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

[PcHistorian]

Well on that diagram, the whole door would open outward and that would eliviate the problems of sealing the hinge point and the inward swinging section. (you could just cut the swing-in section and mount it solid but paint it like part of the door. On that diagram, if you have the horizontal pieces in 1x2 and the vertical piece in 1x4 with gate hinges (long-thin side and wide square side) the wood would weight more than the foam door. You could stain the wood any way, like dark and have light stained door. They make glue on thin laminate for edges of counter tops in about a bazillion colors and patterns for the outer edge of the door and the inner edge of the door frame. The piece you cut from the foam for the door, considering the width of your blade, might still need some shaving for the edge pieces to pit and the door close, so that is good. Yes, rubber flairing on the inside of the frame, inside the trailer. OH, idea! BRB (see picture(s) below. :-)

In both views, the wood bar across the top is very important because it helps support the door hinge piece from the weight of the door, and distributes that weight to the top piece and even the opposite piece. Note where the door piece is cut also. you can stain these any colors, this is just so you can see the separate parts and I took the liberty of making the metal "antique brass" for you.
;-)
ok, here is the Pirate chest type hobbit door view.

more conventional hobbit door.


I also put the door knob in the two places so you get an idea of how to go. if at the edge you can go total conventional house (locking) door knob. if you go in the center of the door you would have to use the garage door type chain pull at the latch piece.

(I think I see a hobbit door in one of my future elf builds. :-)

Oh, and with the doors hinged this way, you will once again be able to do the dutch type door, but the heavier the door the more bracing you need and then you are going to start losing the round hobbit shape again to the square door bracing. Oh, Idea 3. LOL brb!

instead of a full dutch door you can go smaller hatch, like the door to the emerald city in the wizard of oz...



lastly, if you cut the door out at a slight angle, say 5-10 degrees, with the "outside" side wider than the inside side, you can get a better seal on the door and any seepage around the sides and bottom would naturally drain to the outside. have the slight rain gutter trim around the top of the door to protect the top half from seepage inward on that slope.

oh, and I just noticed that if you go with the one hinge point, pre-slack the hinge when you measure the holes, so the door doesn't droop from hinge slack when you go to close the door.

With the hatch in the door it is almost a smiley face.

Boy, if you painted that to look like bark on the outside, it would look like you went into a tree!

for the hatched door, I'm thinking you would want a separate, fold-open-and-down-on-the-inside-screen for that opening. That way you could leave it folded down and out of the way, 90% of the time, either hatch closed or handing stuff through, then flip the screen up to block bugs and let air through in the summer. I wonder how that would look with a spider plant on the opened hatch (the opened hatch would be level/horizontal, like a shelf, with the door brace as the support and anchor the other half of the hinge.) I wonder what that would look like with an awning... hmmm...
(speaking of awning, I gotta go work on mine. :-S )

[GPW]

... and now , the other side of the coin ... Although Hobbit doors are waaay Cool , they may not be “practical” on a TT build ... The only reason “real” Hobbit doors work well is they are so Large ... well, for Hobbits anyway ...
Easy to get a simple more practical door with the “look” ... all in the trim and paint ...

[bonnie]

A very true statement. But nothing ventured; nothing gained. I can build just that wall and work out the door issue first. All of you have helped so much in getting solid ideas on 'how' to do it. I hope I can work it out.

I like your suggested solution, too. Lots of details to work out.

[PcHistorian]

@GPW, there's a solution. Otherwise, you'd have to have round objects to put in or flat, thin and less that the diameter of the door. It does alleviate a lot of problems the round bottom would present. Might not be as "fun" to climb in and out, but would be a huge jump more practical and easier to build.
(Pist: what's the advantages of a *.png type file?)

[GPW]

Anybody whose lived on a ship and had to go through “hatches” will know of the advantage of a standard door bottom ...

.png , I hear it’s better for graphics ... Dunno’ really, it’s just what comes up in Paintbrush (Mac guy) ...

