Custom Wood Screen and Storm Door
Clamp up
Gluing and Clamping Door Parts
You’ll need three 4-ft. clamps for gluing: for the top, middle and lower joints.
It’s always smart to dry-fit your parts fit and correct any mistakes before spreading glue on everything — trust me, I’ve learned this lesson the hard way! Once you’re satisfied with the fit, remove the Dominos, apply glue to all parts, and assemble. Prior to tightening the clamps and walking away, take some time to check for square.
I use two methods:
- A framing square
- Diagonal measurements: Measuring diagonals is an old, time-honored method for squaring up frames and other projects.
When satisfied that the assembly is square, and the adjoining parts are reasonably flat to each other, tighten the clamps! Remove the squeezed-out glue with a damp rag before it hardens. I use a throw-away brush to apply glue to the Domino as well as inside the Domino hole.
Routing for glass/screen panels
Routing the Storm and Screen Panel Rabbit
We decided it would be easier to rout our panel rabbit after the door was assembled. Because the router cannot achieve sharp corners, we used a PORTER-CABLE 42234 Corner Chisel to achieve sharp inside corners.
The corner chisel is a spring-loaded corner chisel that is more efficient than a hand chisel, and ensures perfectly square corners. It has a 3/8-inch cutter edge, and creates a 90-degree square corner when simply placed on any corner and tapped with a hammer. The Porter-Cable 42234 Corner Chisel self-aligns, and is typically used to square the corners of hinge and door lock recesses. It was perfect in this situation.
This innovative tool saves a ton of time on a project like this. You can purchase the Porter-Cable Corner Chisel here: PORTER-CABLE-42234-Corner-Chisel
Squaring routed corners
