This was TRICKY... How to Make a Secret Door In Wainscoting: Part 2/2

In this video we continue with out secret door installation. You'll see how I used Rixon Pivot hardware on this install to conceal a secret hidden door in a wall of wainscoting.

0:00 Intro & Recap of Part 1
1:07 How to Match the Jamb Hardware with Door Hardware
2:56 How the Bottom Pivot Hardware Operates
3:45 How My Door Jamb With Integrate With Wainscoting
5:00 How to Install The Door and Position It Perfectly
6:51 Everything Must Be PERFECTLY IN PLANE!
7:46 Fastening Floor Pivot Hardware
8:21 How To Remove the Door With Pivot Hardware
8:48 Nailing Off The Jamb With Door Removed
9:20 Installing The Wainscoting Plywood
10:00 Laying Out & Planning 1x Material for Wainscoting
10:32 Biscuit & Pinch Dogs vs Pocket Hole Joinery???
12:52 Marking Layout Points With Material Tacked In Place
13:32 Assembling 1x Material On Floor With Pocket Hole Joinery
15:08 Installing 1x Pre-Assembled Unit
15:31 Biscuits & Pinch Dogs for Remaining Pieces
16:58 How I Installed The 1X Pieces Around The Hidden Door
22:49 How to Open & Close The Door???
24:09 Use Shadow Lines to Hide The Door

-As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

[rogerhodges]

Great execution on a challenging project. No one other than people who have done the work can understand that amount of planning and hard work that goes into making something like this work well.

[juanoramo]

I like your show, I’m building a 14’ wall of bookshelves with a hidden door for my first time on hidden doors.
The 11” depth on the door and rails and clearances are a challenge, but fun. It will open in to room and will be a dark stain bookshelves with a locking key and a book latch system.

[Stefan_Kawalec]

"It'll just kind of look like a mediocre wainscoting job which would be typical from other carpenters in my area" - so much meaning in so few words.
It's a rare occasion that you show how proud of your work you are, but here we can see it. Excellent job. Your general contactor must be blissful that he used your services.

[allannielsen]

Awesome job! Rixson and Jackson both make walking beam pivot hardware that is adjustable in 4 planes. Used more for commercial storefront doors, but still designed for 1 3/4” doors. Gives you the advantage of being fully adjustable.

[edmondantes]

Every time I watch your videos I realize that I still have a lot to learn, for me it is the closest thing to being able to call a perfect job...

[justinhc]

I have no clue why I continue to be blown away by your craftsmanship and attention to detail. I’ve watched so many of your videos already. But here I am 🤯

[jeffchandler]

I love it when a customer says it just wainscoting, it can't be that hard. When we do trim, I am so glad I paid attention in geometry class. Understanding how swing planes can affect things is crucial, especially when trying to hide doors and cubby's. Awesome video.

[AussieInSeattle]

Perfect timing for me on this video! Convinced me to go with pivot hinges over the "wide throw" hinge approach. The part that helped me was the routing of the top jamb piece as i am starting with finished drywall and need the door to flush up to that drywall at the ceiling.

I'm looking at using the same rixson bottom setup but using the Jackson J580BS for the top of the door for adjustability since I'm a DIYer - more info below:

My project is an 8 foot wide by 8 foot tall closet space that is already finished with drywall and no header - am going to make two 4x8 doors clad in 1/8 white oak and 3/4" deep slats so it will look like a slat wall that is somewhat popular at the moment. Since I'm a DIYer I'm trying to find the minimal risk approach.

For others that have gone done this rabbit hole of clad hidden doors (wainscoating, slats, etc) the options I found were:
- the rixson hardware shown here (their pivot door hardware catalog is great - appears the 128-3/4 was used here - just google that and the catalog link is on that products download section)
or Wide throw hinges like the ones below - with the amount of overlap on the wainscoating in this video I doubt any of these would work though - if you have smaller overlaps they likely would work:
- Soss 518
- Tectus TE 540 3D A8
- Sugatsune HES3D-W190 (not the E190 which is not wide throw)
- McKinney MK80 (not really a wide throw but might work in some applications)
Do your own googling of prices but out of all the options the Rixson is the cheapest for my project by far due to my door size at 48"x96" and about 100lbs - the fancy wide throw hinges are around the same price as the rixson but you need 2-3 of them per door - the Sugatsune and the Tectus are 3D adjustable which was an attractive option to me as a DIYer that doesn't have the skills of Spencer (😳at the "strong 32nd" statement).

I am also looking at not using the "top of door" part of the Rixson 128-3/4 and instead use the Jackson J580BS - it is just a pivot hinge part for the top of your door but adds the ability to adjust the pin to/from the jamb - havent researched enough yet whether you can just buy the Rixson bottom portion separately to make this approach even cheaper.

[kevinlucas]

Looks amazing !!! Love hidden doors especially with wainscoting !!! Beautiful job !!!

[tc]

So impressed. So helpful to see how you navigated the joinery challenges. I have one of those Kreg plates and clamps. Never thought about using it in the floor, pure genius.

[angeladangela]

Amazing work and craftsmanship! Even the way you put together your videos reflect your attention to detail - much respect and admiration for your work!

[DarrenHunter]

What people can design and build out is simply amazing. Jealous!!!

[adolphbracht]

You are very gifted. Thank you for sharing

[hansangb]

@19:58 Shots fired, shots fired! I had to laugh when you said "it'll just look like a mediocre wainscoting job..." 😁 Really looks terrific and appreciated the thinking process that goes with it. I remember Richard of Finish Carpentry TV doing a hidden door using nickel gap shiplap. But the door swung inward so it was much easier to hide it (and the nickel gap hid it well)

[jbb]

Appreciate the attention to detail in all of your projects and especially this one. The door turned out great and the video was entertaining and educational. It was very interesting to have your dialog on this process. Thank you for sharing your techniques and thoughts along the way!

[christianpolytechnique]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and very detailed video which is a BIG plus! I am happy I found it.

[nathangrepke]

Awesome Spencer! This is an awesome explanation on how you made it perfect. Thank you!

[AlAmantea]

Love the way you did this! The pivot hinge is brilliant. Soss and Sugatune hinges are a PITA to work with. Those look very straightforward to do. With paint grade hidden doors, I usually try to do inswing if possible so you can fix the trim to hide the seams and reduce gaps. Spring hinges and magnets are your friend for that also to help keep things tightly closed.
The way you did this one adds another arrow to the quiver, for sure! Love watching your videos. Thanks so much for all you do, Spencer!

[wirenut]

Fine smooth looking hideaway closet, like a safe room. Maybe install a heavy-duty lock from only inside to lock a person out of the room while you are inside.

[MichaelCZUSA]

Thoughtful work as always Spencer. Thinking many steps ahead is one key that separates you from the pack. Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your trade.

PS: And THANK YOU for the Jambmaster video!!!! Love mine!👍