Replies

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jul 16, 2002 06:25am | #1

   It seems to me that you're thinking about this bookcase as door -- that is, something whose entire weight rests on the hinges.   Instead, I'd suggest you think about it as a bookcase on wheels, and one edge of it is kinda tied to the house so that the bookcase pivots.   In my version, all the weight rests on the floor.   The reasoning behind this is that a fully-loaded bookcase is a darn heavy thing.  Even if you can hinge it to the wall framing without the screws getting pulled out, it is heavy enough to bend the framing lumber inside the wall.   You have this great strong concrete floor (not, say, squishy carpet!) and you can take advantage of it with wheels that roll on it.

   For adjustability, you can get castors with jacking screws built in, or you can build a little sub-chassis that holds the wheel, and which connects to the bookcase with jacking screws. 

   Installation of my version isn't too difficult.  The bookcase happily sits on its own wheels.  You wheel it into place, and it stands there while you connect up the hinges or whatever you use to tie it to the house.

1. 
   SteveConroy | Jul 16, 2002 06:45am | #2

   Thanks Jamie,

   I have planned a pair of wheels on one side so as to ride over grout lines more easily. On the other end, I am looking at a pivoting mechanism that uses an axle and thrust bearings fixed into the floor and ceiliing instead of a knuckle type hinge mounted to the wall framing.

   Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds as if you used wheels on both sides. That would surely simplify matters, and, as you say, make installation simple. If this is the case, is there a wheel on the hinge side or are there wheels in the middle of the case?

   I'd love to see a drawing if you could attach one.

   Thanks again, Steve

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jul 16, 2002 08:32am | #3

   Four wheels -- basically one at each corner.   The bookcase easily stands up by itself, without any assistance from the connection to the wall.   

1. 
   SteveConroy | Jul 16, 2002 10:09am | #4

   Jamie,

   Very interesting...I will seriously consider this. One question: What size wheels did you decide upon?

   Thanks again, Steve

1. 
   Jamie_Buxton | Jul 16, 2002 05:18pm | #5

   Mine are 3" diameter.  Most casters come with a load rating, so you can think about how much weight will be in your bookcase.   Me, I used fixed (that is, non-pivoting) casters, and I hid them behind a skirt so you can't see them.  Part of the reason for hiding them is their orientation looks a little odd at first glance.  If you use non-pivoting casters, you should orient them tangent to a circle drawn around the pivot axis of the bookcase.  The result is that none of them are pointing in the same direction.  

2. 
   jhausch | Jul 16, 2002 06:15pm | #6

   I don't know what the depth of the bookcase is or the design, but one option might be to pivot it in the "door" in the middle.  It also requires a good bit of depth "into" the mechanical room.

   Just a thought.

   (please post pics of construction and final if possible)

   -Jim

   Steelkilt Lives!
1. 
   SteveConroy | Jul 17, 2002 04:27am | #7

   Jim,

   Thanks for the design idea, but it won't work in this situation. The bookcase is supposed to act more like a big overlay door over the furnace room opening.

   There's a design for center pivot door in the book, "Built-In Furniture" by Jim Tolpin. It is a simpler design problem than the one in front of me. Yet, I am trying to incorporate some the hardware configurations shown there, such as an adjusting screw which fine tunes the pivoting axle.

   Thanks again, Steve

2. 
   SteveConroy | Jul 17, 2002 04:34am | #8

   By the way,

   Here is a pic of where the unit is supposed to go. Any feedback?

   Steve

   
3. 
   gweisenburge | Jul 17, 2002 05:10am | #9

   I've built a half dozen or so pivoting librarys, entertainment centers and opening walls, and each time I've used a Rixson Pivot. The catalog is at http://www.yalesecurity.com/library/catalogs/rixson/pdf/pivot.pdf.

   On a heavy bookcase or entertainment center, I've used the model H117 with an appropriate top pivot. The system is capable of supporting 1000 pounds, but there is NO ADJUSTABILITY - these are not Euro hinges. Mockups and very careful layout are a must, as is a VERY STURDY floor and wall. I think the cement floor and masonry wall you show meets the requirement. You can get the bottom pivot for cement floor installation, and the top must be secured to a wall that won't move.

   My last project, an entertainment center, supported over 600 pounds of equipment, storage and cabinetry. It was required to sweep the floor, according to the architect, so the base trim looked permanent and stationary. He wanted a wheel to support the outer end, but said it couldn't mark the floor. However even soft rubber wheels eventually leave a mark. I've never used a wheel, and this cabinet was so close to the hardwood floor that I used 60-grit sandpaper to "adjust" the sweep height. I still pivots effortlessly after four years. Neat thing about it is how easily one can wire the components from the back.

   My first project was a similarly disguised bookcase that fooled the building inspector, who didn't find the attic room that would have put the home's square footage over code requirements. I fashioned a latch within the covers of a pageless book, and it'd only be a slim chance anyone would discover the "door." 

   Of course, putting the Rixson Pivot to this use wasn't my own discovery. I learned about it in a FWW article published sometime between 1989 and 1991. Look for it in the online index.

   Gary 

   
   

   ---

   Edited 7/16/2002 10:29:47 PM ET by Gary Weisenburger

1. 
   SteveConroy | Jul 17, 2002 06:17am | #10

   Gary,

   Thanks for your response. I suspected there was better hardware out there, just didn't know where to look. The Rixson catalogue has many pivots that I could have used on other projects.

   I am still concerned about the installation, particularly how one might get both pivots points into their bearings when the case is sandwiched on the top and bottom. In other words, you can only get one pivot in its hole, as the other pivot pin is now too extended to enter its bearing. This may be over come by mounting the top hardware through the soffit. I bet there are many other possibilities.

   Well thanks again. I may ask more specific questions after I look the Rixson hardware more closely.

   Steve

1. 
   gweisenburge | Jul 17, 2002 07:40am | #11

   Steve,

   Rixson figured that out by making the top pivot with an extendable pin. If you look at the H-340 drawings in the catalog, you'll see that the top pin extends via a screwdriver adjustment. Its that ball topped gizmo on the right of the rocking arm that raises and lowers the pin.

   To install the cabinet, all hardware is pre-installed - to the cabinet, wall and in the floor. The bottom pivot arm is affixed to the cabinet, the cabinet is set onto the bottom bearing, then you adjust the top pin down into the mating hole in the hardware affixed to the top of the cabinet. This requires an access hole in the top of the cabinet, large enough to get a small, flat bladed screwdriver into the pin adjustment screw. The hole can be plugged later. If you do that, I suggest you use varnish to glue the plug in place, so it can be easily removed by stabbing it with the same screwdriver and then twisting and prying (an old boatbuilder's trick).

   Pivoting cabinets are fun and I felt like I accomplished something pretty different after a successful installation. Have fun.

   Gary

   Edited 7/17/2002 12:45:49 AM ET by Gary Weisenburger

   Edited 7/17/2002 12:47:47 AM ET by Gary Weisenburger

2. 
   AlanTurner | Jul 20, 2002 12:27am | #12

   Went to the site, and couldn't get the catalogue.  Any other thoughts?  Sounds like an interesting piece of hardware.