Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 24, 1999 08:28am | #1

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   You already know how to hide the door with the T & G. There are concealed hinges made that mortise into the door and are completely invisible when it is closed. They used to be made by a company called Soss. Or you can make the door swing in. You could invent a hidden latch mechanism; there are many ways to do this. There are electric latches easily available that run on low voltage. That will unlock the door from a hidden button. At 6v you can use a battery when the y2k bug causes all the power in the world to go back 100 years.

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   Guest_ | Apr 24, 1999 09:00am | #2

   *Mike, How big of bettery do you think he'll need to run those 1000 watt halide grow lights when the power goes out?JonC

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   Guest_ | Apr 25, 1999 07:08am | #3

   *yeah, but where does it lead to? Chuck, did I miss your post of how to build a dungeon?BTW: for invisible access doors I sometimes build, I use magnetic latches. You could hide the power supply in the bust of Vladimer that sits on the mantle. Course you'd have to build the mantle.

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   Guest_ | Apr 25, 1999 07:30am | #4

   *Be careful that wear patterns and dirt don't make the door obvious anyway. Maybe vacuum the carpet when you're done in your secret place. And watch out for police helicopters with infrared cameras -- those lights put out a lot of heat -- maybe the insulation folks can advise.

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   chuck_nesbitt | Apr 27, 1999 08:57pm | #5

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   to all,
   thanks for your replies. i guess a source off heavy duty concealed hinges and latching is mostly what i am looking for. i would have much rather used a slide if it was applicable. about behind the doors,a rich guy tring to conceal an already massive vault door of about 6x4,and the other a mechanical rm water heater and computers systm. yes you would think alot of green but this guy likes guns.

3. 
   Guest_ | Apr 27, 1999 10:42pm | #6

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   Can you just use ball bearing butt hinges? Actually, i should assume the (large) door would have to swing into the room... How about pivot hinges like a kitchen service door, with lazy susan-type ball bearing plates at the base? The plates they make for large TVs can bear a couple hundred pounds. The T&G at hinge side of the door should conceal the crack when closed. Add a spring so the door pops open!

   Electric door catches are easy to come by, any locksmith can order one and HD probably has them by now (heck, they have a remote-control door lock, maybe he'd like that -- you could add a concealed cabinet to store the remote!).

   Geez, why not a regular solid door with a good lock? I think I'd prefer a plain old rich guy over a gun nut, but if he pays on time, who cares.

4. 
   Darrell_E | Apr 30, 1999 09:03am | #7

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   One way to conceal a opening is to make it into a book shelf. Use heavy duty door hinges and a caster on bottom, if it is to be loaded heavy. With the hinges on the back edge it will swing in.
   overlap face framing on adjoining walls to conceal edged of bookcase.

   This was technique used by a CEO to hide/hold out from uninvited guests. Had a lock on inside & alarm panic button. And this was after you got past the armed gaurd at front gate...can anyone say parinoid?

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   chuck_nesbitt | May 01, 1999 03:13am | #8

   *great idea i wish i would have thougt of it, sooner, i may still try it. thanks mm/cn

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   chuck_nesbitt | May 01, 1999 03:29am | #9

   *thanks again to all replies, i'll fill you in futher the rm is about 12x14 with a few jogs, the doors open in to the room, i 've buit a steel frame from 1x1 11 gauge tube steel full ht of my openining with welded on hinges to a hinge pole. to exhausted to search futher for a concealing hinge i've used standered but joint 4.5 in plannining to work it out some how. well i hung the smaller of the two units today it hung fine how ever the covering of the hinge has still yet to work out, you know where the joint binds up, i may have a solution though i'll try monday. i may go with the shelf units still yet. another thing that makes it fun is once i keep the 1x6 from binding i have to over come the 1x6 base. well i guess some are easy and some are fun, but none are both. is that bs

1. 
   chuck_nesbitt | May 01, 1999 03:30am | #10

   *darrell e great idea i wish i would have thougt of it, sooner, i may still try it. thanks mm/cn

5. 
   Guest_ | May 01, 1999 05:10am | #11

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   One of the better applications I did was to have the door swing into the "secret room". The kicker was to run the baseboard right across the door opening, no break. Granted, when you open the "secret door" you have this small baseboard threshold to step over, but it totally throws any snoops off track.

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   Guest_ | May 01, 1999 07:18am | #12

   *Did one in a master walkin closet once that was pretty cool .The house was being built for a soft drink tycoon. You had to pull a certain shaker peg out of a tye rack and slide it to unlatch it.I dont think you would find it if you didnt know it was there. But the whole time I had this uneasy feeling that he might have to kill me when I was finished ,ha ha Chuck

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   Guest_ | May 01, 1999 08:06am | #14

   *Taunton's "Built-In Furniture" has a couple of pages on a library-style secret door, with photos.

6. 
   chuck_nesbitt | May 01, 1999 08:06am | #13

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   anybody know about building and hinging concealed doors(as in hidden,secret).
   i am tring to conceal two doors full height of the room. doors are aprox 10ftx5ft and 10ftx3ft. the walls(2x4) are being finished in 1x6 rs t&g cedar. hence the doors will be of the same .
   any help will be appreciated. e mail at miya musas @aol.com
   thanks cn