Newbie question

[Steve B]

I need two screen doors for my cabin. The outsides of the door frames are trimmed in one by sixes, so the thing only has to be pretty flat and square. No real critical clearances of having to fit inside the frame.

I checked prices, and came up with from $150 - $450 each. I got some good ideas on designs from the ones in the catalogs and on the Internet.

I called, and I can get Western red cedar one by fours for about a buck a foot. Estimating roughly, that would cost me less than $100 for the wood for two. A friend of mine has a doweling jig he will loan me. I figure I can get them close enough. Is that wood good for screen doors, or should I use something else?

I am not sure about attaching the screen with trim pieces or routing a channel and using the screen and bulb technique.

Anyway, my question is: Does this sound like something a first time woodworker should take on? My friend also has a DeWalt compound miter saw, a table saw, and all the feeder rollers and support arms, so I think I could get pretty good cuts on the pieces.

Steve

[Morris Dovey]

| I need two screen doors for my cabin. The outsides of the door | frames are trimmed in one by sixes, so the thing only has to be | pretty flat and square. No real critical clearances of having to | fit inside the frame. | | I checked prices, and came up with from $150 - $450 each. I got | some good ideas on designs from the ones in the catalogs and on the | Internet. | | I called, and I can get Western red cedar one by fours for about a | buck a foot. Estimating roughly, that would cost me less than $100 | for the wood for two. A friend of mine has a doweling jig he will | loan me. I figure I can get them close enough. Is that wood good | for screen doors, or should I use something else? | | I am not sure about attaching the screen with trim pieces or | routing a channel and using the screen and bulb technique. | | Anyway, my question is: Does this sound like something a first time | woodworker should take on? My friend also has a DeWalt compound | miter saw, a table saw, and all the feeder rollers and support | arms, so I think I could get pretty good cuts on the pieces.

It's an easy project. Go for it - and keep it simple. I used pine with corrugated fasteners and butt joints - stapled screen to the door and used a beaded moulding to cover the edges of the screen. Turnbuckle brace to ensure they didn't sag. Did a final fit with a smoothing plane. Did two doors in 45 minutes and they lasted for years - and still looked good when I moved away.

-- Morris Dovey DeSoto Solar DeSoto, Iowa USA

[Mike Marlow]

I echo Morris' encouragement and add that a project like this is a good opportunity to try your hand at something like mortise and tennon joinery. Nothing fancy - some simple chiseled out mortises and tennons to fit. It will add to the time involved in the construction, but it will also give you a chance to dabble in a very valuable area of woodworking. Not interested in going there just now? No sweat - your current plan will work just fine. If I were you, I'd go with the routed groove and the screen bead. I'd probably throw a cross buck in the door for stability too.

[No]

Wasn't this asked here not long ago? My old reply to a similar post from Steve (A different Steve?) in alt.home.repair is as follows....

- Where are you located. I'll be glad to show you one I built a couple of years ago for an 1887 cabin. I used mortise and tennon joinery. Had a top, middle and bottom rail plus the styles. Mine was painted. I used Douglas fir if I remember correctly. Key for me was a nice straight grain and no knots. I didn't do anything special for the hardware. Do a Google search for Lee Valley. They have some great hardware. Get their catalogs, makes nice reading in the john! I didn't use applied gingerbread or turned decorative pieces. I did have sort of a dog boned shape in the middle rail and a 1/2 dog bone shape on top and bottom. I did a quick check on my PC and I cant find any pictures. Not sure if I took any of my door, I did have some photos of a really neat door I saw in St. John that I used for inspiration but I cant find them at the moment. The hardest part for me was because of my curved rails I also wanted curved screen molding. I had to make that myself. It was quire a challenge. The curved screen molding was attached with brass screws. Door was painted a pre-mixed color from Benjamin Moore called Essex Green. Good luck and let me know if you want more information, details or whatever. You may also want to post in rec.woodworking for more/better discussion of wood and joinery.

Oh, one more thing. being outdoors my door expands and contracts quite a bit with the seasons and with humidity. You will need to figure that out when making your door so it works properly during all seasons. Mine even expands and contracts in just the summer depending on rain and humidity! Moves as much a 3/16-1/4" over a 30" width!

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[Steve B]

"No" wrote

I live in Las Vegas, and the doors are going on a cabin at 7500' elev. near Cedar City, Utah.

Thanks for the tips. I saw one door that was about $600 that had a tree limb sculpture that snaked along the hinged side on the outside, and then branched over to the handle side to add strength and stability. I may do that, although it will probably involve much more work than the door itself.

I got a new Foredom for Christmas, and I am itching to break it in. Bought a killer deal on some American made carbide double cut bits at a hardware show, and bought others to make up a nice set, and I'm ready.

Also am going to try to get the outhose built this summer, too.

Steve