Small accomplishment, feeling pretty good

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I have a small accomplishment at work. Due to change of use from residential to commercial, we had to reverse the swing of an entrance door in a historic building in the south street seaport historic district so it swings out to facilitate emergency egress. It was a right swing door opening into the space. Now it is a right swing door opening out to the street. The frame was integral to the entire entrance so it couldn’t simply be removed and turned around. I had to make due with what was there. I don’t usually do the actual work, normally, except in circumstances that the guys are in over their heads. The carpenter that worked on this job with me is an experienced and skilled dude. I walked him through each step and when we finished the door looked good and functioned perfectly, despite it being warped a little. At the end, he told me, “I like to work with you,” which I took as a compliment of the highest order. :-) It’s a little thing, but made my day.

Losing fingers since 1969

20 Replies

Great job, ESPECIALLY when you consider who it was for (see sign)… 8-)

HorizontalMike

““I like to work with you,”” <<< yah, that’s pretty awesome!

Toxins Out, Nature In - body/mind/spirit

good job Brian I have had to make changes like that to you done well

jim

Haha, Mike! They were the old tenant (imagine that – city agency operating an office illegally in a residential apartment). Anyway, I doubt those guys would even know the difference between swing-in and swing-out. LOL…

Losing fingers since 1969

“I like to work with you” it doesn’t get much better than that with men. We’re an odd and often very subtle group but that is a nice compliment with deep meaning.

-- Alec (Friends call me Wolf, no idea why)

Good Job Brian, but I got a good laugh.
Department of Design and Construction
Yet the hinges are on the outside…LOL
Hopefully those are non removable hinge pins.

Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.

That’s nice Brian. He learned what we all here already know. You are very talented.

Jack

It does feel good when one hear that. But again I am sure he does not say it to everyone, especially an old timer.

Abbas, Castro Valley, CA

Bently, we considered the safety of the hinges outside. The pins are removable. However the residential lobby door is exactly the same (swings out, removable hinge pins, large glass) and there has never been a problem. Anyway, code requires all egress doors to swing out. If someone complains, I’ll put a couple of edge pins in. Dowel is cheaper than hinges. ;-)

Losing fingers since 1969

I’ve heard of putting in set screws. From the inside when the door is open, but have never done that myself. I have a back door that is the same and I worry every time I leave town. I’m thinking I might have to try the set screw deal myself.

Do the deadbolts use a key from the inside? lol just funnin :)

Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.

Yeah, no thumb turn inside because of the glass.

You don’t need setscrews to pin the hinge pin. You just need a few inches of dowel. Drill a hole in the door, glue in dowel with 1/2" sticking out. File the end to round it a little bit. Then drill matching holes in the frame. Close the door and it can not be pulled out of the opening even if there are no hinges, as long as the dead bolt or rim lock is engaged as well. Security 201 :-)

I can teach you some tricks for apartment doors also. I learned a lot breaking into a bunch once (vacant building company owned slated for demo – all legit). ;-)

Losing fingers since 1969

Good idea with the dowels, never thought of that.

_ "I can teach you some tricks for apartment doors also. I learned a lot breaking into a bunch once (vacant building company owned slated for demo – all legit). ;-) " _

Yeah, sure. I used to borrow bikes when I was little, all legit ;) ;)
:)

Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.

Good job Brian
I’ve used the same technique as your dowels but with cut off lags.

woodworking classes, custom furniture maker

“I’ve used the same technique as your dowels but with cut off lags”

What’s cutt off lags? Never heard of it before.

Abbas, Castro Valley, CA

I think it’s a lag bolt cut to size after driving into the edge of the door. Good idea, although I’m not sure if it adds any shear strength over a 1/2" oak dowel. ;-)

Losing fingers since 1969

Thanks!
Lag bolts did not come to mind when I read the post.

Now I am clear.

Abbas, Castro Valley, CA

I wouldn’t worry about shear strength, it would be a lot easier to cut through a wood dowel than a lag bolt. ;)

Figuring out how to do something you have never done is what makes a good challenge.

You’re full of deviousness, aren’t you? LOL :-)

That’s where the cross bar lock that pins into the saddle and header cone into action. But who’s going to pay for that?

I lived in Paris for a few months and my apartment door was this gigantic monstrosity, at least 2-1/2 inches thick with these edge pins, a bolt, a rim lock and vertical and horizontal crossbar locks. The damn thing didn’t even have a regular knob or latch. Just push to open after opening that maze of locks. I never saw anything like it before or after. And of course, the crossbar locks were keyed in the center of the door so even breaking through the wall you couldn’t reach the thumb turn to unlock it. I don’t think a police battering ram could knock that door down. A drug dealer must have lived there before. Crazy.

Losing fingers since 1969

Great job Brian

I do not have attention deficit disor.................hey look, it's a bunny!