Hello everyone! I made a follow up video to this one with some things I'd do differently next time. Thanks to all the subscribers! More videos to come. ua-cam.com/video/zZw3_JxTnyY/v-deo.html
I have zero carpentry skills except for whatever I learned in 7th & 8th grade wood shop. Your style of narrating and filming your progress was easy to follow and understand. You’re like a mad genius with problem solving! The only thing left that I wanted to see was the opening the bookcase with the special book - but other than that, thanks for sharing this project!
I'm very impressed. As a pro cabinet-maker, I've just been asked to quote for a bookcase door by a prospective client, and, having never done one before, I needed a heads up - yours is the first video on the subject I've seen. You've done a great job! If you ever want to move to Gloucester in the UK and change your career into pro woodworking, I'll give you a job😉
Very cool. Looks great. I wish you would have added close up video of the book wire mechanism working to unlock the door. Just so we can see how it works in practice.
Well two book cases later and my house now looks like its out of a sherlock holmes novel, Thanks for sharing the hinges are superb and worked great. Now to begin the hidden tunnels...on to colin furze next haha.
Great job on this project! Thumbs up! But even more than that, I use to be jealous of guys who had table saws with very large tables able to cut down very large boards. Never even occurred to me what I see you’ve done to achieve the same thing with sawhorses. Kudos to you for making the obvious,…obvious. A lot of people may have missed that, I’m thankful I didn’t. Thank you John. 👍🏽
You are a genius! What about putting a set of casters under the bottom shelf to help support the weight - so that the hinges are not taking the full load? I had tried to create a pantry by hanging kitchenmaid wire over-door hanging shelves on the back of a kitchen exit. But the weight tore the entire door off the hinges in the middle of the night. I ended up only putting spices on the door. Anyway great job. It looks wonderful!
Rosettes. The corner trim pieces are called rosettes. The coolest part was the wooden book and I waited all the way till the end to see if you were going to open it from the outside with the book. I thought you would have it on a hinge so it unlatches but can't be removed. Cool anyways.
This just gave me a great idea on how to add extra space to my small house. There is virtually no hidden storage in my house besides one small hallway closet. So if I made this I could use the shelving as storage without taking up any space in my house.
You did a great job on your project and liked your video - no music, no dancing bears (the cat wasn't buying it). Any chance you would share your drawings or dimensions so I don't miss something. Probably not as skilled as you seem to be but definitely committed to building a bookcase like this.
Unfortunately I don't have any drawings or plans. I just kind of made it up as I went along. Of course my doorway would likely have different measurements than yours so a sketch from me may not help you. I'll be sure to add how I measured for swing clearance in my next video.
My thoughts exactly… no frills or silly faces, drawings, etc. that distract from the project. And, yeah, the cat was a touch of humor at the right time.
Pretty awesome job man. Well done. Love the wall color too.😊 You just need something that will automatically turn that light in when the door I gets opened.
Was at a friends house last weekend and they had installed the “Murphy door” kit. For the amount that it cost it didn’t seem all that great of a finished product. It worked but it seemed like it could have been a lot nicer.
Beautifully done project! But two issues I see, both having to do with maintaining secrecy: ONE: Relying on a fake book as an opener. Someone may want to check out the book. Better to use an object that no one would have any obvious reason to grab, like a plant, or even make the opening mecanism a part of the shelf itself. TWO: Covering an access that people would naturally look for, like the basement door in this case. Because, you know, in order to keep this passage secret, you'd pretty much have to cover up the fact that you have a basement. Of course, this project is still a nice addition to your home even if it's not a "secret" door, but it might as well be, right? ;- )
LOVED this project and how clearly you show/explain everything. Question before I start my own…the space I’m using is an open doorway that’s never had a pre existing door, door frame, door jamb, etc…. Just kind of an open walkway. Do you recommend still adding that plywood frame on both sides for the hinges or do you think they could attached to the studs on one side?? Thanks for your time and inspiration!!
Hey bud. I'm bout to build essentially the same door. I'll be using the same hinges you used. I'm wondering dose the casing on the hinge side stay stationary and if it dose can you see a gap in between the door and casing. Also dose it rub the casing when you open or do these hinges open up past the casing for clearance.
