Secret Comparments & Rooms FAQ
Allan Yates
Secret Compartment and Room FAQ
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Version: 1.0 (April 4th, 1998)
Owner: Allan Yates (aya...@nortel.ca)
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Magazine References:
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Secret Drawer
Fine Woodworking, #72, pages 76-79
Fine Woodworking, #75, pages 48-49,51
Fine Woodworking, #76, pages 8-10
Secretary Top
Fine Woodworking, #78, pages 87-89
Drop-Front Desk
Fine Woodworking, #12, pages 44-45
Cam-Hinge Operated
Fine Woodworking, #31, page 24
Cabinet Bottom
Fine Woodworking, #84, pages 42-44
Hidden Drawers
Alastair Stair
Fine Woodworking, #3, Summer 1976, page 34
Hidden Compartments
William Sayre
Fine Woodworking, #103, December 1993, pages 82-85
Secret Compatments
Laurie Stockdale
Wood Cuts, #2, Winter 1991/92, page 3
Toy Bank Truck
Woodsmith, Volume 7 Issue 41
Woodsmith, Volume 15, #86, April 1993, page 15
Sculpture with a Secret
S Nagyszalanczy
Fine Woodworking, #96, September 1992, pages 116
The Secrets of Secret Drawers and Compartments
Ed Deak
Wood Cuts, #4, Summer 1992, pages 10-13
Secret Compatments
William A. Lincoln
Woodworker, October 1964, November 1964, January 1965, February 1965
Out of print, but photocopies available from publisher
Secret Compartments
Woodworkers Journal, September/October 1991
Secret Compartments
Becksvoort
Fine Woodworking, #74, January/February 1989, page 42-46
Secret Drawer Latch
Fine Woodworking, #85, November/December 1990, page 24
Examples in Furniture
American Woodworker, #51, pages 48-51
Apple Shaped Box
American Woodworker, #14, pages 53-55
American Woodworker, #52, June 1996
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Book References:
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How to Hide Almost Anything
Author: David Krotz
Pub Date: 1975, 1978
Handmade Secret Hiding Places
Author: Nonny Hogrogian
Publisher: Overlook Press
Pub Date: December 1990
ISBN: 0879513764, 0879510331
How to Hide Anything
Author: Michael Connor, Bill Border
Publisher: Lyle Stuart
Pub Date: May 1987
ISBN: 0873642899, 0806510366
Great Hideouts of the West
Author: Bill Kaysing
Pub Date: 1978
Huts and Hideaways
Author: David R. Stiles
Pub Date: 1977
Spooky Stuff
Author: Shari Lewis
Pub Date: 1979
Unknown
Author: Thomas Moser
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WWW References:
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http://www.udel.edu/winterthur/secrets/index.htm
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Bibliography:
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Fine Woodworking
Taunton Press
Tel: 800-888-8286
Tel: 2043-426-8171
http://www.tauntonpress.com
Wood Cuts
Lee Valley Tools
Tel Can: 800-267-8761
Tel USA: 800-267-8735
Tel Int: 613-596-0350
http://www.leevalley.com
Woodworker
Argus Specialiast Publications
Argus House, Boundry Way
Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7ST
England
Tel: 0442-66551
Fax: 0442-66998
American Woodworker
Tel:610-967-5171
http://www.americanwoodworker.com
Woodworkers Journal
PJS Publications
Tel: 800-521-2885
Tel: 309-679-5059
http://www.woodwkrsjrnl.com
Woodsmith
August Home Publishing
Tel: 800-444-7002
http://www.woodsmith.com
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Comments:
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Author: Tom Hansen (tha...@unl.edu)
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I'm getting ready to build my adaption of a Thos Moser chest which he
calls "Dr. White's chest". Although I'm making modifications to the
design I'm intriqued with the secret compartment. My confusion is in
how the access door is hinged. It appears as though the whole inside
panel serves as the door and I see from the notes that it pivots on
two screws, one top and one bottom. Is there a hole drilled in to the
top and the door and screww inserted prior to adding the bottem shelf?
Is there a slot cut for the top and bottom screw and plugged later?
