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I am trying to put a hidden bookcase door in a wall that will be 3 foot wide and 80 inches high. It will hinge in to a storage area. The shelves will be six inches deep. Looking at it, one would think it was a bookcase not a hidden door. Any ideas on how to construct this.

2006-12-31 00:34:54 · 4 answers · asked by nr4428 1 in Home & Garden Do It Yourself (DIY)

4 answers

I built one just like you described, I wish it was as easy to describe the construction however. I will give it a shot. I hope you are good with geometry, the dimensions for the width have to accomodate the swing of the shelves, which is not easy to calculate. It is best to draw it out to scale and cut wood accordingly.

The tuff part is making the hinges truly invisible. The case itself had a face frame that hung over the wall opening on the sides and top. The bottow was flush with the floor. You could raise the shelves off the floor, just have the frame extend over the bottom edge as well.

Here comes the technical part... Install one set of hinges on the jamb of the opening so that the pin is flush with the wall covering. Install another set of hinges to the back of the shelf side so that the pin is flush with the back of the shelf. Determine the width of a board needed to connect the two sets of hinges. I call this the pivot board as it acts as a pivot between the wall opening and the book shelves. This arrangement allows for complete concealmant of the hinges and allows the book case (door)to be fully opened. Use a solid board like oak or something to minimize warp when you swing the door open. I used a full one inch think oak for the pivot board. Both sets of hinges are installed like you would see on a typical entry door where the leaves fold against each other. Not like a decorative cabinet hinge where the leaves are surface mounted and open.

The face of the shelf will have to be wider than most cabinets to conceal the space required to accomodate the swing of the shelf. For a 6" deep shelf it should be somewhere around 4 inches.

After I installed the shelf, I used a magnetic lock to keep the cabinet in place. The kind I used is made by Rev-A-Shelf. They make all kinds of kitchen cabinet aids. I also used a 3'4 inch plywood back on the cabinet to help minimize warp and to facilltate the installation of the magnetic lock. I had to install two locks to keep the top and bottom of the shelf tight against the wall. You will have to look at the lock design to figure out how to install it for this arrangement.

It is a bit technical, but the results are fantastic, no hardware visible anywhere. You have to know where to apply the magnets to gain access. There is no way to know where the magnets go from the outside. It is quite secure!!

Good luck, e-mail me if you need more help or clarification. You can contact me at tom@furnitureforest.com also.

Carpenter, you are right about the SOSS hinges. I did a similar cabinet with them also one time, you are right about the close fitting. It would have been easier if I had done the entire assemply, but it the application I used, I had to Set the hinges in existing jambs. I had to do micro adjustments to keep the SOSS hinges from binding. If you want a challenge, go for SOSS. Standard hinges are a little more forgiving.

2006-12-31 01:47:11 · answer #1 · answered by tmarschall 3 · 3 0

Hidden Bookcase Door Hardware

2016-12-28 17:39:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Hidden Bookcase Door Plans

2016-11-11 05:29:14 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I've done many of these in custom houses, things that look like bookcases, normal paneled walls, etc. The first answer you have does have lots of good information in it. I'll add some that should help.

Planning- you can't overdo it, you need scale drawings to be sure about clearances. Ideally, CAD programs (drawings on computer) are good because you can select and rotate parts on the screen and check clearances as they move.

Consider weight- Especially if it's a bookcase, because the loaded shelf could weigh several hundred pounds, and you want to swing it like a door. The construction of the box will have to remain rigid with that load when it's swinging- and that's not easy. It will require massive and well made hinges, and the hinges will have to be attached to wall structure that will probably have to be stronger than what is there now in order to stay put.

One large bookcase we did over a hard floor used casters underneath to carry the weight as it swung out. That unit was placed in front of the wall. If you are talking about a recessed case, it gets harder.

The hinges- to my knowledge, there are no sources for hinges that will do this kind of job. We have always made our own, or modified some commercial product to meet the project need.

One hinge hint- hard to describe without a picture, but I will try. Imagine a normal butt hinge like you see on a door, in the closed position. Think of it as sitting not on the door edge, but on the jamb behind the door with the pin side butting up to the door face.

If you added a curved extension from the edge of the leaf (farthest from the pin) that followed the arc of the hinge for 90 degrees and then turned outward to a flat screwed to the door, you would have a concealed door hinge. The arc wraps around the jamb as the door opens and allows a 90 degree swing.

One suggestion would be to create a library-panel look on the wall, where one of the sections actually worked as a door. Much easier to hide and make workable.

Latches or locks can be electric solenoid operations as well as the movie style rotating coat hooks or tilting books. Less complicated and can be switched from any location you can run a wire to.

2006-12-31 09:17:57 · answer #4 · answered by pegasusaig 6 · 2 0

Well depending on what's going to be on the other side of this door or how often it will be used I would suggest making your own odd shaped door for the best unnoticed look. EX: Cut out the door in a slightly irregular shape like the trunk of the tree. Mount it so that it opens in so you can hide the hardware and hinges. Have you thought to make parts of this mural 3-D? That may be your best option yet. Or you could try installing a pocket door if you plan on being detailed enough with your painting skills this should be quite unnoticeable as well. If this door is going to receive a lot of use and you have no doorknob I highly suggest using enamel paint so you can clean it easier and the paint will be more durable too! Hope I was helpful. I really like that you have chosen to do something as creative as this and wish you well with your project! PS It would be great to see what you end up with!

2016-03-13 23:56:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I can't improve on the previous answers regarding construction. However where hinges are concerned might I suggest you look for SOSS hinges. They are made specifically for this type of application. They are precision made and require careful fitting but are totally invisible on a closed door or bookcase.

2007-01-03 09:43:46 · answer #6 · answered by Carpenter 3 · 0 0

Go to your local Borders or Barnes & Noble and pick up the current issue of Fine Homebuilding. As the previous answerer stated, it is difficult to describe, but the article in Fine Homebuilding gives lots of detail drawings that will help you get it right the first time.

2006-12-31 08:54:06 · answer #7 · answered by nathanael_beal 4 · 0 0

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