Rhodes Ave. Woodsmith

                                  Handcrafted Wood Furniture and Custom Cabinets

French Style Screen Doors

I was contracted to build replacement French Style Screen Doors on the 2nd floor of a friend's house.  I used the original door as a template and "the plans".  This is the original door set...

Bottom rails are twisted bad and there's allot of rot going on with these doors.  Got some White Oak and got some parts dry-fitted up to the curved top rail. 

This was the challenging part of the project.  First the curve was cut on the inside of the top rail.  Then I ran that curve through the Rail & Stile bit on the router table with no fence.  Then I formed a loose tenon (using a BeadLock jig) to attach the hinge stile (the wider stile) to the top rail.  The connection from the top rail to the center stile (smaller stile that'll meet the other door) was done with glue in the rail cope.  I left them square on top to get the clamps on them. 

Then there was careful cutting and using a pattern making Router Bit and a template to finish forming the curved top. 

Next was forming and installing the T-Stop.  It's basically a strip of wood with two rabbets and a round-over on the corners that allows one door to close against the other.  I made this one a bit wider than the original to keep more of the weather out.  After this was complete, I formed the mortises for the hinges. 

Now I'm forming the frames for the glass insert and screen insert.  The client wants to be able to change these out as desired.  I formed  a slot on the inside of the frames.  For the screen frames, that accepts the 1/8" cord that'll hold the screen taught.  On the glass frame, that'll be the Quirk that'll hold the glass to the frame with a bead of polyurethane glue/sealant.  Forming the frames for the top windows and screen was another challenge because of the curve top.  The top was jointed together with a Finger-Joint, which took time due the top part of the frame being delicate.

I've completed the insert frames and I'm in the finish stage now.  Here are the doors with a coat of Garnett Shellac to antique them. 

The frames.  (Both screens and glass frames.)

Next we're going to mix 1 part Rosewood and 3 parts Brown Walnut with a dash on dark mission trans tint.  (Very close to the original doors.)  After that was applied, I put the first coat of an Outdoor Polyurethane sealer.  Three coats and I can install the doors. 

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