I am looking to build some doors for my built in TV cabinet and want the doors to be similar to those in hotels where they swing open then retract back into the cabinet.
Does anyone have any ideas as to where to get this hardware. I have tried most every big box store…..HD, Lowes, menards…..
thanks for your help.
Brian
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Replies
http://www.rockler.com they have some of the best selection of hardware and parts. You'll find different sizes. Make sure you get hardware that is heavy enough to hold up the weight of your doors. If you don't get heavy enough ones the doors will not operate.
Rockler and other woodworking supply houses have them.
Flipper doors.
http://www.rockler.com/faq/faq_flipperdoorselection.cfm?cookietest=1
http://wwhardware.com/catalog.cfm/groupid/Pivot%20Door%20Hardware
The problem is that you need some place DEEP to retract them into. That worked OK when you migth have had a 30" TV that 24" deep.
But not with a 42" TV that is 5" deep.
For flat panel you want a set up the slides to the side or up and down.
It can be in a pocket, much like a pocket door.
Or overlaied much like a barn door.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
You wont find this type of hardware at the big box stores.
Rockler was mentioned but there are about as many places to buy this stuff as there are styles. I find Rockler to be more expensive for the same brand of item.
Doug
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=55155&cat=3,43597,43603
Lee Valley has what you are looking for.
Also:
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=48629&cat=3,41305,55408&ap=1
Gord
Edited 2/16/2008 5:34 pm by gordsco
The local Rockler (mesquite, TX) store has the flipper hardware on sale. As in clearance sale, ain't gunna havem no more sale.
I just finished a custom TV cabinet using the Accuride flipper door hinges from Rockler. http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=33 They were very easy to install and had plenty of fine adjustments to get the doors to sit just right. A pair of 20" slides and hinges cost me around $110 bucks, well worth the money.
Find a distributor who caters to cabinet shops and they will usually sell ya the hardware. Go to a local cabinet shop and they may be able to help you. They may like you as a possible business prospect. It may end up being a money maker for both of you.
Edited 2/17/2008 3:51 am ET by larryscabnuts
I think you pretty much got your answer...
So, I'll add this. We got a large and rather expensive cherry entertainment center that has those doors probably 12 years ago. Since that time I can never remember the doors being closed... 1.5 years ago when I crammed a 42" wide plasma into the cab I had to remove the doors to yield a 44" wide hole. Needless to say we don't miss the doors a bit. Only pity about it is that I had to buy a TV to fit into the DW's furniture.
Brian -
You're going to want flipper door hardware and http://www.rockler.com is a great source. You may, however, need to do a bifold (or even a trifold) flipper door - which will depend on the depth (front to back) of your cabinet. Rockler can sell you the bifold hinges, too.
Here's a picture of some bifolds I did a couple of years ago.
Looks nice, do you use the doors much. After some comments I am second guessing my need for this hardware.
Thanks for your and everyones help.
Brian
This wasn't mine - I designed and built it for a customer. They were very happy with it when I delivered it and the check cleared so what more could I want? - lol
Personally, I'm not a big fan of doors on entertainment centers. Everyone wants them, but I suspect that many of them are never closed.
These flat screen TV's are really changing the whole TV cabinet business. Their thin profile and large screen area can make "hiding" the TV a real challenge.
I'm working on a "doorless" TV cabinet right now, nothing fancy. Remember if your fitting a rear projection tv, they have to breathe, so you gotta have air flow.
Matt is right.
Why do you need doors in front of a TV set? Why make things more complicated?
The designers have gone too far. How about the covered up refrigerator? Joe comes over to watch the football game with you and you say, "Hi Joe. Go in the kitchen and grab a beer."
A couple of minutes later he comes out, puzzled, and asks, "Where's the refrigerator?"
Another stupid idea is the dis-appearing headlights gimmick. There was some sports car with a sculptured front end. They didn't know how to get the headlights into the streamlined shape. At 2:03 a.m. one morning some genius came up with the realization: "at night, the car isn't going fast and nobody can see the beautiful shape anyway so why don't we install retractable headlights." This almost won an Academy award. But then idiots designing the Lincoln Continental decided to install retractable headlights on the blunt front end of their cars. What's the point? They didn't like the look of headlights.
~Peter
I've got a 32" flat screen TV in its own room...when I'm not watching it, I close the door and stay out of that room. We don't watch much TV so we don't want it taking up all the visual space in the "great" room, which isn't very large, but a nice place to relax and talk. If there was a big TV staring at us all the time we'd be more inclinded to have it on.
Same idea with the flipper doors. Keep the TV out of sight when you don't want a big black rectangle staring at you. Encourage actually talking to other people.
Same thing with fridge and dishwasher panels...it's nice to have the design of the cabinets stand out and not have the appliances take up all the attention. Just feels cozier, more "fitted." If your friends can't find the fridge with a panel on it maybe you need smarter friends...;-)
I'm with you on the headlights though.
Encourage actually talking to other people.
Yeah, but so few know how, that's why I turn on the tv <g>Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
check the net for
Blum
Hettich
both have the correct hardware.
One point was made: you probably need the depth in the cabinet to hide wide doors. At 22/23" inch depth, even with the doors recessed, they will stick out (not exactly a pretty sight).
One other option would be a roll up (tambur) style, made in the same material as the cabinet. The "strips" could be decorated with metal, other complimentary wood, narrow glass strips etc.