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

[Chuckie chicken]

I usually get my inspiration from endless staring at the materials I have on hand.

Could you mount a guillotine style door on the inside of the 2x2's so it doesn't have to contact the hardware cloth? Your metal skirting would be a good shield against coons lifting it from the bottom. Plywood thickness wouldn't be a concern. To keep weight down, you may be able to frame a pice of metal siding to use as a door, although that would obviously be more work and more fiddly.

For an exterior mount, it could rotate open and closed from a single bolt in the upper right corner and slide into a channel on the left side and bottom to secure it. You may still get that nasty chafing from the hardware cloth.

Just spit-balling

The little coop looks good!

 

[3KillerBs]

I usually get my inspiration from endless staring at the materials I have on hand.

Could you mount a guillotine style door on the inside of the 2x2's so it doesn't have to contact the hardware cloth? Your metal skirting would be a good shield against coons lifting it from the bottom. Plywood thickness wouldn't be a concern. To keep weight down, you may be able to frame a pice of metal siding to use as a door, although that would obviously be more work and more fiddly.

For an exterior mount, it could rotate open and closed from a single bolt in the upper right corner and slide into a channel on the left side and bottom to secure it. You may still get that nasty chafing from the hardware cloth.

Just spit-balling

The little coop looks good!

I'm trying to figure out what I might do with some metal siding.

DH hates all this metal -- he's worried about someone getting cut. But I have to work with what I've got and we all have to be careful of the sharp edges we know are there.

My final finish-up will be to take pliers and curl under all the corners. I've already done the roof so as not to get one in my eye.

 

[perkolator]

Any particular reason it has to be going up/down instead of hinged from the side? I'd just make regular hinged door, with a gate latch + carabiner. Big hands can easily operate it.

 

[3KillerBs]

I gave up and used a piece of metal to make a door that would run up and down against the wire. It runs reluctantly, but it runs.

I'd have done 80-90% of things differently with this if I weren't converting something someone else built, but I have to work with what I've got.

Photos later, I'm just in to catch my breath and get something to drink.

Any particular reason it has to be going up/down instead of hinged from the side? I'd just make regular hinged door, with a gate latch + carabiner. Big hands can easily operate it.

I'm not buying anything I don't absolutely HAVE TO and I don't have any spare latches.

 

[Sally PB]

My run door latch is two screws and a small carabineer. It functions as the door knob to pull the door open too.

 

[Yakisugi Coop]

I'm planning on making a sliding door for ours out of a plastic cutting board. From what I've read, it has the benefit of not warping (unlike plywood).

 

[3KillerBs]

Here's the results. Not pretty, but it will keep the chickens in and keep other stuff out as well as the rest of the coop will. I was afraid of making a weak point.

It doesn't run smoothly enough to use a long cord run over to the side of the coop with a ring and a cup hook. I'll just have to untie it and retie it for up and down.

But I am proud of what I did when I found the door just a little too wide for the structure after I built it. I knew that it was going to be too stiff to fold the edge again after I'd already rolled it, so I pleated it.

I found that this sheet metal was only a little harder to work with than Kevlar.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

I'm trying to figure out what I might do with some metal siding.

DH hates all this metal -- he's worried about someone getting cut. But I have to work with what I've got and we all have to be careful of the sharp edges we know are there.

My final finish-up will be to take pliers and curl under all the corners. I've already done the roof so as not to get one in my eye.

I'm still trying to figure this site out. I thought this posted hours ago, but see it sitting here as a draft.

Looks like you've got it all under control.

For rounding corners and sharp edges on metal I quickly run along it with one of these. Also great for shaping / profiling wood, metal, plastic etc. and general sanding.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm still trying to figure this site out. I thought this posted hours ago, but see it sitting here as a draft.

Looks like you've got it all under control.

For rounding corners and sharp edges on metal I quickly run along it with one of these. Also great for shaping / profiling wood, metal, plastic etc. and general sanding. View attachment 2676118

That looks like a great tool. We don't have one.