My Foamie Build--Updated --Jul 3 I'm eating an elephant

[PcHistorian]

that's cool, hobbit hole is cool. so is that a standie?
I've got to go check all these links yet.
Well, I personally like the hinged double solid shell instead of a cloth shell. better for weather, sleeps quieter. you can put the thick felt strips in between the sliding parts to seal it from bugs and icy winds.

The cardboard mock-up will be good to cut your actual foam pieces from, like a pattern.

Oh, and for the wheel wells, I'd put them within the outer shell dimensions and build cabinets over them inside, and just stop the upper shell at the top of the wheel well coming down. (actually if you wanted, you could make it so your top came down and covered the outer top half of the tires. If you had a flat just pop the top a bit to clear the well and get at the tire...

[bonnie]

[quote="PcHistorian"]that's cool, hobbit hole is cool. so is that a standie?
I've got to go check all these links yet.
Well, I personally like the hinged double solid shell instead of a cloth shell. better for weather, sleeps quieter. you can put the think felt strips in between the sliding parts to seal it from bugs and icy winds.[/quote ]

It is 6 feet when in the up position. More than enough for it to be a standie for me. I have been trying to come up with some options for the hobbit hole door. Do you think 1/2 a galley latch would allow me to have a real centered door knob? Or maybe just the whole latch with a door knob. Hmmmm. Will have to figure that one out later.

[PcHistorian]

I would go whole door instead of halves left and right. (although an upper-lower door halves would be really cool! what'd they call those, "Dutch doors?" A hobbit dutch door. :-)
I would think like garage door latches, with the twisting "T" handle in the middle and the chains going to the sides, inside to the side latches. A swing closed garage door would have that kind of latches, as opposed to a vertical lift garage door. You could always make a round "knob" in the center later by cutting off the ends of the T top and using plumber's putty or fiberglass to make the round knob out of, with the key hole in the middle. Then you'd still have the key lock in the middle of a round knob. Come to think of it, I bet you could use the T type inner mechanism but adapt a regular house door knob to fit it. Then you'd have the round knob inside too. I bet you could even pick up the garage door mechanism as a part at a garage door store, and those latches can be "chain to open" and so adjust to any width door. Even have the angled latch so you could use a standard striker plate on the frame and just slam or push the door closed. (you wouldn't have to work the latch to close the door.)
And then do the slide latch thing for the top half if you did the dutch door. For the hinge you could have a vertical pipe near the side and as the main part of the door swung out, you could have the rounded side edge swing in. That is kind of hard to seal though. They do make hinges though that when the mechanism opens it also moves the door away from the frame. That might be the way to go. You might have to make a larger hinge anchor brace inside, might be a regular 2x4 instead of a 1x2, just for the hinge point. Depends on how heavy you make the door too. If you go paneling and foam core you could probably make do with a 1x2 frame. maybe 2x2 door hinge anchor point. I'll get a camera and show you the hinges I am talking about. Ikea would sell them individually I think. I have a couple here.

[bonnie]

Thank you, that would be a big help.

[PcHistorian]

for bonnie,



inside look at a "pipe for a hinge, dutch type, hobbit door"
stack of washers on the 2x2's inbetween the two doors (for fluid motion) and at least one washer in the pipe hole at the bottom for the 2x2 below the bottom door, so the pipe doesn't wear through the bottom of it. you can also go with "conduit clamps" to anchor the pipe on the back of the door halves. but then you'd have a pipe clamp around the pipe to adjust where the door sits for height, with the conduit clamps resting on those. (any hardware store would have conduit clamps. or should) the conduit clamps can be from as small as 1/2" pipes to several inches in diameter. a sort of a P shaped thing if you look from the side of it, with the pipe sitting in the top half of the P and getting hooked against the flat surface, and the screw in the bottom of the P to hold the pipe against a surface.

for the latch I was thinking of, just find someone wit ha garage door that swings out, not slide up. go inside and at the side watch how the door closes and latches, then opens. you'd only need a latch on the one side of your door.

and you'll have to remember the challenge with this type of arrangement is that the short side of the doors swing in while the long side swings out, but you can do the dutch type this way. just more of a challenge to seal the outer edge around the pivot point, but with an arced rain diverter over the door, you shouldn't have any problems with rain. just use the thick felt stuff to seal the edge of the door and no leaks of cold drafts in the winter.