The casing remains stationary, yes. I'd recommend building everything and dry fitting it before you add any paint or finish. I painted too early and ended up having to sand off some paint because the door was rubbing against the casing. In theory there has to be at least some gap there but how much of a gap is dependent on your expertise in building everything. When the door opens it clears the casing and will open all the way where the bookcase is facing the opposite way toward the wall.
@@renovateyourmind thankyou for response. One more question did you bring those hinges as far out to the front of the jamb which would be the back side of the casing or cut them into the casing a little to get the full range to open all the way.
That looks great. I was worried about the top right of the bookcase looking off but you did an amazing job! How much do you think you spent on materials minus any tools you had to buy?
Nice job by the way the squares are called rosettes and I don't understand why you used to Crown for the top when a piece of MDF would have looked better but Still nice job
The only reason I know what the little square at the top is called is because my brother-in-law was a carpenter, and he said it's called a plinth. I think I've heard them called something else, too, but I don't remember what. Anyway, I really enjoyed your video and like the idea of a bookcase door. Your humor was fun, too. Give that kitty a scratch under the ears for me.
Whaou, thank you very much for this great video, tutorial and explanation!!!!! 1) Is that possible that you link the hinge that you use? Hope to find a equivalent in France but at least if I could have a name or link it would really helpful. 2) Is that a special reason that you 3rd hinges is not in the middle but closer to the upper one ? Thank a lot in advance for you support and time. Greetings Cedric
That "iron on veneer" is actually called Edge Bending. Veneer is used for the face of the wood, edge bending is used for the edges of wood. But good job man this is definitely going to be one of my future projects. It looks great!
Very cool! I love it. I think I’ll go build one r n to keep busy and give me a sense of accomplishment when done. (Oh, one question: do you own a hammer? ) 😂
Imagine a bird's eye view looking down from above. From that angle, the bookcase is a rectangle. You can draw a line from one corner to the opposite corner, like the hypotenuse of a triangle. If the hypotenuse is any longer than the width of the doorway, then it will catch every time you try to open it, so I made mine just slightly shorter than this.
My daughter and son in law bought a house in the woods. There was a secret room behind the book shelf with its own bath. It had 80 AR-15s and enough ammo to start a war. Even the real estate agent didn't know about it.
Great video. Been researching ideas for a similar application. Your freehand routering is much better than mine…I always have to set up a guide or else I end up with a drunken mess 😂. Anyways thanks for the how to 👍
Great video. I’m going to be attempting this project this weekend. Any tips or advice? Anything you might have wanted to add in the video? Thanks a lot
How much gap (if any) did you have from the left door jam to the left of your book shelf when you shut it? Was it a tight fit? I’m building mine off of your video now.
I'm not home at the moment but it was about an inch or so. Your distance from the front right to the back left of the bookshelf should be slightly shorter than the opening in the wall, otherwise it will catch when you try to open it.
That's exactly what my highschool sweetheart's family did. They even dug out the basement by hand so there would be no government record of the basement even existing.
That paint looks nice and looks like it went on well with the roller, can I ask what you used? I see there’s a can towards the end but I can’t tell what it is.
Can anyone tell me why one side, the hinge side, is thicker than the other? I swear he says that he did the same on each side when gluing them together, I've rewatched it and I cannot figure it out!
The extra thickness is just to accommodate the hinges since they are morticed in. The non hinge side doesn't need to be as thick, you just want both sides to appear even from the outside so it looks normal.
Hello everyone! I made a follow up video to this one with some things I'd do differently next time. Thanks to all the subscribers! More videos to come. ua-cam.com/video/zZw3_JxTnyY/v-deo.html
I wish you linked the hinges or showed them better :)
@ChimobiHD I did link the hinges
I have zero carpentry skills except for whatever I learned in 7th & 8th grade wood shop. Your style of narrating and filming your progress was easy to follow and understand. You’re like a mad genius with problem solving! The only thing left that I wanted to see was the opening the bookcase with the special book - but other than that, thanks for sharing this project!
It is in the beginning of the video.
