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As I celebrate my 1000th day I'd like to celebrate my sharing my newly finished screen door projects. The "Buck Shot" door is still waiting to find a home. The "Jersey" and The "Birds & Branches" door will soon be shipped to their Vermont home. I can Thank LumberJocks for giving me enough confidence to continue with these doors despite all the setbacks.

These doors were so much fun…and yet so infuriating! I call it the "Mutiny of the Machines"! As you all know, I start with using the computer to generate a "template". I use these templates to fine tune the design until the customer is happy with the plan. Then I draw onto the wood and cut out the design using a jigsaw. It's usually quite fun…until your jigsaw fails to do it's job…I actually had two jigsaws "give up the ghost" during these doors. What normally takes hours took days to hand cut. Ugh! But eventually I was able to get to the carving. The carving is the best part of the project for me. I like to try new techniques everytime to see if I can add something unexpected. It's just so much fun! After an easy and fun couple of days carving all that was left was the finishing. This is when my stain sprayer decided to join the Jigsaws in the Mutiny! Normally staining is a very fast part of my process…not when I'm hand staining all the "nooks & crannies"! It took forever. Then I had to do it all 3 more times with Poly! Waiting a full day or more between coats because of the humidity!

But despite all the setbacks, I am happy with the results. I think that the doors turned out to be very close to the templates. I hope my very very VERY patient customer likes the doors as well.

Picture 1: Me and my Trio of Doors…My neighborhood thinks I'm a nut! LOL
Picture 2: Birds & Branches Door
Picture 3: Birds & Branches Template…Computer Generated for Customer's Plan Approval
Picture 4: Jersey Door
Picture 5: Jersey Template

PS…Taking all recommendations for Heavy Duty Jigsaws and Reasonable but Professional Paint/Stain Sprayers.

Gallery

Comments

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Robin,

Very impressive stuff. I envy people with the talent to create something so unique and beautiful. I can build anything I want as long as I have plans, but I cannot "create". God has been good to you. Thanks for posting.

Steve
 

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Great job on all of them , Robin !!
I can't believe that the Buck hasn't sold yet …...I'm sure it will though : )
 

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Very Nice, those doors will look great in their new settings, great idea, and wonderful execution, thanks for sharing
 

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Thanks Mic & Steve! And here I am envying those who can read and understand plans! I cannot! LOL

Dusty~It attracted a lot of interest at the fair but no one has called to take him home yet. One hunter was really interested until his buddy said the "other idiot" hunters will be taking potshots at his door. LOL.
 

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Hahahaha…Very funny , Robin : ) thanks !
 

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Wow, VERY impressive!! I actually thought the cow in the first picture was a real cow standing next to you…LOL
 

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Thanks Kirk!

Tim~I like this type better…It stays where it's told! LOL
 

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I love the birds and branches, it just invites you in. I think if I came home some night with a few beers, the cow would scare the crap out me. I still think you are very talented creating these doors.
 

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Good idea, i wish you great success with your business
 

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Thank you both! The first few nights after I made the bear door for our own home it did startle me a couple of times…but within a week or two I got used to it.
 

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Great looking doors!! Very creative and nicely done!!! Might I recommend a top coat with U.V blockers such as spar varnish, perferrable a marine spar varnish. With just poly, direct sunlight will grey the doors quickly. Good job and if I had a place for it, I would buy the buck door myself!!!!
Isaac
 

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Isaac~ Thanks for the recommendations! I haven't worried too much about UV protection in the Poly because for the body of the doors I use only exterior stains which contain UV protectants in them. When I first started I used the leftovers from the exterior stains we used for our Log Home. I've since had to start buying stains instead of using leftovers but I still go down to my log home supply store and get the "good" exterior stains with the highest UV protectants that I can. The doors can last 5 years or more (mine is on it's 5th year) and I want to make sure the finish lasts that long too. Although, I do always tell the customers to apply Poly at least once a year. It's fairly easy to do for a home owner because they don't need to take the door down if they use the Spray Can Poly.
 

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Very nicely done. I especially like the one with the picket fence at the bottom; just the thing to keep dogs from crashing through.

I've had good luck with my Bosch jigsaw; it's taken a lot of abuse for 6 years and is still going strong (knock wood.) I used to burn up a Craftsman about every 9 months; finally figured out the higher priced Bosch was cheaper in the long run, and less vibration too. Also, blade changes are a cinch.

I'm curious about how you make your doors: are they cut from a single sheet of plywood, if so how thick and what type? How do you finish the edges (inside and out)?
 

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Thanks for the recommendation Tom! I'm thinking I should spend some more $$$ and get something that I can rely on.

I do use cabinet grade plywood 22/32. Any other type of wood (besides plywood) wouldn't provide the stregnth through the finely cut areas (such as the buck's horns). I frame the back with 3/4 inch pine. I have seen the edges finished with a small pine edging board. However, I have tried this approach once and found that it is very difficult to keep the pine from splitting. And it didn't seem to hold up as well as I had hoped once the door was in use. The 1 1/2" thickness makes for it impossible for a regular screen door handle but it works well with a regular door knob kit. I usually recommend a low profile knob so it doesn't interfere with the home's regular door knob.
 

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Nice looking doors! I have a DeWalt Jig Saw. Has plenty of power and you can adjust the angle of the blade for a more aggressive cut. Blades are easy to change also.
 

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Thanks RW! DeWalt… can't go wrong with a DeWalt! LOL
 

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The doors look great Robbin! I made a screen door for our bungalow in St Pete last year, but no carving for me. Your's are truly unique.
 

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Wonderful doors, I would think they would last much longer than 5 years
 
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