hinging an egg shaped door!

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by katbcos, Apr 27, 2007.

  1. katbcos

    katbcos New Member

    so i built my chickens a house! and its door is egg shaped (at daughters request) but i didnt think before i cut the egg shape for the door out of the 18mm ply. and now ive got a hole and a piece of wood! how do i hinge it? it needs to be strong enough for my chickens to walk on. do i hinge it at the bottom, side or top? and what kind of hinge would i use and from where?:)
    tahnks, kat x
     
  2. big all

    big all Screwfix Select

    i would use "T" hinges
    http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=12547&ts=71169

    just make shure the the hinge knuckles [the point they bend along]are in a strait line with each other
    any part of the door thats beyond the imaginery line will try and go in the ways

    what size is the door!!!!

    if its only say 10"x6" and you can't get it to work with 2 hinges it will work ok with a single central hinge but obviously be a bit woblier[tecnical term :D:D ]and less secure from deliberate attack from humans

    big all
     
  3. katbcos

    katbcos New Member

    hello. ive used the t hinge(s) to do the back door (for cleaning out) but they wont fit on the front (egg) door! its about a4 sized. i drew the template on a piece of a4 paper and cut it out from there! so its about 22cm tall and 16cm wide but curved all round and the t hinge will only fit to straight edges wont it?
    so so so confusing!
    and do you know of any fox proof ways of keeping these doors closed?
    kat x
     
  4. devil's advocate

    devil's advocate New Member

    Hi Kat.

    Ah, the learning curve!

    Yes, most hinges fit to straight edges only, although there are specialised hinges that'll attach to the backs of doors and side panels and lift the door away as it opens. I'd suggest this would be OTT for this application, tho'!

    You'd probably get away with using a single, normal-ish, hinge fitted flat over the door and side, but it would have to be strong enough to support the door by itself - the open door will have a strong turning force on it. I think it would be better, therefore, to fit it at the bottom of the door, so the door hinges down. A hinge like this:
    http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=A333011&ts=80032&id=86408 fitted so that it lies flat* over the door and front, and secured really well, should do. Then the top can be fastened when closed with a hasp:
    http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=97376&ts=79855

    Not very pretty, but the simplest solution. I guess a good quality slip-bolt would hold things at the top too, fitted so that the bolt is on the house front, and the 'socket' part is on the door, so that gravity makes it stay closed rather than try and slip open. I don't know how 'sly' foxes are - could they tackle a slip bolt? If so, add a padlock, and confiscate all the foxes' hairpins.

    Alternatively, provided the doorway wouldn't be made too small by doing so, you could instead cut a horizontal slice from the bottom of your 'egg' and attach it back onto the house front using an overlapping piece of wood behind it. This would then give you a straight edge to use a much wider hinge on. The basic shape of the whole egg would still be there when the door is closed - keep the 'cut' gap visible on the re-fitted part.

    * The hinge would have to sit FLAT (much as it appears in the picture) over the door and side panel. Actually, depending on the extent of the side curve, you might be able to fit a pretty standard, single door hinge flat like this; a good quality 4" hinge would hold that door quite easily by itself.

    (Does any of the above make sense? :()
     
  5. big all

    big all Screwfix Select

    yo will need "t" hinges to get the reach required just buy hinges that are the right length


    ok take another a4 size sheet lay it over the egg so the side of the egg is coverd place 2 hinges with the knuckle along the edge of the paper about 1" above and below centre [hinges may be touching thats fine]
    screw through the paper into the "egg" at the last hole on the arm and the hole nearest the knuckle but fully on the egg do not put any screws in holes not on the door
    when both hinges are attached to the egg loosen the screws slightly remove paper
    the hinge will have a hole or 2 not on the egg dont worry provided you put screws in all the screwholes on the door it will be ok providing theres at least one on each side

    you then simply position the door attach the other side of the hinge to the hut and again egnore any holes on the arm not on the door

    big all
     
  6. big all

    big all Screwfix Select

    i know exactly what you mean D A :D:D:D:D
    but there again my brain ia frazzled too ;)
     
  7. ­

    ­ New Member

    Aren't 'T' hinges going to spoil the effect of the egg shaped door?
     
  8. chippie244

    chippie244 Super Member

    Aren't 'T' hinges going to spoil the effect of the
    egg shaped door?
    I always like tea with my eggs ;)
     
  9. STGO

    STGO New Member

    Not very pretty, but the simplest solution. I guess a good quality slip-bolt would hold things at the top too, fitted so that the bolt is on the house front, and the 'socket' part is on the door, so that gravity makes it stay closed rather than try and slip open. I don't know how 'sly' foxes are - could they tackle a slip bolt? If so, add a padlock, and confiscate all the foxes' hairpins.

    Alternatively, provided the doorway wouldn't be made too small by doing so, you could instead cut a horizontal slice from the bottom of your 'egg' and attach it back onto the house front using an overlapping piece of wood behind it. This would then give you a straight edge to use a much wider hinge on. The basic shape of the whole egg would still be there when the door is closed - keep the 'cut' gap visible on the re-fitted








    Flippin Devs, you really hit it for me on this one.
     
  10. STGO

    STGO New Member

    Because the interior walk way for the hens could be level with the door bottom and would work very nicely for all. ;)
     
  11. > so i built my chickens a house!




    ...I ate all mine
     
  12. devil's advocate

    devil's advocate New Member

    Ha ha, Tony. When I re-read my post, it's still as clear as... Hmm, I see what you mean :(

    If she gets her eggie door, measures up about 40mm from the bottom and draws a horizontal line at this point, and then cuts along that line, and then re-fits that cut-off part back onto the house using an overlapping batton behind it, THEN she'll end up with a straight edge to fix a standard hinge onto.

    Once closed, the door should still look like an 'egg' because the whole cut shape of the egg will be there - ie: you'll still SEE the cut-line of the re-fitted bottom bit.


    Don't you dare ask me to explain further - or I will :)
     
  13. devil's advocate

    devil's advocate New Member

    If she then fits a H/D slip-bolt on the inside of the house, but modified so that the handle just pokes through a slot cut in the house front above the door (ie: she'll have to remove part of the bolt back-plate so that the bolt can first be rotated 180 degrees), it'll then all be hidden.

    Or, to explain in further detail...
     

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