# Shutter louvers



## Don Hurley (Sep 10, 2004)

I would like to cut louvers for shutters that are tapered like the old style shutters of long ago. Anyone have any hints on how to do this.
Thanks in advance

Don H.....


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Don

You just need the right router bit like the one below..

Architectural Case/Molding Router Bits
Part #7896
http://www.mlcswoodworking.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/smarthtml/pages/bt_mold2.html

OR
Part number P14-3564 " N "
http://pricecutter.com/product.asp?pn=P14-3552

I should note:::: If you have a planer you can make a quick jig to hold the stock under the knifes in the planer....


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Norm of NYWS did some shutters a few years ago... don't remember if they were what you're looking for or not...


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

The show that Joe speaks of was on making a bunch of those shutters. If I remember right they were tapered but I can't tell in the photo:
http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0602
He also shows the jig he made to cut the slots in the frames in the series that is currently showing on the DIY channel. It was a pretty cool jig!

Corey


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## Don Hurley (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks Joe
Isaw that episode to . Thats where I got my idea from. But unlike Norm I don't have a friend of the show that supplies me with free high dollar molding machines.

HA HA
Thanks again though


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## Don Hurley (Sep 10, 2004)

Bobj3
Took a look at bits and will investigate further.
Thanks
Don H.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

You'er Welcome Don

The Plantation Shutters air again today on the PBS station....

The bit will do the job the only thing you need to do is make the 3 jigs for drilling/stapling/mounting and making the frames to hold the shutters...the frames are the easy part...

The jigs are the hard part.....but if you watch Norm you will see how to make all them... good luck.........as you now they are not cheap shutters if you just went out and put out your bucks on the counter for them ,so making them is the way to go....
at 150.oo to 350.oo per set you will be money ahead when you make your own.

Don One more work around ,,,goto one of the many of the HomeDepot/Lowes 2nd hand wood stores and take a look at the premade wood sutters they have on hand, think about just taking the shutters parts out and use them in your Plantation Shutters , I have many door sutters in the raftters of my garage that I have got from garage sales and they would work....but it would take a bit of work to take them down to parts only....but it would be worth it in the long run..if I wanted to make some for my house...


Bj 

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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

Don Hurley said:


> Thanks Joe
> Isaw that episode to . Thats where I got my idea from. But unlike Norm I don't have a friend of the show that supplies me with free high dollar molding machines.
> 
> HA HA
> Thanks again though


Don,

There is always more than one way to skin a cat... "high dollar molding machines".

OK, I'm trying visualize the 'molding' you're talking about. Did Norm use some fancy molding?

Think "out of the box".
What can you do with a table saw?
Then, what can you do with a router round-over, etc.?
Maybe a little more table saw...
In other words, you do what you have to do to get what you want... step by step... It might take you ten times as long as Norm did it, but you're not paying more to do it in equipment... are you?

Start with a profile of what you want... to meet what Norm did... go from there!

If Norm didn't do it, you do it anyway because that's what you want to do.

Combine methods as required...

"Just do it"... as Perot used to say.   (and I think he was right, now)

Just a few thoughts on the subject... don't give-up on it.

Go for it!

Take care.


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## Don Hurley (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks guys for all the encouragement. I'll have a go at it.

Thanks again
Don H...


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## hal (Sep 14, 2004)

Hi Don,
I saw your post about shutters, I am currently remodeling a house that we bought and the kitchen has a huge bay window that has plantations shutters. My wife and I love them. They were custom built so I won't even guess at the price, but unless you have some very deep pockets--build them yourself. 

I never throw away a woodworking magazine and I knew I had saved an article on building shutters so this afternoon I dug it out. American Woodworker, June 1997, pages 68 thru 72, auther Robert Kempinski. Go to American Woodworker and ask for that back issue. I think they get $5.00 for back issues, if they no longer have an issue they will reproduce those pages for you. If I had a scaner and knew how to use it I woud do it myself. I told my wife I like to build a set of shutter for the living room bay window and she said, that is so much work. Well after remodeling the the house and bringing it up to date, shutters would be a breeze. If you stop and really look at them they a pretty simple.

