Replies

1. 
   notDusty | Jan 09, 2005 06:43pm | #1

               Marion R.

     IMO with the epoxy and pinning or pegging the loose tenons , you would be close to as strong as a tenon without a loose member, but just loose you would be relying primarily on the glue. A screen door gets shut hard on occasion and can take a beating . So there can be much stress on the joints.

2. 
   Rich14 | Jan 09, 2005 09:11pm | #2

   Marion,

   Door construction puts more stress on M&T construction than any other use of that joint. In other messages I have gone on record as saying that a "floating" spline joint can be just as strong as a "real" M&T joint. But a door is at the limits for such things.

   I think you will be OK. After all, a screen door is MUCH lighter than a solid door. Make sure that the splines fit snugly in the end grain pieces (the horizontal door members). Clamp the cheeks of the all the joints against the contained splines during glue-up.

   And use a long-setting epoxy if epoxy is what you insist on using. Gluing up such a large construction as a door takes more time to get right than it seems. A good choice is Gorilla glue which has about a 15 minute open time and is waterproof when cured.

   Practice getting it square my measuring the diagonals during a dry run. Don't try to rely on using a square other than to get things close. The best way to ensure square is to use the sliding stick method with the ends of the sticks mitered to fit into the inside corners of the frame. When the diagonals measure exactly the same because the sticks don't have to be adjusted at all, going back and forth, you're done.

   Rich

3. 
   Ribeye | Jan 12, 2005 09:30am | #3

   I'm going to invite you to see how I went about making a screen door...

   A full blow-by-blow narrative (two, actually) are here: http://www.apachetrail.com/ww/projects/index.html 

   You'll just have to put up with some "other stuff" as you scroll down to the headline "A Scratch-Built Screen Door". 

   I hope you enjoy it -- and perhaps gain from it.  I made it two years ago.  It *was* a journey (that ended well) :-)

   -- Steve

   Enjoy life & do well by it;

   it might well be the only chance you get.

   http://www.ApacheTrail.com/ww/

4. 
   DonC | Jan 12, 2005 09:52pm | #4

   You can save some money on glue by using Resorcinal glue instead of epoxy. This is a boat builder's glue.