I'm very impressed. As a pro cabinet-maker, I've just been asked to quote for a bookcase door by a prospective client, and, having never done one before, I needed a heads up - yours is the first video on the subject I've seen. You've done a great job! If you ever want to move to Gloucester in the UK and change your career into pro woodworking, I'll give you a job😉
Very cool. Looks great. I wish you would have added close up video of the book wire mechanism working to unlock the door. Just so we can see how it works in practice.
Nice work! Would've liked to see the book latch used. Cool idea
Yes.
Well two book cases later and my house now looks like its out of a sherlock holmes novel, Thanks for sharing the hinges are superb and worked great. Now to begin the hidden tunnels...on to colin furze next haha.
Great job on this project! Thumbs up! But even more than that, I use to be jealous of guys who had table saws with very large tables able to cut down very large boards. Never even occurred to me what I see you’ve done to achieve the same thing with sawhorses. Kudos to you for making the obvious,…obvious. A lot of people may have missed that, I’m thankful I didn’t. Thank you John. 👍🏽
I’ve always wanted a hidden Bookcase Door type thing like the Bat cave entrance
My wife loves how easily you explain things. She does a lot of building also
My wife also likes your cat 🤗
Hope you bring her the tools she needs at least lolll
Would love to know the approximate cost for this project. Looks great!
I wish you showed how to open the door from outside. And how did you latch that wire to the book.
@steven dow from 11:40 to the end, it's all explained.
I wish you did
Your not very handy. Think!
It's explained, but it's not shown. That's a definite oversight for such a comprehensive presentation.
Hi, can you tell me which hidden hinges you use?
You are a genius! What about putting a set of casters under the bottom shelf to help support the weight - so that the hinges are not taking the full load? I had tried to create a pantry by hanging kitchenmaid wire over-door hanging shelves on the back of a kitchen exit. But the weight tore the entire door off the hinges in the middle of the night. I ended up only putting spices on the door. Anyway great job. It looks wonderful!
if the weight isnt supported by the hinges you are going to leave drag marks on the floor. great way to make a hidden door plain to see.
Cute kitty cat!! Great job! Love it!
The gate latch and strike plate are brilliant ideas!
My word. Just fabulous! ❤ Helpful kitty too 😊 looks amazing. Great job! X
Rosettes. The corner trim pieces are called rosettes. The coolest part was the wooden book and I waited all the way till the end to see if you were going to open it from the outside with the book. I thought you would have it on a hinge so it unlatches but can't be removed. Cool anyways.
This just gave me a great idea on how to add extra space to my small house. There is virtually no hidden storage in my house besides one small hallway closet. So if I made this I could use the shelving as storage without taking up any space in my house.
You Sir are awesome!
I could watch you for hours!!!
I love that cute heavy object you used to sit on the warped wood!😂
Brilliant! Loved watching and no wasted time on this video either. Great work.
Thanks!
Sweet! Although I would personally not use white paint. White shows dirt/grime easily (handprints) and will give away your hidden room position easier
Hi ,
How do you calculate the depth of the shelves based on the width of the opening / door so that it will close perfectly without hinderance
?
Thumbs up for the shoeless project. Well played bro!
You did a great job on your project and liked your video - no music, no dancing bears (the cat wasn't buying it). Any chance you would share your drawings or dimensions so I don't miss something. Probably not as skilled as you seem to be but definitely committed to building a bookcase like this.
Unfortunately I don't have any drawings or plans. I just kind of made it up as I went along. Of course my doorway would likely have different measurements than yours so a sketch from me may not help you. I'll be sure to add how I measured for swing clearance in my next video.
My thoughts exactly… no frills or silly faces, drawings, etc. that distract from the project. And, yeah, the cat was a touch of humor at the right time.
That's is so awesome 👌. Could you please send me some information regarding the hinges you used? And their weight capacity. Thank you 🙏
Pretty awesome job man. Well done. Love the wall color too.😊 You just need something that will automatically turn that light in when the door I gets opened.
That’s what I thought. He just needs an inexpensive motion sensing switch in that small space…
exellent work.how long did it take you and abt how much did you spend on material?