[KCStudly]

If using the dog it down method, especially on the hinge side, you need to let the door float on the hinge some (slots or a pivot) so that the door can square itself to the seal.

Not that I am advocating this method in anyway, just saying, for the dogs to be effective and not fight the hinge, the door would need to float.

I think GPW's suggestion is the most practical and would achieve the desired visual effect. But don't ask me about practical and my TD build; build what your heart desires! The wow factor of a true Hobbit door might be worth all the effort and inconvenience, if that is what you desire.

Funny thing about climbing through a hatch, submarine water tight door actually, is that you do just fine with your hard hat off, but will hit your head hard every time if you leave it on!

A good compromise might be to make the door mostly round, but with a flat portion on the bottom so that when you sit in the doorway the jambs don't pinch your legs. Do the same for the hinge side, so the hinge mounting area can have some separation between upper and lower attachment points, and that the hinge can be on the edge of the door, and then just do the faux paint to make the rest look round. In other words, somewhere in between a true round door and Glen's suggestion.

[PcHistorian]

plan "D", the Octagonal hobbit door. that way you have both the edge (hinged side) and the bottom flat... (for your more progressive hobbit types.)
;-)



(yah kno, you give us a chance and we'll evolve that thing clear into the next century. ;-)

[GPW]

There ya’ go !!! That’ll work !!

[bonnie]

[pete42]

Anybody whose lived on a ship and had to go through “hatches” will know of the advantage of a standard door bottom ...

.png , I hear it’s better for graphics ... Dunno’ really, it’s just what comes up in Paintbrush (Mac guy) ...

I served on a submarine over in pearl harbor talk about small hatches one had to learn to duck when answering GQ at night.

pete

[mezmo]

Carrying PcHistorian's octagonal suggestion, just a bit further - you could
frame the opening and the door octagonally but still have a circular outer
skin for the door, by making that large enough to obscure the framing.
That'd give you the round exterior look and a somewhat easier door framing
experience. That, or GPW's arch door style suggestion with a round overlay
to show as 'the door,' with the bottom portion painted to blend in with the
body and not look like part of the door, would probably be the easiest ways
to the round hobbit door look and build.

Cheers,
Norm/mezmo

[PcHistorian]

with foam, you are only limited by your imagination.

you could paint it round, just square the hinge and the bottom, make the other edges round.

you know come to think of it, you could extend the round door slightly below floor level, but have that not show unless the door is open. then you'd still have your flat climb-in point. I don't know of any advantage to doing that, unless you wanted to store something under the rear of the floor, like thin water tank (grey water, easy to reach), pull out table storage, step-up, skid pan, ground foot. You could recess the ground foot for the center back, with a slight overhang to hide it, then have the door come down a bit. Just reach up under to drop your ground foot.
(you'd still be back to the square at the hinge. you can do the hinge edge square and paint it round.) I'll get a picture up here after a bit. (easter going on around here somewhere...)

We still haven't gone to an oval door yet, or like a race track, round top and bottom, bit of straight to the sides... (hinge, latch)...

(yeah, a star trek shuttle craft from foam next. Then back to an elf cottage foam "standie" (center only) with hobbit door. :-)

.png , I hear it’s better for graphics ... Dunno’ really, it’s just what comes up in Paintbrush (Mac guy) ...

so *.png is mac's idea of a graphic file storage scheme. I've been wondering where it came from, is all.

[GPW]

Nobody yet has suggested a beaded curtain ... Hey, It’s a “look” ... Just thought I’d toss that in the hat too...

[KCStudly]

Nobody yet has suggested a beaded curtain

Fit right in with those hats that you've been making!

[bonnie]

Happy Easter everyone! What wonderful ideas. I think the octagon over circle with beads! Yea, that could work. Along with way too much Easter BBQ goodness, I'm digesting all those great suggestions.

This is going to be so much fun!