Seasonal Project:Screen Door

[special-K]

I`ve wanted screen doors for years.Every year I try to get away with just circulating air with fans until I give in to a/c.I`ve gone all summer w/o a/c(since my wife left),except my son`s room.It`s a sunroom and gets hot w/o it.Although I give in due to moisture more than heat,I still want to get more air through with all the area a screen door provides.I started with the back door rom my laundry room.It`s the morning sun side and the coolest.I blow air from there and up the steps where I pick it up with a smaller circulaor(Patton air circulators(fancy for fan).Yesterday I dug out some 5/4 cedar from the rack,the bisquit cutter,mitre box,weldwood exterior glue,and stainless finish screws and went to town.

It`s all fitted up and ready for screen and screen stop.I`ll need a grate on the lower 1/2 due to cat claws.I guess I can fix the weatherstrip now and the screen door will protect that.That`ll be nice next winter.
Time to go buy some hinges,handle,and grate material tomorrow.I have two other doors to do,hopefully this year.

[msgross]

I think I paid $15 at Home Depot for my screen door...

[Sub-versive]

Originally Posted by msgross

I think I paid $15 at Home Depot for my screen door...

POS import door! You'll be lucky if it lasts 1/64 of time of Tim's door.
I thought those POS doors were $35-$40 ?
There are local/semi-local manufacturers of screen doors, but the cost starts at $85. They are made much better than the imports.

A 5/4 cedar door is $$$$$
And Tim's door will match the architectual style of his house.

[special-K]

And size.A custom sized door is x3 money.And,when you`re a master carpenter you don`t buy other people`s work,at any price.As far as price shopping goes,it was free because I didn`t drive to buy it(no fuel/wear & tear),I spent less time making it than driving to Homo Depot both ways(not to mention a custom order would require two trips),the materials are left overs and have been laying around for years(were paid for by a customer),and the tools wanted to be used.

[msgross]

I'm just ripping on you Tim.. you craftsman do better work than I can buy, I just don't have the tools or skills to build a straight door!!!

[special-K]

Or square?
I know you`re just messin`around.I don`t have a standard door in my house.They`re like 6` and under 36" wide.I still need to finish it and get somw hardware.I`m just happy to get it started...the hard part.I would have made all three,but the rest of r=the 5/4 board was pretty buried.

[Sillyoldman]

Nice work Tim. What kind of joint did you use on the frame corners? Lap, Mortised? I assume the biscuit joints are on the internal joints? I used dowel pinned lap joints on my frame. Doweled inside joints. I have to make a couple more still. I have some extra 5/4 cedar I might use. It's radius edged so I'll have to rip them square first.

[special-K]

I remember that door.That came out real nice.
That outer frame is mortised and all the inner stuff is biscuited.All glued up and clamped.I have done dowels before.That`s real strong.I may take a router to recess around the openings for the screen stop to sit flush.It`s real simple in design.I fasten the screen stop with small brass flathead phillips screws.I think I`ll put some brackets in the corners.To make Mike Gross happy,I`ll buy those at Homo Depot.Cheap is good.I ain`t got no time fer makin`no dand brackets.

[Sillyoldman]

Brackets, you don't need no stinking brackets! Your joints are stronger than any metal bracket with a row of wood splitting screws. I love M&T joints. Mine are handmade & crude. I always liked dovetails too. Just always used basic hand tools. Norm Abrams is a hero to me BTW. Below is what I used on mine. I pinned them though.

[special-K]

That`s a strong joint.I did my first screen door on this house that way and it took the kid`s abuse.That was before I changed all the openings when I renovated.
By brackets,I mean brick-a-brack...gingerbread.Like little wagon wheels or something decorative to spruce it up...er pine it up,most likely.I`ll be painting this one.It goes here(i guess i`ll finally paint the salvage door now that the paint has pretty much fell off):


Here`s the one on my screen house.It was built in`96 along with the building.Then moved this year 3 steenkin`feet thanks to my ever so conscientious neighbors.The guilt I have to deal with over such a blatent eye sore for them to look at out their window is overwelming(time for a pressure wash/staining).I need to repair the screens damaged by thrown stones by the neighbor`s kids:

It kinda matched it to the building:

[Sillyoldman]

Tim, did you ever finish the gun turret on top of the screen room?

