timber venetians

[Caliban]

Has anyone ever built their own timber Venetians?
Is it worth the trouble or should I just buy them?
I have the equipment tablesaw, thicknesser, jointer, bandsaw routers.
Don't know how to do the string parts though or the slat spacing doovers.
Does anyone have any plans or links before I dismiss it out of hand.

[Bodgy]

Buy them.

Or make plantation shutters!

[silentC]

Have thought about it in the past but dismissed it out of hand!

[Lonks]

We bought all of ours during a sale at lincraft - we had to cut them to size, but the whole lot only cost $550. Much better than the $2500 we were quoted from a venetian company...

[Markw]

I just finally received a timber venetian after waiting 8 weeks and costing over $500.

You have to have specials made once they are larger than 2.3m which is a PITA and expensive :mad: :mad: :mad:

If I could find all the bits and pieces I might try and make myself as its certainly not worth $500 to make!

[aabb]

Buy them.

Or make plantation shutters!

this is something I really want to do ... list so long

[Greg Q]

I am right in the middle of a plantation shutter project. I am using recycled timber, which is making an even bigger PITA out of it. It has taken me three days just to cut and thickness 300 louvers and mill the stiles. (all on commercial equipment)

I havent even begun to do the joinery or the rails, nor profile the louvers yet.

Greg

[Auld Bassoon]

Cor Greg! That must be a mongrel of a project! Even with commercial equipment/machinery, I'd be loath to take that on...

[lnt9000]

Had some made up recently for non standard windows (expensive), When I Initially went to the factory to view available stain colors I had a bit of a wander about the shop and noticed that most workers were women of a middle/eastern europe appearance and not very conversant with the english language, they had special punching machines for the eyelets and very fine bladed Guillotines, and then there were some machines that I had no idea what they would be used for, I figure If your gonna attemp something like this you would have to have a lot of patience and the right temperament as well as the necessary equipment and a lot of time on your hands.

[Greg Q]

Cor Greg! That must be a mongrel of a project! Even with commercial equipment/machinery, I'd be loath to take that on...

It is the reclaimed timber that is the problem. I am getting less than 50% yield, and each piece ends up being the victim of 10 or 12 operations. This is the first time I've spent more than an hour or two session on my machines, and my back says that I need to raise them higher.

My mate with the wood stove is getting 12 feed bags full of off-cut kindling,
so he's happy. Wife's happy. Even Felder may be happy if I end up buying a power feeder to save my fingers.

The worse bit? I've never been asked to build someone a period piece of furniture, but two people have asked me this week to make shutters for them when I'm finished this project. Build one lousy shutter....

[Caliban]

Build one lousy shutter....[/I]

Careful with the goat inferences there ol mate, you know what ozwinner is like.

[Bodgy]

I am right in the middle of a plantation shutter project. I am using recycled timber, which is making an even bigger PITA out of it. It has taken me three days just to cut and thickness 300 louvers and mill the stiles. (all on commercial equipment)

I havent even begun to do the joinery or the rails, nor profile the louvers yet.

Greg

Greg

Chairs are worse in terms of tedium, although there is a bit of a challenge.

My plantation shutters were made from crapiata, but the repitition was what killed me.

Also the fitting of the pivots was a pain. I used crapiata cause Her Indoors wanted them painted white. All the stock was warped and although 'DAR' needed finishing. What a PITA. Three coats of paint - boring as bat schidt.

However, I imagine that Caliban was about to enter a world of pain trying to make Venetians. Better a world full of a dull aches with the Plantation Shutters.

They do look good tho.

[Greg Q]

I agree that ventitians would be an absolute chore. Its funny how we see something with timber and a big price tag and we start thinking (or worse-saying out loud): "I could make that"

I'm painting my shutters too, but I'm going to spray. (and sand, and spray etc etc).

I ordered some shutter pins from the states-they might make the process a bit less painful. And I got to buy a new tool (or two), so its not a total loss.

Greg

(who has windsor chairs on his 'to-do' list)

[SteveC]

Hi guys,

I have just bought a whole lot of timber venetians (great sale at Big W, but had to wait ages for the back order), and was after a little advice.

My windows are not the standard sizes, and due to this, I have to trim each venetian to fit it inside the window frame.

Can anyone suggest a quick and clean method for trimming the ends, without splitting them, and without taking three days per blind .

[Bodgy]

I just clamped mine up hard and cut off the ends, in one go, with a hand saw. No real probs, then just a quick sand - still all clamped together.