Norm's Plantation Shutters

[Guy Germaine]

Anybody make Norm's Plantation Shutters? LOML wants me to make some for the dining room. How were the plans from NYW? Thanks

[Guy Germaine]

No one has made any of these?

[Frank Snyder]

Guy - This topic has been discussed here previously. Do a search on "shutters" or see a similar thread I started some time ago...

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44229

I've yet to get to this project myself, but anticipate picking up the appropriate router bit set.

Cheers,

Frank

[Greg Hines, MD]

Never made any of them, but I am sure that Norm has the project on DVD or VHS, including plans for his jigs.

Doc

[BOB OLINGER]

I have Norm's plans and DVD. In my opinion, there are a lot of good tips; the DVD is critical. I plan to make a good number of plantation shutters, likely this summer for our house and a daughters (the heat is on!!). A couple of things I plan to change or consider:

1. I plan to purchase the slats already milled. I don't have a moulder machine as Norm used. There have been suggestions using a router set-up; my research showed that may be OK if you're only making a few. Better searching for slats or access to a moulder for any quantity.
2. I'm not sure if I will do mortise and tennon joints or do other, such as bisket. M & T appear to take a long time; not sure it's necessary (?).
3. Some threads have shown brass screw eyes instead of staples for connecting the control rod to the slats - I'm undecided on which.

Wish you well!

[chris yount]

I am making some shutters from modified versions of Norms plans and will be done soon.The jigs he used and the way he used them were a little over complicated in some ways.once I started making the jigs and saw how they worked I made them simpler.The jig for the drilling pin holes in the ends of slats wouldn't work with my table top drill press so I made one that mounts to the edge my work bench and you push the slat up into the bit instead of lowering the bit into the slat.The 9/64" bit has a tendency to walk more when it touches the end of slat when lowering the bit into it.Norm also uses a shutter pin as an indexing jig for drilling the holes in the styles I found this to be ineffective.Your better off to mark one style for holes, gang them all together with clamps and use a square to transfer the marks to the rest.Then drill to your marks.They are guaranteed to be the same in this fashion.
hope this helps,
chris