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Author: Greg Bannish (gban...@aol.com) wrt to Thos Moser Chest
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Of the 2 books I have written by him, one won't disclose the location of the
hidden compartment and the other is a little vague. As you must know, the
diagram says the secret compartment swivels on screws and washers; one of
each for both the top and bottom. So to access the compartment, you would
have to open the top left door, remove the 1 left shelf and the door, which
is also the left wall, would swing open from screws/hinges at the back top
and back bottom of the door. In other words, it would swing into the space
of the left shelf, so you have to remove everything from this area
beforehand.
But you probably already knew all of this, and I can only guess he screwed
through the top and through the bottom and plugged up the holes after driving
the screws, as opposed to making some kind of slots. I think it would be
better to drive a nail in from the top; it would still swivel and the hole
would be smaller to plug.
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Author: Mark Sauerwald <ma...@verinet.com>
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My father built something like this. Rather than a bookcase, he has an
antique mirror in an oak frame with heavy columns on either side and a
cabinet at it's base. All in all the piece is probably 7' tall, 6'
across and it weighs about 400lbs. We mounted it on a ball bearing
swivel base rated at 2 tons. It pivots in the middle to open up and
reveal a wine cellar behind. The wall surrounding it was paneled in T&G
knotty pine, and one board of pine is attached to the edge of the 'door'
so that the final seam is not the antique piece itself but the first
board of the panelling.
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Author: Keith Bohn (b...@execpc.com)
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Now this is a tuffy. The best solution is a continuous (piano) hinge
except they are usually made from rather thin stock and eventually
would bend or distort. You could use the continuous hinge in
conjunction with a caster mounted on the cantilevered edge to carry
the weight. Your floor would have to be pretty level otherwise the
caster would bind or float depending on which way the floor goes. I'd
use a fixed caster in lieu of swivel. I don't think the swivel would
work as it may want to swivel in the direction you don't want to go.
For an example of this phenomenum go to the Piggly Wiggly and try out
a shopping cart. Mount the fixed caster in line with the pivot point
and postioned to follow the arc otherwise it'll just rub across the
floor.
Hager Hinge Company make a new style continuous hinge called a Roton
hinge. It's similar to the piano hinge but has extruded gears instead
of a pin and knuckles like conventinal hinges. It's a bit better that
a piano hinge but has a continuous spine that will show when the case
is closed. It could be painted to try and blend in with the wood.
You can contact Hager at 1-800-325-9995 for info or e-mail me a fax
number and I'll send over a cut sheet.
Another alternative is to use a Rixson pivot hinge. There are several
available, i.e., offset, center pivot, etc. These are usually spec'd
out for heavy doors. For a look see go to:
http://www.greatlakessupply.com/Vendors/Rixson/
In the subject line you mention rotating. This may be your best bet.
You could "homade" something with some pipe and sleeves. I'd look
into making a washer out of the Ultra High Density Plastic that's
being sold as a table saw fence surface. This may make a good bearing
surface. The only problem is if the pivot is located in the "middle"
of the bookcase you'd have to make the opening about five foot wide to
allow two foot of clear opening.
Don't forget to work out the details full size before proceeding.
Hate to see the finished opening all done up and the bookcase built
and it don't fit or worse yet bind. Good luck.
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Contributors:
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Mike Schwarz (msc...@emory.edu)
Sam Peterson (pete...@spa.missouri.edu)
Tom Moye (to...@wrq.com)
Pat Thaler (ta...@netcom.com)
Mike R (mi...@woodworker.com)
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Please send any corrections or additions to aya...@nortel.ca.
This FAQ is copyright 1998 by Allan Yates. Reproduction for profit
or sale prohibited.
Keith Bohn
>Secret Compartment and Room FAQ
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Author: Keith Bohn (b...@execpc.com)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Now this is a tuffy.
More snips....
>This FAQ is copyright 1998 by Allan Yates. Reproduction for profit
>or sale prohibited.
Allan,
While I'm happy to be a unwitting contributor to your well thought out
and prepared FAQ I'm wondering how you can hold a copyright on my
words.
Keith Bohn
b2d
P.S. For the record I relinquish all copyrights to anything I post to
this forum unless noted otherwise.
