What to use as a hinge for a secret door/bookcase...

I'm finishing off my basement. In one area of the basement I have a small bump out in the foundation where the front vestibule is built on. We use the space for storage of Christmas decorations and that sort. I thought it would be a cool idea to build a bookcase in front of the area that would hide the storage but give us access via a secret door. The area is 6'6" wide where the bookcase would be. I'm trying to figure out what kind of hinge I could use in order to have the bookcase swing out and gain access to the storage. I think what I'd do to lessen the weight is to split the bookcase into 2 doors that swing out. Probably also put wheels of some type under the bookcases to help in moving the doors as well as taking some of the weight off the hinges. Still, I haven't a clue as to what to use. Most of the hinges I've seen are for normal doors. I thought of using black pipe attached to the bookcase somehow and then figuring out some type of attachment that had a bearing mounted at each end going to the floor and ceiling but HD or Lowes doesn't have anything that I can put together.

I was wondering if anyone out there has ever attempted doing something like this and had recommendations?

Reply to
TheKidd
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google is your friend

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Reply to
Charles Spitzer

Soss makes the type of hinge I think you are looking for.

Reply to
Nightstar

Reply to
Phisherman

"PUT THE CANDLE BACK"

Reply to
Ish

"TheKidd" in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

heh, scrap patrs from a 10 yard truck should be strong.

industrial buoildings have huge part, but are bypass or rollup. still ther might be something in catalogs at home depot or wherever.

huge "barn door" (strap) hinges? this

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but not necesarily faux antique..

Reply to
Choise76Smu

Reply to
Joe Fabeitz

Reply to
Nightstar

Ok...Ok...unless I find out, I'll be thinking (and Googling) about this one all weekend. Maybe I'll just do that one time before I post this......

Oh, NOW I get it.

Disregard this pole...eh...post.

Reply to
Joe Fabeitz

I've heard of chicken coops, but never of a farmer's coop. Perhaps you meant a farmers' co-op?

MB

Whether you vote Democrat or Republican in November, the country will still be run from boardrooms in the USA and elsewhere, not by your elected representatives.

On 10/14/04 09:58 pm Phisherman put fingers to keyboard and launched the following message into cyberspace:

Reply to
Minnie Bannister

"Joe Fabeitz" in news:QlQbd.171130$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews3.bellsouth.net:

"...and this is helpful, how?"

Reply to
Choise76Smu

An update for anyone who cares... I did look at the web site for hiddendoor.com . Nice stuff but lots of $$$$. Too much for my limited budget. I saw mention of the SOSS hinge and mention of a Pivot hinge but they protected themselves (rightly so I guess) by not showing you how they use the hinge in their products. I have googled for plans but haven't found any. I went to the soss hinge site and looked at the hinges. Never seen them before and they look to work pretty well! Didn't see any documentation on applications. Not being a professional door installer, I'm not sure how to use these though. My guess is that I'll look into using regular hinges. Maybe more of them along the length of the jamb for the bookcase and somehow hide the knuckles. The StanleyWorks web site had lots of hinge types. From what I'm seeing, hidden door bookcases work really well in the movies. Practical applications are a bit tougher. I did see in some DYI newsgroup somewhere where someone had used black pipe and bearings, which is what I had originally thought about doing! The person who saw this was a plasterer and thought the idea clever when he saw it work. He unfortunately, never took pictures of it. He said he wished he had.

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

-TheKidd

Reply to
TheKidd

Have you seen this from This old house magazine??? there's a picutre that I can email if you can't retrieve it.

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=3Dcache:oNCTbpHUY3EJ:

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Secret Door Now that I'm almost finished installing the rail-and-stile paneling in my living room, I'd like to build a hidden door to cover the wood storage bin next to the fireplace. But I'm stumped on how to design it so no hardware is visible. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. =E2=80=94 Terry, Wilmington, DE

=20 Norm Abram replies: Make the door the size you want and fit it with concealed Soss hinges that slide in and out of a mortise, and a touch latch, the kind that opens with a slight push (available through Woodworker's Supply, 800-645-9292). With careful workmanship, the door will be nearly impossible to find.

Reply to
Higgins

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