Awesome video! Amazing door, and your monotone humor was pretty funny too 10/10 👏🏽
Was at a friends house last weekend and they had installed the “Murphy door” kit. For the amount that it cost it didn’t seem all that great of a finished product. It worked but it seemed like it could have been a lot nicer.
Wonderful to have on hand for little ones.
Beautifully done project! But two issues I see, both having to do with maintaining secrecy:
ONE: Relying on a fake book as an opener. Someone may want to check out the book. Better to use an object that no one would have any obvious reason to grab, like a plant, or even make the opening mecanism a part of the shelf itself.
TWO: Covering an access that people would naturally look for, like the basement door in this case. Because, you know, in order to keep this passage secret, you'd pretty much have to cover up the fact that you have a basement. Of course, this project is still a nice addition to your home even if it's not a "secret" door, but it might as well be, right? ;- )
Wtf only 1k subs with this quality this channel deserves more
Do you think it would be possible to add a deadbolt on the stair side? Maybe a smart lock that unlocks when you're close.
What types of wood and lock were used? Could you tell me please?
I'm having trouble figuring out how far into the bookshelf to mount these hinges... should they be on the edge? Or should theh be 1/4 in?
Absolutely love the invisible safety shoes.......
Love the honesty of the mistake....
You do nice work. I think I may have to do that in my man cave in my basement. Hidden bathroom!
LOVED this project and how clearly you show/explain everything. Question before I start my own…the space I’m using is an open doorway that’s never had a pre existing door, door frame, door jamb, etc…. Just kind of an open walkway. Do you recommend still adding that plywood frame on both sides for the hinges or do you think they could attached to the studs on one side??
Thanks for your time and inspiration!!
you looked so proud walking out of that door in that last clip.
Man, you totally rocked that!
Great video. Just what we need to for an upstairs opening. Thanks!
Nice job! Great idea, execution, and uh -views. ha!
Great job 👍
“Camera went out of focus from basement side for a second “
Spooky 😳🙂
I want this! I have never had an inside access to my basement (outdoor only)
Very nice job, going to watch the other video now.
Menino quero te conhecer pessoalmente, vc é muito fera no que vc faz, ficou incrível, lindo mesmo 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Excellent job and details. New subscriber from Spain
Hey bud. I'm bout to build essentially the same door. I'll be using the same hinges you used. I'm wondering dose the casing on the hinge side stay stationary and if it dose can you see a gap in between the door and casing. Also dose it rub the casing when you open or do these hinges open up past the casing for clearance.
The casing remains stationary, yes. I'd recommend building everything and dry fitting it before you add any paint or finish. I painted too early and ended up having to sand off some paint because the door was rubbing against the casing. In theory there has to be at least some gap there but how much of a gap is dependent on your expertise in building everything. When the door opens it clears the casing and will open all the way where the bookcase is facing the opposite way toward the wall.
@@renovateyourmind thankyou for response. One more question did you bring those hinges as far out to the front of the jamb which would be the back side of the casing or cut them into the casing a little to get the full range to open all the way.
What was the cost of materials and hours required for this?
That looks great. I was worried about the top right of the bookcase looking off but you did an amazing job! How much do you think you spent on materials minus any tools you had to buy?
@@carlpowers7291 it's been a few years now but I'd estimate $300-$400.
@@renovateyourmind thx for getting back to me.
Love it! I’m building an in swing bookcase door now!!
Nice job by the way the squares are called rosettes and I don't understand why you used to Crown for the top when a piece of MDF would have looked better but Still nice job
Such Beautiful work.
Thanks for sharing brother.
How sheets of plywood did you need?
The video I have been looking for! Thank you for making it!
Nice fun build! Really good job on the video also. Thanks!
I love the reality of your build😆
That is awesome and inspiring. Well done and then you!
What kind of hinges do you use?
The only reason I know what the little square at the top is called is because my brother-in-law was a carpenter, and he said it's called a plinth. I think I've heard them called something else, too, but I don't remember what. Anyway, I really enjoyed your video and like the idea of a bookcase door. Your humor was fun, too. Give that kitty a scratch under the ears for me.
Wish they made an insert already prefabricated😉
Whaou, thank you very much for this great video, tutorial and explanation!!!!!
