it expensive and now that you have installed it, do you have any advise or warnings for me??
@Dee2 If the return air grill does get blocked a bit, and it gets nosier, just change it to a commercial higher end Titus or Ruskin style return air grill. That one shown is the cheapest -highest friction loss grill out there. You can buy a return air grill that will be the same size and provide 20-35% more sq.in opening flow. That change will more than make up for any sq.in loss.
@William: hardware is from Rustica and it was too expensive. Advice? I ordered the rail pre-drilled. They spaced the holes dimensionally not based on stud locations. I didn't not put in a header when I built the wall. I did make a story board of stud locations. I ended up drilling the rail for my stud locations. My doorway is narrow, my rail is too long, my doors are narrow. Make sure you understand all of the spacings. FWIW, the rails and stiles are assembled with pocket screws. The plank fills are 'shiplapped' and mounted with counter-sunk cabinet screws centered on each plank. Probably not the best way but the Sapele was kept in the garage/s'hanger and did not acclimate in the house.