I am new to woodworking and am trying to design a stereo cabinet. I want it to be 68 long with two main center sections 19″ wide and two side sections about 8″ wide. I plan on building it with a face frame and my doors and drawer fronts will sit on that frame, not inset.
The problem I need to solve is to get the two main 20″ doors to fold back 180 so the stereo equipment is exposed when in use. I don’t want the door sticking out in the room. I have thought about pocket doors but the amount of space required for pocket doors will put me over my max overall width. I have also thought about bring the main section out a little which would put the main doors out in front of the others and would allow a simpler hinge to fold back 180 and the door would lay flat against the recessed side sections. But, that idea adds complexity for a newbie that I would prefer to avoid. So, are there any other ways to get the doors folded back ? Maybe some cool hinges or other methods that would let me pull the doors forward enough to clear the side sections but leave my face frame intact and simpler to construct?
Or do I really have to bump out the main section to accomplish this?
Thanks,
Steve
Replies
Strap hinges
Yes a strap hinge would let it swing to 180+ but that doesn't let me get the door out past the side doors so it can sit flat. I think I need somemthing like a pocket hinge mechanism where it can be pulled out and then hinged back.
Ximro ne,
The Hardware you require is available. It is a combination Hinge/ Slider which will allow the door to open ( Hinge ) and then slide into the cabinet ( Slider ). The problem which I encountered and have not yet solved is that the cabinet can't have any shelves which restrict sliding the door into the cabinet. May I suggest some research on the Lee Valley Website?
Regards
Accuride makes flipper door hardware that will do what you want. Check their website or the Rockler site.
You can put shelving inside the cabinet if you hang it from the top. I did this modification to an entertainment center a couple of years ago - replacing the existing doors with flipper doors. The three compartment shelf above the TV hangs from the cabinet top and I left a space (1.5") on each end for the doors to slide into the cabinet.
Ximro, I reread your post and I think I understand a little better. I haddn't noticed you have 8" drawer fronts to each side.
Their faces are in line with the door faces. Can't you recess the side drawers to acheive the neccasary clearance? Or, maybe use deeper butt hinges where the hinge barrels will protrude and allow the clearance?
Another option would be to recess the drawers only when fully opening the center drawers and pulling them out when the center doors are closed? Steinmetz
The drawers will need two small bullet catches to hold them in each position.
Edited 3/18/2006 4:34 pm ET by Steinmetz
ximro,
Bumping the center section out is not that big of a deal , if you build your cabinet in three boxes and pull the middle one out the disstance you need to clear your other doors. If you want you can just build the center cabinet 1 inch deeper , + or - and have extra room for your AV equipment. It also sounds like you may have a little extra room in your width where you could introduce a pillaster on each side to add a little interest and a good transition point.
Tim
Thanks for your suggestions. Much appreciated. As I said being new at this means ideas are a valuable commodity. Pocket doors. I am not as concerned about building for them as I am width challenged. I want to keep the overall width down to 70 or less and still have 2 center sections for equipment and some minimal side storage for DVDs, tapes. Bumping up the center sections. I have considered that after visting Nebraska Furniture Mart and wandering around for ideas (must have been asked 20 times if I needed help). I was only trying to avoid that as I am a beginner and the idea of adding complexity by breaking up a single face frame front was something to avoid. Seems like bumping up the center is the best idea unless I give up the idea of the doors folding back. I will post some pics later as I work up the design. Need to figure in that center section.
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