Building a Storm Window

[ducks4you]

I know that a lot of people on this particular forum are builders. I'm building my chicken coop now. I could do lots of things to winterize my coop windows, but I'd really like to build them three storm windows just like the one that came with my 100 year old house, for the winter. I want these to be removeable and storable, like the one on the house.
I don't have a good picture of mine, but here is a blog that I found with the same type:
http://tinybungalow.blogspot.com/2008/08/storm-window-installation.html
What I LOVE about my front storm window, is that you stand on the porch to hook the top on to the hardware hooks, and push it in and it fits like a glove. Yes, we have a storm-windowed, enclosed (screened, too) front porch that cuts some of the winter breeze, BUT, you can do the "candle test" to the living room window it covers and there are no drafts.
I've been searching the web for designs. Though they make sense, and the directions seem easy enough to follow, I'd like this to be a learning experience for me, in case I need to make any for my house or my unheated outbuildings. (I live on a "farmette" with 5 acres, a house, a detached garage, a barn, and two other outbuildings.)
So...does anybody here have any good plans or instructions?

 

[patandchickens]

A thing to remember is that you can get airtight friction fit in a solidly built house... but chicken coops are not usually built like houses, for a whole variety of reasons, and they shift and slouch a bit as time passes. Sagging, racking, settling of posts or the blocks that they sit on or whatever, etc etc.

I would seriously not bother trying to do this unless you have a most-unusually built coop. (edited to clarify: because as soon as the structure moves *at all*, and the window moves 1/4" out of square, your storm window now does not fit *at all*)

If you DO, it is certainly possible -- it's not really a matter of plans or instructions, but of experienced carpentry and the ability to make things fit to like a 1/32" tolerance even when a not-quite-square shape is required.

However it would be far far easier to build the storm windows intentionally gappy, then use removeable caulk, or weatherstripping (foam, or stuff like strips of feedbag or cardboard or rag shoved in there with the tip of a table knife or screwdriver) to make up the difference and seal out drafts. Also, if you do it this way, it will not be such a problem if the structure shifts a bit.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

Thanks for the replies and great advice! I don't NEED to make these windows, but I know that it will teach me a lot about window making and fixing. I have all the materials already, so it won't cost me any money to try.
This site on building an inexpensive indoor storm window, suggests making it fit with weatherstripping:
http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/energy/conservation/basics_1/window_cover.htm
like patandchickens suggested.
I'll let you know how I do.