How Do I Construct and Secure a Pop Door that Drops Down or Lifts Up on Hinges?

[3KillerBs]

As the title says.

I had thought to put a guillotine-style pop door on the Brooder Coop, but DH doesn't believe that it would slide well against the wire and I don't have a piece of exterior plywood thin enough to use anyway.

How do you make -- and secure -- a pop door that either raises up or drops down on hinges? Especially, how do you secure it?

It would go on this end of the brooder coop:

I can add another 2x2 vertical support if I do it TODAY since the chicks are coming Friday, I am working Wednesday and Thursday, and I want to have it completely ready and holding temperature Thursday evening.

 

[Acre4Me]

Nice!

I think a secure hinged pop door would (for me) be secured on the bottom as well as the top. Of course, easily opened by a human. A piano hinge is a long hinge that goes all the way across the opening. However, not sure how large/sturdy they come. But, you may want to use a long screw to secure any hinge on the inside, to prevent it from being torn out/off by a predator. To secure the bottom, it could be as simple as two eye screws connected with a carabiner or other fastener of choice.

enjoy your new chicks!!

 

[RojoMarz]

Before we had an automatic pop door, we did something like this picture. Our latch was closer to the edge of the door, so it opened up more.

I think you will need to build some type of frame, where you want the door and cut the wire.

 

[3KillerBs]

Before we had an automatic pop door, we did something like this picture. Our latch was closer to the edge of the door, so it opened up more.

I think you will need to build some type of frame, where you want the door and cut the wire.

View attachment 2675965

How did you latch the bottom so that a predator couldn't just lift it?

 

[3KillerBs]

Nice!

I think a secure hinged pop door would (for me) be secured on the bottom as well as the top. Of course, easily opened by a human. A piano hinge is a long hinge that goes all the way across the opening. However, not sure how large/sturdy they come. But, you may want to use a long screw to secure any hinge on the inside, to prevent it from being torn out/off by a predator. To secure the bottom, it could be as simple as two eye screws connected with a carabiner or other fastener of choice.

enjoy your new chicks!!

I have some random hinges -- we always buy useful hardware at yard sales and the Habitat ReStore when we see it.

We're short latches of every type though.

 

[aart]

I don't have a piece of exterior plywood thin enough to use anyway.

We're short latches of every type though.

Not sure what you can do without these two items.

As far as sliding against wire, I built my sliding pop doors as unit, that could be attached to anything. See deets in my coop page.

 

[RojoMarz]

How did you latch the bottom so that a predator couldn't just lift it?

We used this type of latch, on top and bottom.

 

[3KillerBs]

Not sure what you can do without these two items.

As far as sliding against wire, I built my sliding pop doors as unit, that could be attached to anything. See deets in my coop page.

I have some other things I could use, including more metal.

I'm wary of adding too much weight to this very lightly-built structure (we'd have never done anything like this piece but in the day of $$$$ lumber I'm working with what I've got).

We used this type of latch, on top and bottom.

View attachment 2676025

We have those on the nestboxes. DH hates them because his big hands can't manipulate the sliders well.

 

[aart]

This might spark some thought.

 

[3KillerBs]

This might spark some thought.
View attachment 2676051

Screw eyes we have.