[special-K]

Shhhh....(Junior may have learned to read)
The other side of the fence.he`s so concerned about property value,I guess:

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by Sillyoldman

Nice work Tim. What kind of joint did you use on the frame corners? Lap, Mortised? I assume the biscuit joints are on the internal joints? I used dowel pinned lap joints on my frame. Doweled inside joints. I have to make a couple more still. I have some extra 5/4 cedar I might use. It's radius edged so I'll have to rip them square first.

Nice door work Don,, I like how it came out .. do you whittle also ..LOL

All kidding aside that is one fine screen door..

[GOPAPA]

Originally Posted by special-K

I`ve wanted screen doors for years.Every year I try to get away with just circulating air with fans until I give in to a/c.I`ve gone all summer w/o a/c(since my wife left),except my son`s room.It`s a sunroom and gets hot w/o it.Although I give in due to moisture more than heat,I still want to get more air through with all the area a screen door provides.I started with the back door rom my laundry room.It`s the morning sun side and the coolest.I blow air from there and up the steps where I pick it up with a smaller circulaor(Patton air circulators(fancy for fan).Yesterday I dug out some 5/4 cedar from the rack,the bisquit cutter,mitre box,weldwood exterior glue,and stainless finish screws and went to town.

It`s all fitted up and ready for screen and screen stop.I`ll need a grate on the lower 1/2 due to cat claws.I guess I can fix the weatherstrip now and the screen door will protect that.That`ll be nice next winter.
Time to go buy some hinges,handle,and grate material tomorrow.I have two other doors to do,hopefully this year.

Looks good en Square Tim,, It remeinds me of all the ones I opened and shut as a kid .. Now mine and most everyones is metal out here ,,I can say that I never built a screen door..

Are you fixing things up to sell ? I remember you saying you might go up on some mountain .. I am getting the itch to sell out and go some where that is sunnier and not so much pollen ..

[special-K]

I don`t know.I`m in a wierd situation with my palace,my soon to be X,and lack of money.Whatever happens I`ll make the most of it.I`ve been fixing thi ngs up just to keep my mind occupied.
Where are you thionking to go...eastern Oregon or even farther?

[special-K]

Here is the door mounted ten years later



I'm on my laptop and this picture is upright in my folder. Even the icon shows oblong with the rest being the other way. I guess I need to edit a copy sideways so it will show correct? Whatever






That's all four ways. It shows any way but the right way. Got to love computers. They're so smart!

Here's one from after the new color I just got done painting the house. Hopefully upright!

[67ChevyRedneck]

I saw the initial date and was wondering where this one was going

Looks good any way you turn your head.

It took me 10 years to start my shop. I was all gung ho, got walls and trusses up.... annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I hit a wall. I don't want to work on it anymore I had two weekends of vacation and a couple busy/rainy weekends, maybe this weekend?

[special-K]

Hah hah! Yeah, happens to me on everything that takes a lot of time to complete. I hit it hard hoping to get done before the steam runs out. I started painting my house in July. I didn't want it to drag on so stayed at it, giving up going to some of my favorite events even. I did pretty good, but I did slack off. I had days I did nothing but spin my wheels because I really wanted to do something else but felt I should continue with the work. But the enthusiasm just wasn't there. Should have just gone to the event.

Painting weather is about done and there are still odds & ends to paint. I really wanted it all to be out of the picture for next year so I can focus on other major work. I'd be done, I think, but I also have the single carport I put up last winter. I painted the roof to match the other steel roofs. Then I wanted to do the door opening, siding, cornice, and gutter on the from to go with the house. Then I wanted to close in the side facing the yard, all sided and painted to match the house. Then I needed to pour a concrete step through the side door. So it looks like my front porch railings may miss getting the second coat this year. Oh well, I got a lot done and to everyone else it looks done.

[Russell Ashley]

Nice work on the door, and BTW, Norm Abram is one of my hero's too.