DIY Dutch Door? - Page 2

bennelson · 10-11-12, 10:19 PM

PS. So far, all materials on this project are %100 recycled!

Daox · 10-11-12, 10:47 PM

Looks pretty good Ben!

ecomodded · 10-12-12, 03:23 AM

That is nifty, good job. Now for some sleep !

bennelson · 10-12-12, 09:16 AM

(Now the next morning....)

Success! The child did not wander off in the night. She woke up once. My wife took her to the living room for ten minutes to let her fall asleep on the sofa, and then put her back in bed.

Seems like the Dutch Door is off to a good start in terms of serving as an effective baby gate!

hamsterpower · 10-12-12, 11:54 AM

one quick suggestion. Since the top half is in the kids room, I would put a hook in the wall to hold that half open. Don't want any pinched fingers.

bennelson · 10-12-12, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamsterpower

put a hook in the wall

Yeah, my wife and I talked about that.

So far the Little Girl hasn't been playing with the top half of the door. I was a little concerned about finger pinching, but it's really about the same risk as her just opening and closing a normal door. (Except perhaps for novelty?)

I think if she is fiddling with it, we'll add a hook and eye.

hamsterpower · 10-12-12, 06:48 PM

I'd consider it somewhat worse risk, as the vertical edge of the door there is no leverage, but closer to the hinges there is. I've seen kids do this with cabinates but those doors were much lighter.

strider3700 · 10-12-12, 07:50 PM

I've seen the damage these types of scissor pinching actions can do to little fingers. An eye hook is cheap safety.

bennelson · 10-12-12, 09:02 PM

Did a little more work on the Dutch Door today.

I dug through my garage and found the box of misc cabinet hardware. In it was a little brass knob latch device. I used it as the thing to connect and disconnect the top and bottom of the door to each other.

I also installed a standard door stop on the bottom (the original door never had a door-stop with it.)

For the top half of the door, I designed a magnetic catch. When the top is open all the way, it sticks to the wall and won't accidentally swing back. It's kept totally out of the way, and allows you to just use the lower part of the door as a baby gate.

I built the magnetic catch from a wine cork, drywall screw, magnet, washer, and wood screw.

I ran the long drywall screw through the cork, and then into the top corner of the door. The head of the screw is counter-sunk, and the magnet stuck to the head of the screw. I then put the head of the OTHER screw on the magnet and swung the door against the wall to mark where the washer would go.

I put the screw into the wall through the washer.

When the top of the door is open all the way, the magnet pulls against the washer mounted to the wall, and holds the door open. The extra bit of cork sticking up around the magnet cushions the door striking against the washer.

From outside the room, an adult can pull on the top half of the door and quietly shut it.

A hook and eye would hold the door top open securely, but couldn't be easily undone from outside the room. Nor would it "automatically" grab and stop the door top.

I also used some wood filler to cover my less-than-masterful joinery on the top cross piece of the lower half of the door, and over the minor hole pressed into the door from when I was transporting it. Hopefully, with a coat of white paint, nobody will even notice all the myriad of small imperfections!

When I do the painting, I'll paint that washer to match the wall color. Don't think I'll paint the cork though!

ecomodded · 10-12-12, 10:50 PM

Now that is slick

And like you said free.

10-11-12, 10:19 PM	#11
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	PS. So far, all materials on this project are %100 recycled! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-11-12, 10:47 PM	#12
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Looks pretty good Ben! __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-12-12, 09:16 AM	#14
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	(Now the next morning....) Success! The child did not wander off in the night. She woke up once. My wife took her to the living room for ten minutes to let her fall asleep on the sofa, and then put her back in bed. Seems like the Dutch Door is off to a good start in terms of serving as an effective baby gate! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-12-12, 09:02 PM	#19
bennelson Home-Wrecker Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: SE Wisconsin Posts: 546 Thanks: 3 Thanked 165 Times in 96 Posts	Did a little more work on the Dutch Door today. I dug through my garage and found the box of misc cabinet hardware. In it was a little brass knob latch device. I used it as the thing to connect and disconnect the top and bottom of the door to each other. I also installed a standard door stop on the bottom (the original door never had a door-stop with it.) For the top half of the door, I designed a magnetic catch. When the top is open all the way, it sticks to the wall and won't accidentally swing back. It's kept totally out of the way, and allows you to just use the lower part of the door as a baby gate. I built the magnetic catch from a wine cork, drywall screw, magnet, washer, and wood screw. I ran the long drywall screw through the cork, and then into the top corner of the door. The head of the screw is counter-sunk, and the magnet stuck to the head of the screw. I then put the head of the OTHER screw on the magnet and swung the door against the wall to mark where the washer would go. I put the screw into the wall through the washer. When the top of the door is open all the way, the magnet pulls against the washer mounted to the wall, and holds the door open. The extra bit of cork sticking up around the magnet cushions the door striking against the washer. From outside the room, an adult can pull on the top half of the door and quietly shut it. A hook and eye would hold the door top open securely, but couldn't be easily undone from outside the room. Nor would it "automatically" grab and stop the door top. I also used some wood filler to cover my less-than-masterful joinery on the top cross piece of the lower half of the door, and over the minor hole pressed into the door from when I was transporting it. Hopefully, with a coat of white paint, nobody will even notice all the myriad of small imperfections! When I do the painting, I'll paint that washer to match the wall color. Don't think I'll paint the cork though! __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

10-12-12, 03:23 AM	#13
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	That is nifty, good job. Now for some sleep !

10-12-12, 11:54 AM	#15
hamsterpower Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 142 Thanks: 0 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	one quick suggestion. Since the top half is in the kids room, I would put a hook in the wall to hold that half open. Don't want any pinched fingers.

10-12-12, 06:48 PM	#17
hamsterpower Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 142 Thanks: 0 Thanked 11 Times in 11 Posts	I'd consider it somewhat worse risk, as the vertical edge of the door there is no leverage, but closer to the hinges there is. I've seen kids do this with cabinates but those doors were much lighter.

10-12-12, 07:50 PM	#18
strider3700 Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Vancouver Island BC Posts: 745 Thanks: 23 Thanked 37 Times in 30 Posts	I've seen the damage these types of scissor pinching actions can do to little fingers. An eye hook is cheap safety.

10-12-12, 10:50 PM	#20
ecomodded Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Vancouver Island,Canada. Posts: 1,037 Thanks: 116 Thanked 100 Times in 87 Posts	Now that is slick And like you said free.