anybody make their own wooden port screens?

[MitchM]

well i am about to embark on a project of making some wooden framed port screens. those mesh screens that sit on top of the ports and hatches get blown away and i don't like the way they look. i w ant to make a wooden frame that will screw into the cabin ceiling or sides, on top of that would be a wooden hinged frame with the screen. think of an oreo cookie construction with the wood parts the cookie and the screen the creme filling. i have looked at the glebe creek screenworks but the cost of their screens is a little too much for my retired social security budget ... my idea is to attach the screening to the opening hinged wooden frame (so i can s till open and shut the ports from inside) . then i'll have that hinged part fasten with ? hooks? ?magnets? to the permanently mounted matching frame on the cabin sides and ceiling. found i c an get some good quality screening from my local boat awning manufacturer, fairly stiff and not baggy like t he c amping no seeum stuff..

anyone have any suggestions as to how to attach the screening to the frame ? staple,? groove and spline...? i'll make a model out of cheap pine then go for the cherry or mahogany later...

thanks as usual for your thoughts...fair winds and bugless nights to you all

 

[Ross]

Double stick adhesive tape is good for screen fabric. There are many grades.

 

[Bad Obsession]

I made one for the cabin hatch on my Catalina 30.

 

[DanM]

I've always thought this was a nice design... http://www.vermontficks.org/northernlight/bug_screens.html

DanM.

 

[Chuckbear]

Here is the one we built for the new hatch I installed on Sea Trek,
http://tinyurl.com/3r4tpg6
Chuck

 

[kenn]

I made a full set of screens for our little boat - companionway (washboards and top), and a curved frame to fit our front hatch opening.

The curved front screen frame is the most interesting. After carefully measuring our hatch-opening's inner and outer dimensions, and the "chord" or arc of curve, I cut out two "frames" out of 1/8" plywood. I made a simple jig to hold the pieces at a little bit more than the required curve, cut some screen to fit, then glued the two frames together, screen between, using urethane glue (eg Gorilla glue). I clamped this into the jig, and let it set overnight.

The curve remained when I removed the frame from the jig, and with just two homemade "cams" to hold it in position, this screen has allowed us to keep our forward hatch open all night.

 

[AXEL]

To the OP.
I made a teak hatch screen a couple of years ago for my C30. To hold the screen to the frame I used teak tape. This is a product which is a thin laminate of teak about 1 inch wide. It comes on a roll. On the back of the teak is a glue which you use a regular cloths iron to heat. The combination of heat (not much) and pressure from the iron makes a good bond. I like this because if I ever want to replace the screen I can simply heat up the teak tape and peel off. It also matches the teak frame nicely. You can Google it.