Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 18, 2000 02:34am | #1

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   Cherlene,

   I'm always amazed at the number of builders that can't design squat.

   Simply go to any local architect, pay him or her a few bucks and voila, a detailed drawing of the hidden door of your dreams.

   Gabe

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 18, 2000 05:31am | #2

   *The only problem is that you won't be able to see it on the drawings.This has been discussed to death here several months ago. Try the search function. One thing I remember comming up over and over was SOS hinges. Try searching for that.

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 2000 04:43am | #3

   *And here's a little headstart on SOSS hingesSOSS hinges

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 2000 05:16am | #4

   *You guys tried searching for any old threads lately? My last couple of attempts have been fruitless.JonC

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   Guest_ | Aug 19, 2000 02:58pm | #5

   *John:The "Search" function was broken about a week ago but is back up.Cherlene:I did a search for "hidden door hinge" and found this one.

2. 
   Guest_ | Aug 19, 2000 06:56pm | #6

   *Cherlene,If it's gonna be a surprise, you better keep him out of the house till it's done. A good hidden door takes a lot of work to install. They don't come in a box. Your trim carpenter will have to create it.Good Luck,Ed. Williams

3. 
   Guest_ | Sep 08, 2000 03:02am | #7

   *I got to take a look at Bela Lugosi's house before it was torn down to build the Cahuenga Bl. offramp from the Hollywood freeway. His hidden bookcase door pivoted around the center of gravity of the bookcase, to balance the load. Instead of hinges, it was on a big thrust bearing around some kind of vertical shaft. I'd try an old VW front wheel bearing and some black pipe (If I remember right, something about 1" NPT might work with the inner VW bearing.) The library side latch was disguised as a book. Very cute.-- J.S.

2. 
   Adam_Greisz | Sep 08, 2000 07:57am | #8

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   The hidden door we recently installed on our job used a rixson floor pivot. Everyone (from owner to architects and all between) is amazed at how easy it operates. These kind of pivots are typically used on commercial doors but can be easily be designed into any type of application that you can come up with. Good Luck.

3. 
   Cherlene_A._Post | Sep 08, 2000 02:00pm | #9

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   We are having a home built in Washington. The builder will include a hidden door from the library into another room ... IF .... can find a plan for the door and bookcase. It is to be a surprise for my husband.

   I have tried the site "The Hidden Door Company". However the site does not appear. All help would be appreciated. The progress of the house can be seen at http://pages.prodigy.net/cherlene.post

4. 
   Guest_ | Sep 08, 2000 02:00pm | #10

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   ... we did a nancy drew door.. about twenty years ago.. put a roller bearing on the bottom for support and a piano hinge for hinge..
   the door was about 4 ft high and 30 inch wide...

   and pivoted into the space behind...

   with magnetic latches on the latch side

   all the bookshelves in the room were baltic birch with the exposed edge laminates....