I needed to make a set of plain, beefy, paint-grade, in-swing French door screens today, exactly matching some 2-0 x 6-8 glass exterior doors.
Additionally, I wanted to use ScreenTrack on the exterior of the doors, in a rabbet. ST is a cool product used for screening porches – basically, a 1-1/2″ wide grooved plastic track that is screwed down, roll the screen into the spline grooves, and snap on the white cover strip. Easy to repair, and easy to remove for painting – I HATE paint on screening.
Also, I only wanted to use the TS and a hand drill for the joinery – I have a shaper, and jointer, and routers, but just wasn’t up for all that for a small job, okay?
Here was my construction technique – I started with HD 2x SYP, construction wood, and last night I went and chose the very straightest ones – less than $30 worth.
Planed to 1-3/8″ – just a 1/16″ pass on each side.
(8) pieces cut to length and ripped to width. Flipped back and forth ripping to get the normal developing curve out; kinda’ using TS as a jointer – that’s why I started with 2x8s for a 4-1/2″ rail. (4) horizontal members are 3″ longer than needed, to accommodate the corner joints.
All have an identical 1-1/2″ x 3/8″ rabbet
Cut the reverse of the rabbit on the horizontal members; 1″ x 1-1/2″. I use 1/4″ x 6″ Spax screws; heads recessed; predrilled through.
Quick clamp and bolt together – holes will be Bondo-ed. Joinery as simple and accurate enough that the frames pretty much self-square.
Tiny touch-up the corners – this is the outside, where the ScreenTrack will be mounted after paint.
Viola! Immediately ready to cut hinge mortises, sink ball detent hole in top, and prime. Same pattern as the exterior doors, and they feel really heavy and substantial. They’ll get nice brass hinges, dummy knobs, and the ball detents at the top.
Took about three hours.
Forrest – playing with the truck transmission this weekend
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Here are the doors; primed and with the the black Screen Track base strip installed on the outside face.
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Close up of Screen Track; I snapped on a piece of the white cover strip for the photo - the screen would normally be splined in the right-most groove in the black base.
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Forrest
Forrest,The doors look realy good. Great idea using the ST. What type of primer do you use to prevent holidays at the knots? What type of glue did you use?I built a set of replacement french screen doors that had a rabbet on the lockset edges. No astragal needed. The lockset was also rabbeted.live,work,build....better with wood
Thanks -
Used just yellow carp. glue - these doors are way under a roof, inside the outer doors, and in-swing.
Priming over knots, you have to use pigmented shellac (alcohol base). I use BIN 123.
Absolutely nothing else will work - I don't care what any guy at any paint store says - yeah, their stainblocking primers will stop tannins, but not knots!
Forrest - always having that arguement.
"Priming over knots, you have to use pigmented shellac (alcohol base). I use BIN 123."UH!There is BIN which is a pigment shellac primer/sealer.And the is Bullseye 123, which is latex based.http://www.zinsser.com/subcat.asp?CategoryID=1
<There is BIN which is a pigment shellac primer/sealer.>
Whoops! Got carried away typing sequences. Yes - you're right - I use Zinser BIN. You can see it through the screen, there.
Door insides competed. Brass dummy knobs; ball detents up top
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The door on the left shows the front (inside the house), the one on the right shows the outside face and the assembled Screen Track - pretty near invisible.
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Forrest
I agree. White pigmented shellac is a great interior primer. I like to cut mine 50/50. It is excellent on MDF edges.Thank you for the great posts.
ForrestIs the entrance job T/M or 'pris fixe'? The reason I ask is I used to do a lot of work on historic properties in Washington D.C and Old Town, Alexandria, Va
(Everything T/M + 50%.+ 10% contingency ) 6 - 8 month waiting list. I live in an historic district and appreciate your work. ( Your paint wagon needs a ladder rack!)Chucklive, work, build, ...better with wood
Job was a fixed price bid. There have been some additions, but only dealing with discovered water and termite damage.
Complete and installed -
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Forrest
3 hours + paint. $weet.live, work, build, ...better with wood
What kind of primer do you use with that SYP?
skip that - I use the bin too, but was curious wht else works. That wood aand thoise knot are very hard to seal
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Edited 9/27/2006 8:47 pm ET by Piffin