1) Is that possible that you link the hinge that you use? Hope to find a equivalent in France but at least if I could have a name or link it would really helpful.
2) Is that a special reason that you 3rd hinges is not in the middle but closer to the upper one ?
Thank a lot in advance for you support and time.
Greetings
Cedric
That "iron on veneer" is actually called Edge Bending. Veneer is used for the face of the wood, edge bending is used for the edges of wood. But good job man this is definitely going to be one of my future projects. It looks great!
Thanks, I thought the two terms were interchangeable. That makes sense.
I'm going to buld this. Thanks. PS enjoyed the view.
Those “little squares” at 11:03 are called (either) “rosettes” or “plinth blocks”……
Very cool! I love it. I think I’ll go build one r n to keep busy and give me a sense of accomplishment when done. (Oh, one question: do you own a hammer? ) 😂
Very awesome, thanks 👍 TALENT Buddy just awesome
How much gap does the bookcase need from the frame to open freely?
Imagine a bird's eye view looking down from above. From that angle, the bookcase is a rectangle. You can draw a line from one corner to the opposite corner, like the hypotenuse of a triangle. If the hypotenuse is any longer than the width of the doorway, then it will catch every time you try to open it, so I made mine just slightly shorter than this.
Why did you screw in the top piece of "crown molding"? Genuinely just curious. Awesome project!
What are the hinges called that you used
Please let me know what hinges you used it looked like cabinet hardware
SOSS invisible hinges! Link is in the description.
Hi! Great video, what kind of hinges do you recommend for this?
The hinges I used are in the description
My daughter and son in law bought a house in the woods. There was a secret room behind the book shelf with its own bath. It had 80 AR-15s and enough ammo to start a war. Even the real estate agent didn't know about it.
You didn't.demonstration if it will open/close by using the book how else are we supposed to know if it works or not?
GREAT JOB. LOOKING GOOD
Great video. Been researching ideas for a similar application. Your freehand routering is much better than mine…I always have to set up a guide or else I end up with a drunken mess 😂. Anyways thanks for the how to 👍
I really love the work you done but that top piece that kept falling off looked like some work I would have done 🤣.
What sort of hinges did you use that could support a bookshelf?
hows the porter cable nail gun
You did a nice job. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Dude how many splinters do you get into your feet during this project
Great video. I’m going to be attempting this project this weekend. Any tips or advice? Anything you might have wanted to add in the video? Thanks a lot
I made a follow up video to this if you want to check it out.
I think to latch it I would have tried using an electromagnet have it be operated by one of the light switches
Awesome ... enjoyed watching this
Hes living my childhood dream
And in mine, too 😀
That was great! Thank you!
When I get my cabin I want a secret store room with one of those in it.
Mike B.
Very clever. Well done
Maybe I missed it….but why did you space the hinges with 2 on top and one on the bottom?
That's what the hinge manufacturer suggests in the instructions.
@@renovateyourmind oh ok. 😁
is their a way to put a lock on it
What is up with no shoes?
How much gap (if any) did you have from the left door jam to the left of your book shelf when you shut it? Was it a tight fit? I’m building mine off of your video now.
I'm not home at the moment but it was about an inch or so. Your distance from the front right to the back left of the bookshelf should be slightly shorter than the opening in the wall, otherwise it will catch when you try to open it.
Thanks John. I have about a quarter inch gap right now. I might have to make it a little bigger. Tomorrow I’m installing the hinges. Thanks brother
Thanks dude, looks great!!!
Name of the hinges?
Nicely done!
That's exactly what my highschool sweetheart's family did. They even dug out the basement by hand so there would be no government record of the basement even existing.
That paint looks nice and looks like it went on well with the roller, can I ask what you used? I see there’s a can towards the end but I can’t tell what it is.
The brand is DutchBoy and I get it from Menards. Platinum Plus paint and primer in one.
Can anyone tell me why one side, the hinge side, is thicker than the other? I swear he says that he did the same on each side when gluing them together, I've rewatched it and I cannot figure it out!
The extra thickness is just to accommodate the hinges since they are morticed in. The non hinge side doesn't need to be as thick, you just want both sides to appear even from the outside so it looks normal.
I’ve always wanted to have a bookcase secret door.