Hidden Door

Listing #3323 Listed on: 05/31/2011 Company Name: Mulligan Woodworking
Name: Mulligan

The client bought the condo next to theirs and the condo board wouldn't let them tear down the wall.
So they asked for a secret passage.

6 Photos
VIDEO HERE After a long install
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Viewer Comments:
Posted By:Noel
This is the greatest thing ever. I've never seen door open/close action like that. Either the fluid motion is an incredible personal design or some wildly expensive hardware? Really 1st class. Would love to hear more about it
Posted By:Rick G
That is slick. I too would like to know how it moves, and how long it took to get to this point?
Posted By:skibell
Cool project, I wished there were some plans.
Posted By:Russell Hudson
Appears like a solid carrier system. So you used existing track and extended the bearing positions to achieve the compound movement to the shelf section? I'm assuming the tracks had to be held in place more securely than the original specs though. Yeah? Great job, btw. Hope you got paid well enough to compensate for all the engineering required. I'd be very proud. This piece is bragging rights. Way to go.
Posted By:Bob S
Dude!!!!
Posted By:mike mcnerney
Well done. I made a similar door/bookshelf a while ago using a different hing that was bearing in a back corner so the book case when loaded twisted over the next six months about 3/4" out of plane. I think yours is bearing about 1/3 down the length and nearer the middle of the depth is that right? That should be better than mine. What about the bearings when the case is loader does it still run smooth?
MM
Posted By:Roger Kugler
Very cool!!!! I built one using pivot hinges top and bottom. I love the swing out action of this design. Well done!
Posted By:Mulligan
Thanks all!
mike mcnerney: My design bears the load centrally, by cantilevering from the side.

A little back story.
The contractor had these criteria:
-invisible hardware.
-can't touch the floor when open. (no wheels)
Their designer had the carcass through the masonary, hinged on a mirror in the other room. This was 24" deep and 36" wide, leaving a 12" passthrough.
The condo board said the masonary is a fire seperation and stays that way.
My solution was a fire rated door, behind the cabinet and the door cabinet swinging in front of the side cabinet, giving them a 36" passthrough.

As far as load goes, I stood on the bottom shelf and had the client open and close it. It didn't touch the floor.

Thanks,
Mulligan
Posted By:Woody Biggs
I would like to have a copy of the plans if possible. Thank you.
Posted By:Mulligan
Woody
Never mind the fact that nobody believed a lowly cabinet maker could make this work, including a site supervisor/P.Eng./"Bulding Science Specialist", a designer(?), a contractor, two lawyers(client) and the design engineer at a hardware company.
After months of jumping through hoops for the client, the contractor, the designer and the condo board, drawing and redrawing in autocad, in 3D, (because the designer is a very visual person, but can't draw a stick figure herself), making load bearing and unit weight estimates, and then having to build it as a full scale "mock-up" in the shop so they could all come and physically "feel" how the mechanism would run, (that was in a 24 hour straight run to make the 3 hour meeting), then making their design change "recommendations" in a week to meet the install date, I'm sorry, but I'm not giving out the plans for free.
Now that it works, and slick too, everyone wants to send a photographer, to put it on their website.
They're are a few mechanisms available out there, they're 5 G's, base price, fixed size, hardware alone, google away, see if they'll give you the drawings for free.
Please don't take any offence to this, I'm truly glad you're impressed, but this was a nut buster of a job, and I'm trying to patent it.

Thanks,
Mulligan
Posted By:Brad
Awesome work. And good for you.....don't give your stuff away for free!
Posted By:B.Rose
SWEEEEEET!
Posted By:Dawn Carpenter
Love this, I think it is pretty unique! WTG!!!!
Posted By:Builder 6
Mulligan, You go. Forget giving it away for free. I wouldn't have installed it without everyone that looked at it signing a nondisclosure on pain of death. We too often are expected to "give" things to clients and their friends just because they are such "wonderful people" and we should feel privileged to be working for them. Let them eat cake. Anyone else wants it, let them pay fair market value for it. Sounds like the only one of its kind on the market, price it accordingly. Great Job. As a general contractor, I have a true appreciation for what you have accomplished.

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