Shutters Build Along

[jteneyck]

I'm making some simple frame and panel shutters to replace ones that rotted in only 5 years.  Very disappointing; I'll never use white pine for something like this again.  White pine used to last for decades but apparently this ain't your grandfather's white pine anymore.  I'm using Utile/Sipo this time.  Many of its properties are on par with mahogany, and the price is right at about half the cost.  I bought three nice 5/4 boards, more than plenty for the 4 shutters I need to make.  I'm using AZEK for the panels; one sheet of 3/8" will cover those needs.  



Sipo planes easily, but can sometimes tear out the same as mahogany due to the interlocked grain. 

I got all the stock planed and cut to width, then cut common parts to length on my RAS that has a length stop system on the bench the saw is mounted to.  This was the first RAS I bought, about 40 years ago.  I wouldn't want to be without it.  



 With the length stop cutting multiple parts to the same, identical length is guaranteed.  

 
I plowed 3/8" deep dados in all the parts for the panels, and then cut stub tenons on the ends of the rails to fit into those dados, using my RAS with a dado stack and stop block. 

 




I cut mortises for the loose tenons on my horizontal router table, in both the ends of the rails and mating ones in the stiles. 

 


With the joinery complete, I test fit a frame together.  



Time to make the panels to fit.  More to follow.   

John

[stav]

Looking good so far. I'm guessing these are exterior shutters. Are they fully functional or are they more decorative?

Looks like you have a number of RAS there.

[jteneyck]

Looking good so far. I'm guessing these are exterior shutters. Are they fully functional or are they more decorative?

Looks like you have a number of RAS there.

These are non-functional exterior shutters, purely decorative.  

Yes, I have a stable of RAS's.  I had just one (a GWI) for about 40 years, then bought the 925 last spring, and then the big dog GA this winter.  I should get rid of one.  I should. 

John

[jteneyck]

I got the Total Boat Epoxy on Saturday and went to HD for some Phenoseal Vinyl adhesive/caulk this morning, so I was ready to glue up one of the shutters today.  The epoxy is for the joints, and the Phenoseal is to seal the AZEK panels into the frames to prevent water infiltration/rotting.  Having never used Total Boat Epoxy I wasn't quite sure how fast it would set up.  The instructions say 12 min pot life, but I think it was at least 25 minutes by the time I had applied glue to the last of the joints.  I know epoxies set fast if the batch is large, but a lot more slowly if you can spread it out into a thinner layer.   The batch I made was less than 1/2" deep; it felt a little warm but spread easily for at least 25 minutes.  

The process was to glue the loose tenons into the rails on both ends, then slather glue in the mortises in one stile.  Next I put a bead of caulk in that rail and all the rails.  I installed one rail, set one AZEK panel in place, brought the next rail in from the side, added the next panel, and finally the last rail.  Then I put glue in mortises in the other stile and clamped it all together.  It went surprisingly easily.  The epoxy stayed fluid and made adjustments easy during clamp up, unlike Titebond glues which set up much too fast for something like this.  

Here's a photo of the ends of the rails with the panels set in place, and the other stile with the caulking and glue, ready to add on top.  



After the clamps were in place and I cleaned up a lot of squeeze out.  I used too much caulk, but that's better than not enough.  



You can see where the caulking squeezed out in some areas, a good thing.  



This is the shamrock in each of the upper panels.  The first time I made these shutters, I cut them out on my little scroll saw.  This time, my CNC made fast work of it.  



Three more shutters to go and then it will be time for paint.  

John

[goredsus]

Thanks for the build along; always enjoy seeing your work.