Building Functional Shutters?

[ehbowen]

Sorry that I've been inactive for so long; had a lot on the plate in recent months. But now it's (long past!) time to repaint and rehabilitate the exterior of my 1930s-vintage home. I'm wanting to keep the same basic paint scheme of white with blue trim, but one thing I want to add is functional shutters (this is hurricane country, after all) at every window. And I'm wanting to use my ShopSmith for most of the work. (Actually, I NEED to use it as I don't have/can't afford a router table or similar accessories.)

The biggest challenge I'm looking at is making the stiles; I have the (standard, over table) router package for the ShopSmith but I'm wanting to create some kind of jig which will simplify routing uniform slots at a consistent length and angle in two pieces of wood of varying lengths. I have several different sizes of window and also several of the windows have the old-style aluminum awnings over them. I do like these awnings and want to keep them, but I'm going to have to build shutters which "fold" in the middle to be stored opened and then unfold to protect the window when in use. Looks like it should just be a problem of building a pair of mid-rails and hinging them horizontally.

I also have questions about wood selection; I'm intending to simply paint these so would softwood (pine) be a good long-term choice? Any alternatives I should consider? (I shouldn't have to say this these days, but the budget's tight!)

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

No apologies needed for your absence, Eric....happens to all of us time-to-time. I don't have a SS so can't help with a how to using it; but I do suggest you visit Rockler's site (something I never recommend) and look at their FREE design planning feature (step 3 down in the link). It just might have something useful for you. As for pine, when I think of hurricane shutters I think you would want strength.....and I'm not sure pine will have it. But others will chime in on that.

[ehbowen]

Thanks, Fred. After looking around I did come up with this gem from New Yankee Workshop: https://www.newyankee.com/product/plantation-shutters/

A lot of good tips there, although I'm looking at a completely different kind of shutter. His shutters are interior (and beautiful); the ones I want to build will be exterior with fixed slats. I'm also not going to try to mold and shape the slats as I don't have a molder head or machine with that capacity. Just looking for flat slats to fit in uniform routed slots in the stiles; I may also route or mold the edges of the slats to closely fit the routed slots. A variant of the jig that Norm came up with to drill the uniform holes in his stiles might work for me.

 

Edit To Add: There are a couple of sawmills within a day's driving distance where I could buy rough-cut cedar at a reasonable price. Do you think that would work well long-term?

Edited June 1, 2022 by ehbowen
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[Headhunter]

Eric,

 

I have an idea that may help and hope I can explain it so it makes sense.

 

Build a small sled for your SS table that will ride along the left edge. On the edge of the sled attach a piece that will support your stile at the correct angle for your slats. This piece will hang down a bit off the edge of the table. Set stops to allow for the needed length to be cut. Put the stile on the angled part and slide it between the stops to make your cuts.

 

Use your router bit in the Horizontal Boring mode to actually route the slots you want. A couple of passes for each slot and you should be good to go.

 

Hopefully this will let you do what you need to do.

[ehbowen]

While looking into the topic further I found this little gem which is long out of copyright and freely available for downloading: A Modern Practical Joinery (1902) by George Ellis Gives me some ideas for new windows to go along with the shutters (not a fan of the 1960s aluminum windows currently installed)!

[ehbowen]

12 minutes ago, Headhunter said:

Eric,

 

I have an idea that may help and hope I can explain it so it makes sense.

 

Build a small sled for your SS table that will ride along the left edge. On the edge of the sled attach a piece that will support your stile at the correct angle for your slats. This piece will hang down a bit off the edge of the table. Set stops to allow for the needed length to be cut. Put the stile on the angled part and slide it between the stops to make your cuts.

 

Use your router bit in the Horizontal Boring mode to actually route the slots you want. A couple of passes for each slot and you should be good to go.

 

Hopefully this will let you do what you need to do.

 

After looking at the New Yankee video I'm thinking along the same lines, except with the powerhead in over-table routing mode and the sled set to slide in the miter slots between a pair of stop blocks. I'll cut the first slot by hand, and then have a spacer on the sled which fits into the slot I just cut to hold the stile at the correct spacing to cut the next slot.

[Headhunter]

Great minds think alike.   And then there's me...

 

Make sure you post pics of whatever you do. Never know when something like that may come in handy.

[John Morris]

Eric, I do believe traditional wood shutters are made from bass wood.

[ehbowen]

1 hour ago, John Morris said:

Eric, I do believe traditional wood shutters are made from bass wood.

 

The New Yankee video used poplar frames and basswood slats. But theirs were functional (tilting slats) interior shutters; I'm looking at fixed (but hinged) Venetian-type exterior shutters. Leaning towards all-cedar for rot and insect resistance, as well as price and availability.

 

[John Morris]

39 minutes ago, ehbowen said:

Venetian-type exterior shutters.

Gotchya! I thought they were interior.

[ehbowen]

3 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Gotchya! I thought they were interior.

Yep. I'm looking for better exterior appearance and some degree of storm resistance (this is hurricane country...).

[ehbowen]

Question: What go-to source would you recommend for hinges and hardware (latches, etc.)?

 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

I've never looked for shutter hardware, but the 2 places I most often visit for anything else is Woodworker's Hardware and CSH. Of those 2, CSH is generally a it less expensive, but they don't have as large a selection. There are several other good places as well, like Hartville Tools (they have a big hardware selection) but the first 2 are always my first stop.

[Masonsailor]

Eric how thick of stock will you be using ?

Paul

[Masonsailor]

The reason I ask is that traditional storm shutters are pretty beefy to be of any protection against heavy weather. Slats would not be my choice. A solid panel with angled steps will give you the same appearance as slats but offer much more protection. They are also very easy to make using a router with a very simple jig. Once you have the setup they are also going to be a lot quicker to make. A hand router is all that you need. Be happy to walk you through it. 
Paul

[John Morris]

On 6/1/2022 at 11:37 AM, ehbowen said:

While looking into the topic further I found this little gem which is long out of copyright and freely available for downloading: A Modern Practical Joinery (1902) by George Ellis Gives me some ideas for new windows to go along with the shutters (not a fan of the 1960s aluminum windows currently installed)!

 

Wonderful old book Eric, I had forgotten all about Internet Archive, it's a great and wonderful research tool.

[kmealy]

On 6/1/2022 at 2:37 PM, ehbowen said:

While looking into the topic further I found this little gem which is long out of copyright and freely available for downloading: A Modern Practical Joinery (1902) by George Ellis Gives me some ideas for new windows to go along with the shutters (not a fan of the 1960s aluminum windows currently installed)!

I don't know about this "Modern", there is no mention of a Domino.