Plantation Shutters

[SMALMALEKI]

I hoping to gain some good advice here.

Recently Window Shutter/ Plantation Shutters have become popular again. I have been looking for a detail plan for it with little success. There are some plans out there but not detailed enough to build one from scratch.
Have any of you experienced woodworkers attempted to make one?
What have you used at the end of each blade to make it easy and smooth to turn them?
What have you used to mill the blades to their airplane wing shape?

As always I am sure there are different opinion on these and I love it.

Ta

 

[Jacob]

I hoping to gain some good advice here.

Recently Window Shutter/ Plantation Shutters have become popular again. I have been looking for a detail plan for it with little success. There are some plans out there but not detailed enough to build one from scratch.
Have any of you experienced woodworkers attempted to make one?
What have you used at the end of each blade to make it easy and smooth to turn them?
What have you used to mill the blades to their airplane wing shape?

As always I am sure there are different opinion on these and I love it.

Ta

Shutters are a good idea and make more sense than double glazing IMHO.
I've restored a few and the basic Georgian shutter is just a normal panel construction, and/or solid wood for the narrower boards which fold away out of sight.
Making no problem, the devil is in the detail of how you design them to fit close to the window and also to foldaway neatly.
One variation was internal shutters suspended like sash windows, which disappeared into a box below the window board and you wouldn't know they were there except for the sash chords either side. Difficult to retro fit though!

For plantation shutters I'd look at what's available and perhaps even buy a sample to copy. This lot do an all wood option Window Shutters from Plantation Shutters Ltd

 

[SMALMALEKI]

That's a very good idea to reverse engineer one. There are plenty up for sale on eBay.

Your advice is very useful as always.

 

[Jacob]

That's a very good idea to reverse engineer one. There are plenty up for sale on eBay.

Your advice is very useful as always.

Good idea I hadn't thought of ebay.
It's a basic principle of good design ; always see if you can start with an example to copy rather than wasting your time on the drawing board.
PS just had a look there's loads of them! plantation shutters: Search Result | eBay

 

[ian33a]

Personally, I think that shutters are a good idea because, as Jacob said, they offer good insulation.

Plantation shutters are good for privacy.

I'm less inclined to advocate plantation shuttering. When we had our repair business, plantation shuttering was more of a nuisance than anything else because it restricted access to the glazing and frames and, more importantly, massively reduced light levels in the room.

Normal shutters are easy to open and to let the light flood in - plantation shutters, less so.

 

[--Tom--]

I think I remember seeing a new Yankee workshop episode where he builds some

 

[SMALMALEKI]

Personally, I think that shutters are a good idea because, as Jacob said, they offer good insulation.

Plantation shutters are good for privacy.

I'm less inclined to advocate plantation shuttering. When we had our repair business, plantation shuttering was more of a nuisance than anything else because it restricted access to the glazing and frames and, more importantly, massively reduced light levels in the room.

Normal shutters are easy to open and to let the light flood in - plantation shutters, less so.

That’s true that they might restrict access to windows but they have hinges and can be opened as well.
Privacy is very important as our house is on a main corner plot and overlooked by all the passerby.

 

[SMALMALEKI]

I think I remember seeing a new Yankee workshop episode where he builds some

Thank you for the tip. I’ll search for it.

 

[ian33a]

That’s true that they might restrict access to windows but they have hinges and can be opened as well.
Privacy is very important as our house is on a main corner plot and overlooked by all the passerby.

Then I can see them being a good idea in your situation.

One thing to be careful about: if you have uPVC windows and if they are internally beaded, be careful to ensure that the frames for the shutters do not encroach on the area where you need to need to use tools to separate the beads from the frames. If you can't ensure this, make sure that what you install is relatively easy to remove should a glazing unit fail. I saw no end of plantation shutter systems interference fitted into window voids and almost impossible to remove without breaking them. You may never need to replace glazing units but, if you have lots of windows and if they are on a sunny aspect, you probably will !

 

[Jacob]

Then I can see them being a good idea in your situation.

One thing to be careful about: if you have uPVC windows and if they are internally beaded, be careful to ensure that the frames for the shutters do not encroach on the area where you need to need to use tools to separate the beads from the frames. If you can't ensure this, make sure that what you install is relatively easy to remove should a glazing unit fail. I saw no end of plantation shutter systems interference fitted into window voids and almost impossible to remove without breaking them. You may never need to replace glazing units but, if you have lots of windows and if they are on a sunny aspect, you probably will !

Lift off hinges?

 

[ian33a]

Lift off hinges?

The sashes aren't the problem generally - it's the frames for the plantation sashes which often foul the leverage points for the beads. It can be very difficult to get a multitool in between the uPVC frame and the frame for the shutters and lever the beads out unless there is a large gap between the uPVC frame and the plantation shutter frame.

 

[SMALMALEKI]

Thank you for the tip. I’ll search for it.

I watched the video carefully. Although it was very interesting and educational almost entirely relied on machinery.
I gotta adopt it to my unplugged woodworking style.

 

[SMALMALEKI]

The sashes aren't the problem generally - it's the frames for the plantation sashes which often foul the leverage points for the beads. It can be very difficult to get a multitool in between the uPVC frame and the frame for the shutters and lever the beads out unless there is a large gap between the uPVC frame and the plantation shutter frame.

I am planning to fix the frames flash with our windowsill which will be about 15 cm off the windows.

 

[ian33a]

I am planning to fix the frames flash with our windowsill which will be about 15 cm off the windows.

It's worth checking where the beads are, assuming uPVC double glazing. A 15cm gap may be ok, it just depends what tools a repairer may have on the day and how tight the beads are

 

[artie]

Also check where the window latches protrude.

I neglected to do that on a recent shutter build, which cost me about 30 mins to sort

 

[--Tom--]

I watched the video carefully. Although it was very interesting and educational almost entirely relied on machinery.
I gotta adopt it to my unplugged woodworking style.

Yes norm is very machine intensive, but can give a view to how to make- and then adapt to what’s available

 

[undergroundhunter]

I've been pondering the same question for a while now, although US based this is an helpful tool. I planned to use the domino to join mine but mortice and tenons (hand cut or otherwise) will be equally as good if not better, as far as the louvres are concerned I have a router bit that will do them but again a bit of time and a hand plane would do the job.

Good luck and make sure you post pictures

Matt

 

[Swannie61]

I’ve been slowly purchasing everything needed to make some shutters, router bits, the sprung pins, open/close mechanism, just need to source some softwood as I intend to spray paint them.
It’s work in progress, as I have so many other jobs on the list, no rush just yet . . . . not until management tells me she wants them sorted and finished by Christmas

 

[accipiter]

Any help as an idea without power tools - except an electric drill? A YouTube video... about a year ago... cost about £50

 

[thetyreman]

I haven't made any yet but hoping to do it over winter, not sure yet whether I'm making solid shutters or the plantation style, got way too many projects to complete first before I'll get the chance...