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Thread: Making Plantation Shutters

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Ames, IA
    Posts
    551

    Making Plantation Shutters

    Wow!! I just found this site - it's fantastic! Can anyone recomend a shaper, molder, planer, other to cut the slats for plantation shutters. Using Woodline's shutter set on the router is one option, but appears a little slow/clumsy if I need to make very many. I purchased Norm's video and plans, but they don't list equipment suppliers. Or, does anyone know of a supplier of pre-made slats. The slat production appears to be the biggest challenge in making the shutters. Thanks.

    Bob O.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Long Island, NY
    Posts
    556

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    South West Flroida
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    312
    Bob,
    If I remember correctly the moulder that Norm has is a williams&hussey. Not cheap.. somewhere around $1600-$2000

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Hayes, Virginia
    Posts
    14,760
    I own a Shop Fox/Grizzly GO552 that is a W&H style molder/planer. At $995.00 this is an excellent machine. W&H knives and accessories will fit the Shop Fox molder/planer so there is a great selection available. Lots of power and a very quiet machine.

    This one gets my highest rating!

    .

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    Temecula, CA
    Posts
    137
    I'm in the last stages of my first set of plantation shutters. Largely, I'm following Norm's plans. I opted for the ShopFox moulder after wasting several weekends and a lot of stock with the router bit method. Once I had the moulder and a set of knives, the slats became a non-issue.

    Things I found that needed modification:
    The control bars as specified are delicate, but they warped badly and those that didn't, the nails blew through. So, I increased the width of the control to about 3/4 inch. That seemed to solve the problem.

    I use the shelf pins from Prof Hardware and found that the hole made with the B-bit was too small. I ended redrilling all the holes at 1/4. That seemed to reduce the effort to move the louvers. The pins varied quite a bit in size as well. One thing consistent. They were all larger than the hole made by the recommended B-bit.

    Also, I used the staple gun that was specified in the plan. The Porter Cable staples were inconsistent in depth. I had some Bostitch staples that worked much better.

    I made the jigs, but had to fuss with them for quite a while to get the depth pretty close to right.

    The key to the whole project was making the louvers, though.

    I made mine out of poplar and sprayed with acrylic enamel (Benjamin Moore) I did the primer and 3 coats before assembly. It is clear that at least one more coat will be necessary after assembly.

    I opted for less expensive hinges. The ones Norm used were 18.50/pr. My first room has three windows 50h x 69w, so I designed a bi-fold setup that results in 4 panels on each window.

    Also, Norm didn't really go into the mounting. I had to spend some time on designing a surface mount moulding that looked decent. I ended up with an architectural moulding router bit that did nicely. In the future, however, I'm going to use the moulder to make the frames -- gotta get some return on that investment.

    I have some interim photos, but they're too big. Gotta get out the photoshop to edit them before posting.
    Fred

    "Precision woodscraps"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Tampa Bay Area of Florida
    Posts
    867
    Quote Originally Posted by Fred Floyd View Post

    I have some interim photos, but they're too big. Gotta get out the photoshop to edit them before posting.
    Fred, I used to use my PhotoShop to resize but placed the following website link in my Favorites and find it's easier to just use this free tool:

    http://www.resize2mail.com/

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Ames, IA
    Posts
    551
    Thanks to all for their comments on their experiences.

  8. #8
    I'm getting ready to start making shutters for a room in my house-looking forward to seeing pictures of what others have done.

  9. #9

    plantation shutter machine

    These work great if you want to do a bunch. I just put this up on craiglist.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  10. #10

    Making Plantation Shutters

    A few years ago I subscribed to Woodworking Video Magazine (since has gone under). The very first issue had instructions and a clever way to make the slats using a small planer. See if anyone on the site has a copy that you could buy or use. I'd send you mine but I sold the entire set. Good Luck. Ed

  11. plantation shutters

    can anyone explain how to make the plantation shutters that are concave or half circle

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Mt. Pleasant, MI
    Posts
    2,924
    Depending on what you have for equipment already take a serious look at the woodmaster combo machines.

    I looked seriously at them when I was looking for a drum sander. Sometimes I wish I got one just for the moulder head.

    Joe
    JC Custom WoodWorks

    For best results, try not to do anything stupid.

    "So this is how liberty dies...with thunderous applause." - Padmé Amidala "Star Wars III: The Revenge of the Sith"

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Keith Outten View Post
    I own a Shop Fox/Grizzly GO552 that is a W&H style molder/planer. At $995.00 this is an excellent machine. W&H knives and accessories will fit the Shop Fox molder/planer so there is a great selection available. Lots of power and a very quiet machine.

    This one gets my highest rating!

    .
    I have been trying to find this machine with no luck. Is there a comparable model out there you can refer me to?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    201
    Quote Originally Posted by BOB OLINGER View Post
    Wow!! I just found this site - it's fantastic! Can anyone recomend a shaper, molder, planer, other to cut the slats for plantation shutters. Using Woodline's shutter set on the router is one option, but appears a little slow/clumsy if I need to make very many. I purchased Norm's video and plans, but they don't list equipment suppliers. Or, does anyone know of a supplier of pre-made slats. The slat production appears to be the biggest challenge in making the shutters. Thanks.

    Bob O.
    I did some research on pre-made slats and found a place locally that can supply all the wood members needed for the shutters and frame. Here is the address:http://www.petermanlumber.com/index.html. All the components are sold by linear foot. If you have a shop in town that makes custom shutters, you may also have a supplier for that shop, in town. That's what the yard here does, and is willing to sell me as little, or as much premilled components as I need.


    To those who have made shutters, what method, or setup, did you use for drilling equally spaced holes in the stiles for the slats?

    Ed

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Posts
    425

    Shutters

    Fellows,

    Would it be possible for some of you who have had success in building your shutters to post a few pictures of them. I'm interested in seeing if you have individualized them somehow. For example different size stile and rail and so on. This fall I'm thinking of building quite a few sets for some very large windows.

    thank you
    Ben

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