Our weather continues to vacillate between winter and spring. This week I was able to use one of the warmer days to start making the people sized doors for the coop.

I measured the size of the door frame and subtracted 1/4″ on the width (to allow 1/8″ on each side), and subtracted 1 3/8″ from the height (our threshhold will be 1 1/8″ high plus the 1/8″ easement). I used standard 2×4 lumber and made double rabbet connections at the corners and for the cross brace. My bandsaw worked well to cut the rabbets on the ends of the boards, but for the rabbets in the middle of the board I used a handsaw and chiseled out the material.

I then glued the joints and used 1 1/4″ screws to secure the frame, making sure that the corners were square.

The door fits well! (The gap on the top will eventually be a gap on the bottom for the threshold.)

And here is the front door:

This one was a little more temperamental, but it might be because it was about 33 degrees out when I finished it. I kept the garage door closed as long as possible, but to get enough light to chisel, I needed to open it! Cold! So I probably worked with a little more haste. Still, it is fun when the grain lines up with the dado and a few chisel strikes excise a nice chunk of wood.