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When I told Christopher that I had finished making and painting my screen door, had hung it and added the hardware, he asked to see a picture. I didn’t have one. “No picture? Didn’t happen,” he said.
Did too.
I ended up using three 3″ cabinet hinges instead of traditional screen door hinges, simply because the leaves were narrow enough to fit the application. But I used 3″ screws on the door frame, and 3.5″ screws on the jamb. That door isn’t going anywhere. I went traditional on the handle hardware, using a reproduction latch from House of Antique Hardware. I’d never installed a tube latch before, but I didn’t have too much trouble (other than finding a 3/4″ bit in our shop that didn’t look like it had been gnawed upon).
The hardest thing was fitting the door to the frame. As you can see, the house is old. Nothing is square. Nothing is level. Nothing is easy. And, because I used 3.5″ screws that I didn’t feel like taking out and putting back time and again, and I don’t have a bench at home, I thought it would be easier to fit with the door hanging. Sigh. But, after a little (OK, a lot) of work with my trusty block plane and a float, I got it swinging pretty.
So Chris, here’s your ocular proof.
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Megan,
Thanks for posting the link for the screen door hardware. I had tried to find exactly this style of screen door latch when our original failed! And I have two replacement screen doors to make, which will benefit from this as well.
Megan –
Nice job. "Nothing is square. Nothing is level. Nothing is easy."
Trust me. I know.
Excellent job. I can sympathize about the drill bits, my school shop hasn’t bought a new set in 5 years. Thanks for the ocular proof, both the photograph and the the phrase.
Narayan, Missing: 5 raccoons and about 10 cats.
Jonas – the cat out front (Yawfle) is one of "my" strays. She and her many friends don’t get to come inside; they just get fat eating on my porch. And the glowing eyes inside are Viola’s – she and the other 2.75 inside cats (one has only 3 legs) don’t get to come out. But, now they can hiss at each other through the low screen — fun for everyone!
Nice job, but how will the cat be able to get in? (provided that it is your cat off course).
Maybe it’s my ever-deteriorating vision, but aren’t there, say, a dozen raccoons missing from this photo?