Hidden Door Bookshelf

Comment

Comment by Carey Bubacz on December 26, 2015 at 1:21pm

Thanks Chuck! I am working with a clean slate of my newer home with a soon to be finished yet still in planning stages unfinished basement. I have already built a bar , movie theater, and game room in half the cellar. My plans for the second half are a full bath, guest bedroom, workshop and the already mentioned Gun room. I am a beginner woodworker with a brand new keg jig. While I am new to the keg jig I feel like I can build anything if I have a plan/diagram but for some reason I can't seem to visualize or dream up projects without at least a photo but I'm hoping the kreg will change that. Thanks again.

Comment by Chuck Boehm on December 23, 2015 at 8:10pm

No plans, I just measured and cut, sort of put the plans together in my head.  The only tricky part if you put your hinges in one of the bookcase corners, is to calculate the correct maximum width of the bookcase to clear the door jamb.  Not sure if you can see from the pictures but there is a gap on the right side of the bookcase so that the front right edge will clear the jamb.  The hinges are on the left side back of the book case.  I also beefed up the left side and bottom of the bookcase with 2x lumber and put a steel screen door brace diagonally on the back to eliminate sagging under weight.  I wish I had documented this build as several folks have asked for the plans.  Worst part is, I sold the house this door was in, so maybe I will document the plans if I build another one.  If I do, it will also hide my gun room, as did this one.

Comment by Carey Bubacz on December 19, 2015 at 11:59pm

Hi Chuck, did you use a set of plans? I would like to build a secret entrance to my gun room.

Comment by A.E. "Buddy" Holmes on May 23, 2015 at 7:34am

Chuck,

I have finally completed my door.  It was selected as a featured project and I revised it to add more detail steps for anyone building one.  I had three sets of instruction and each had different directions.

The hardware is very strong and the design is super but instructions are weak.

Anyway have a look.

Comment by Chuck Boehm on April 10, 2015 at 10:00am

BTW, I should have said "normally closed pushbutton switches" as the circuit needs to be active until a button is pushed to open the circuit.

Comment by Chuck Boehm on April 10, 2015 at 9:59am

Glad that helped.  Hope you post your project when finished!

Comment by A.E. "Buddy" Holmes on April 10, 2015 at 8:26am

Very neat. Thanks for the info.

Comment by Chuck Boehm on April 10, 2015 at 12:21am

The electronics were fairly simple.  I used a Seco-Larm E-941SA-80Q Mini Maglock, 80 lb. along with a 12v AC power supply that I plugged into an outlet in the room.  I break the positive wire 2 times, one with a rocker switch inside of the room and again with a rocker rocker switch under the "secret panel" on the outside of the door. The LED's on the switches are powered by the same 12v power supply.  I could have used normally open pushbutton switches which would have made the wiring easier. Anyway, I mounted the electromagnet to the top of the door frame and the strike plate atop the bookcase aligning with the electromagnet.  Works great, but more for fun as the door can open during a power failure unless the 12v supply is backed up by a UPS.

Here is the information on the electromagnet and the power supply, which I purchased from Amazon.

http://www.seco-larm.com/E-941SA-80Q.htm

http://www.jackyleds.com/12v-2a-20a-power-supply-adapter-for-110v-2...

Comment by A.E. "Buddy" Holmes on April 9, 2015 at 12:37pm

Nice Job!  Effective too.

I am in the middle of building a surface mount Bi-fold Bookcase Murphy Door.  Mine will just cover a closet in a study.  Can you add a little on the electronics of your door?