Michael John Hide
aya...@bnr.ca (Allan Yates) wrote:
>
>Secret Compartment and Room FAQ
>-------------------------------
>
>Version: 1.0 (April 4th, 1998)
>
>
>Owner: Allan Yates (aya...@nortel.ca)
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Magazine References:
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Secret Drawer
> Fine Woodworking, #72, pages 76-79
> Fine Woodworking, #75, pages 48-49,51
> Fine Woodworking, #76, pages 8-10
>
I am including a couple of pictures on alt binaries pictures furniture
of a breakfront I made .
The lower section contains nothing but audio and video equipment
[laser disc,TV ,VCR etc]
The left and right drawer banks are actually only drawer fronts ,the
top pair slide as a pair up under the top and the bottom pair slide
down just above the base . the center doors are not hinged but slide
into the sides of the center section .
When every thing is open there are three huge holes with no evidence
of drawers or doors .
The other detailed picture of the top of the center sction features a
secret drawer . Lift the finial and a spring loaded drawer appears ,it
is the full width of the section ,about 18 " deep and
3"high........mjh
Paul T. Radovanic
Mr. Yates must work for St@nley. Seems to be a trend.
Keith Bohn wrote:
>
> >Secret Compartment and Room FAQ
> Snip....
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Author: Keith Bohn (b...@execpc.com)
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Now this is a tuffy.
> Snip of my brilliant solution....
> More snips....
> >This FAQ is copyright 1998 by Allan Yates. Reproduction for profit
> >or sale prohibited.
>
Bill Thomas Pat Thaler Jared Thaler Leor Thomas Avi Thomas
Such copyright notices date back to a time when some of the companies that sell
how to pamphets would copy something from a posting, put it in their pamphet
with their own copyright, and sell it. In extreme cases, the original authors
got sued later when they reposted their own articles. (Happened in the gaming groups).
Such a copyright notice as "Reproduction for profit or sale prohibited." serves
a "poisen pill" to prevent someone from profitting when the author wanted to
make the information free to everyone.
Paul T. Radovanic (pau...@concentric.net) wrote:
: Mr. Yates must work for St@nley. Seems to be a trend.
: Keith Bohn wrote:
: >
: > >Secret Compartment and Room FAQ
: > Snip....
: > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: > > Author: Keith Bohn (b...@execpc.com)
: > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
: > > Now this is a tuffy.
: > Snip of my brilliant solution....
: > More snips....
: > >This FAQ is copyright 1998 by Allan Yates. Reproduction for profit
: > >or sale prohibited.
: >
: > Allan,
Keith Bohn
Recently Allan Yates wrote a FAQ on secret compartments & rooms where
he used a post of mine on hardware selection. At the end of the FAQ
he inserted a copyright notice that I took issue with. Allan recently
e-mailed me an apology and I responded to let him know it wasn't that
big a deal and in fact in hindsight I regretted posting the follow up.
If I may explain.
What Allan did was of a great service to the group(s). This above all
else must not be forgotten. He took quite a bit of time out of his
own schedule, searched the archives and put together a very well laid
out and readable FAQ. I really appreciated the readability of his
post.
By doing this he also separated himself into that category of "good
providers" that these groups really lack. In case you're wondering
rec.woodworking has a subscription group of 30,000 plus. Allan is one
of a handful who can be proud of his contributions.
It occurred to me that my post may discourage others from taking the
same initiative. Please, please, please believe me that this is the
farthest from the truth.
I should also note that what Allan did may not have been 100% Kosher
and that some of the other referenced authors could/would have a case
against him using their words in his post. This comes from some "very
brief" research I have done on copyright law. This bothers me
personally when you consider that all the data is available from
Dejanews and for the most part has been thrown out there for public
consumption with no expectation of reward. None the less Allan's
intent and execution could be brought into question however erroneous
such scrutiny might be.
With all that said I'd like to end off with a challenge to the
group(s) to see more posts of this type. The constant Q&A is fine but
a really good, meaty post like Allan's is a bit like a nice desert
after a McDonald's hamburger.
Oh yeah, Allan, I am very sorry and I look forward to future work from
you.
Keith Bohn
Bohn & Bonn Design