I have seen the show that Joe Lyddon refered to but I think the shutters Norm built the slats were fixed. The ones in the article open and close. Some one else mentioned a router bit to make the taper in the slats. I remember seeing such a bit in some ones catalog but I don't remember whose catalog. Actully Kempinski cut the tapers on his slates on the table saw then took a light cut with a hand plane to get rid of the saw marks and finished the edges with a round over bit.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Hal

The shutters that Norm made do open and close that why he made so many jigs to make them....see his web site for more info...

see his video clip ▼
http://www.newyankee.com/getproduct3.cgi?0602

Bob & Rick made some also on the RWS..
1411. Window Shutter, fixed louver shutters 
http://www.routerworkshop.com/s1400.html#396

Bj


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## scrollwolf (Sep 12, 2004)

*Shutters*

Hi Don,
Here is another bit set that might work.
Woodline USA bit set 

scrollwolf


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## Don Hurley (Sep 10, 2004)

Thanks for the tip Hal. I have shutters in my livingroom windows already. But when I remodeled I put in a 10ft bay window. When you mention shutters for it people laugh at you. That was my reason for this thread to build shutters for it.

Thanks again all,
Don H..


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## differentshades (Jan 20, 2010)

The article that Don wrote about can be viewed in google book search if you search for:

Robert Kempinski shutters


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## Dr.Zook (Sep 10, 2004)

Thank you for joining Zuber. Welcome to the RouterForums.


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Hi,
Here is a link to the bit set from Woodline. Also a link to the pdf instuctions which include how to make the required jigs to assemble the shutters. Some cabinet parts suppliers carry bags of the pins used for the shutters. You can buy some pins from Woodline but there are not many in the package. 

Woodline USA - Plantation Shutter Set

http://www.woodline.com/instructions/Plantation Shutters.pdf


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Yesterday I was building bookshelves and when I read this, it occurred to me that the pins I'd been using for the shelf supports would work for this. They are just short lengths of 5mm rod with a shoulder half way to limit how far in they go.

Thank you for the instruction sheet. I'd been able to read the Robert Kempinski shutters one but not save it.

Cheers

Peter


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

> Bob & Rick made some also on the RWS..
> 1411. Window Shutter, fixed louver shutters
> Router Workshop: Series 1400


Thanks BJ! I have been looking for that for a while!


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

I've been thinking of getting the Woodline set for a while but I've no-one to bring them over at the moment. It occurs to me that there is only one unusual cutter in the set and that is the one for tapering the slats.
I've been wondering about setting up a tapered fence to make them, just using a straight cutter. 
Instead of the table fence being vertical, it would have a section that was wider at the top than the bottom. How practical does that sound? Has anyone got a set who could tell me the angle? I'm thinking of setting the table saw over to get the angle on a bit of 4 x 2 in order to hold it better, then slitting it off afterwards.

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

Are you talking about the bit below ?. if so I have one but I don't know the angle but it works great the in Vert. router table..

Molding Router Bits 2

Architectural Case/Molding Router Bits


#7896 E 2" 1/2" 1/2" $34.00 

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istracpsboss said:


> I've been thinking of getting the Woodline set for a while but I've no-one to bring them over at the moment. It occurs to me that there is only one unusual cutter in the set and that is the one for tapering the slats.
> I've been wondering about setting up a tapered fence to make them, just using a straight cutter.
> Instead of the table fence being vertical, it would have a section that was wider at the top than the bottom. How practical does that sound? Has anyone got a set who could tell me the angle? I'm thinking of setting the table saw over to get the angle on a bit of 4 x 2 in order to hold it better, then slitting it off afterwards.
> 
> ...


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Hi Bob

This one
Woodline USA - Molding/Base/Casing Bit, 2 1/4" Ranch, 1 3/8" Diameter, 1 5/8" Cutting Length, 1/2" Shank

It's a better deal buying the set Woodline USA - Plantation Shutter Set but I'm looking at trying it this way as importing them from the States is problematical.

Cheers

Peter


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Peter

Now we are on the same page 

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-PC-Shutter-Ba...=ViewItem&pt=Routers_Bits&hash=item1e5c82e909

3 pc 1/2" SH Base Architectural Molding Router Bit Set - eBay (item 130404899231 end time Jul-05-10 15:33:42 PDT)



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istracpsboss said:


> Hi Bob
> 
> This one
> Woodline USA - Molding/Base/Casing Bit, 2 1/4" Ranch, 1 3/8" Diameter, 1 5/8" Cutting Length, 1/2" Shank
> ...


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## istracpsboss (Sep 14, 2008)

Brilliant Bob ! I didn't think George did them.

Cheers

Peter


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## william wilton (Dec 28, 2010)

Hi, my name is Bill Wilton from Vancouver,wa. I am building plantation shutters for a bedroom. A few years ago I built shutters for two other rooms and at that time I purchased louvers that were milled and sold in 6' to 8' lengths. I lost the name of the supplier.

Can anyone help with a name other than an offshore supplier. I only need about 35 feet of stock.

Thanks


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