daleslad

Hi guys, I would like to make shutters for a winter cabin, I've attached a pic of the window in question.

Originally it had one large piece of reinforced plywood that hung from 2 hooks and had twist locks on the sides and bottom to keep it from swinging.
However it is just too heavy for me to handle on my own as I have to climb up a ladder while lifting this large sheet of plywood ahead of me and try to hook it onto the two hooks.

I've decided to instead to install hinged shutters and that could more easily manipulated. The window is about 54 inches high and 66 inches wide.
The wood around the frame is 3 3/8 inches wide.
I didn't think there would be much to making shutters. I bought some plywood and cut out the doors but didn't quite know what I should do about reinforcing them and on which side would be the best.
I would appreciate any suggestions you may have.

handyguys

Ply and hinges would look bad in my opinion. Making operable shutters is a bit of a lost art and is a relatively complicated woodworking project.

There are two types of shutters, generally speaking. Louvered and paneled. I suspect you want paneled.

I'l be very brief on the steps to make them, I suspect you wont have the tools to do it. (panel frame, the simplest)
Build a frame with a top, middle and bottom stile, use mortise and tenon joinery for the frame construction.
Build your panels - There are table saw techniques for 'raising the panel' or you can use a router or a shaper. The purpose of raising the panel is actually to make the panel ft into a groove in the frame.
Wood should be knot free and exterior suitable.
Top quality primer and paint.
Special hardware (hinges) is required for operable shutters too.
See http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=10892&filter=shutter
for hardware
Now that I write that up it seems pretty simple.

There are companies that still make these. Google operable shutters.

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daleslad

Thanks handyguys for the suggestions but I think that kind of panelling is a bit out of my league.
Love those New York hinges though but at $40 a set a little too steep I'm afraid.
I'm looking for a more simple approach, and not really for looks but more functional to keep the snow off the window.