[bonnie]

Foam model. Shows the concept will work. Also gave me a few design issues for the door eve and some gaps between the walls and the top. I think I have them resolved. I built the whole thing to the scale of the printed side from my brother's plan. Those are not the final colors, but it was some scrapbook sheets I had around.

Now all I need is money and time; mostly money.

[mezmo]

Just curious as to if there was any reason to have the entry in the front
and the lifting pivot point at the rear? It is more conventional to have
the pivot point in the front and the door in the rear - no need to
negotiate the tongue all the time that way, and less wind driven water
entry chances.

Hinging the Hobbit Hole door and sealing it will require close scrutiny
by you. Perhaps studying front loading washing machine doors could
help you figure out your details. [It may be worthwhile to try and check
out a commercial laundry repair place to see if you could even buy a
hinge off an out of commission washing machine or maybe even a
commercial dryer's door. Maybe even get a dryer door if it'd be large
enough to use.] ebay and appliance parts may be other sources.

I got curious so I Googled "front loading commercial washer/dryer door hinge"
in Images and came up with these as a possibility. A little $ here for
a purpose made round door hinge may be worth it.

http://www.appliancedirectparts.com/detail.aspx?ID=4114
http://centurylaundry.net/i-4791252-doo ... strap.html

Alternatively, check out heavy duty hinges too - stainless steel if
possible and also gate hinges. You'd need a relatively larger sized
one as it'd be a single hinge carrying all the weight and movement forces.
I'd recommend integrating a top-to-bottom 2x4/6 onethe side you'd
mount the hinge on in the foam wall and tie that into a perimeter
frame around that foam panel to hold it in place. It has to carry a good
bit of cantilevered weight and movement in a concentrated small spot.
[Not trying to scare you off of it, just pointing out an important consideration.]

'Just throwing out one or two possible ways to do it for consideration.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[bonnie]

Hi, Norm. I hadn't even considered a washing machine hinge. Great idea. The door and piv0t are actually in the rear on this design. If I overbuild anything, it will be the door/ door wall. I had already thought about how much bracing it was going to take, now with a viable door hinge idea I can design that. I have been studying portholes. I think the idea of having 'dogs' built into the design somehow to allow extra pressure to seal the door tighter may be a good idea to follow. For this build I may start with the door and then do the rest of the box. pchistorian's idea for a duch door was really cool, but I don't think I can make that happen. Though, with the washing machine hinges, I might could.

I did learn one thing. I need to allow a lot more space for the wall coverings and finishes. Almost didn't get the two pieces back together.

[GPW]

Only one tiny problem I can think of .... the sealing of the two halves... with the forward facing gap between the parts , dust and dirt (maybe water too) might get blown into the cabin whilst traveling ... I believe the Trailmanor TT had similar problems ...


Maybe an easy solution is some type of barrier strip to prevent the wind from getting in , much like a drip guard upside down (or sideways) ...

[bonnie]

Only one tiny problem I can think of .... the sealing of the two halves... with the forward facing gap between the parts , dust and dirt (maybe water too) might get blown into the cabin whilst traveling ... I believe the Trailmanor TT had similar problems ...


Maybe an easy solution is some type of barrier strip to prevent the wind from getting in , much like a drip guard upside down (or sideways) ...

Still noodling that one. I was thinking something like a this:

http://duckbrand.com/Products/weatherization/window-door-seals/vinyl-door-bottom-seals.aspx

That backed up with a felt or rubber bulb seal backing to allow the two pieces to move. Still working that out also. Lots of little challenges are presenting themselves.

[bonnie]

Just found this hobbit door. The hinge setup looks alot like pchistorian's suggestion. Looks like I'd better build the door first. Hmmmmm.

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/10674

[GPW]

As with any innovative construction method , there are always many little things to consider ... and overcome... Making a model first sure is a good idea to help visualize the operation ...

[GPW]

Here’s a thought on the Hobbit/bank vault door ... simple hinging, door opens outward only ...

[bonnie]

Here’s a thought on the Hobbit/bank vault door ... simple hinging, door opens outward only ...

Opening out only is my plan. As an artist, do you think the fancy metal work could be fashioned from ply and painted to look old and metal-like?

[GPW]

I’m Sure that would work .... you can get as fancy as your scroll saw will let you... Paint job can make it look like anything you want ...

Just thinking you might want some kind of reinforcing around the door and door frame , which might require bending /laminating some thin wooden strips into big “rings” ... Rings to rule the door ....