Hidden Compartments

[Anonymous No.18468]

So I have put a lot of thought into putting hidden compartments into projects of mine and its not a problem of finding a space, its making a locking mechanism that can't be opened by anybody but myself. Can any give me some tips or techniques to keep hidden compartments closed that are visible when people get a closer look?

[Anonymous No.18612]

>>18468
> are not

Some ideas I have had is putting a prototype board or just a microcontroller with an rfid reader that will will activate some solenoids which would attract a magnet attached to a dowel which was locking the compartment door in place.

Now if the battery ever died, it could be difficult to open the compartment manually.

[Anonymous No.18763]

Fucking magnets, man.
I've thought this myself and I would make a lock mechanism very simple, made out of non-ferrous metal or wood, which requies a certain movement of a single piece to unlock, this single piece has a ferrous metal attached.
So, you can use a strong magnet on the outside to slide this piece in the appropriate direction.
The simplest mechanism would be a single sliding wooden dowel with a metal bolt or something in its opposite end. To open, you slide the magnet on the outside.

I have thought of ways to make the mechanism more complex, requiring a series of magnet movements in the outside, so someone not familiar with the movements required would have a hard time to guess the motion sequence that opens the compartment.

[Father Thyme No.18838]

The magnet powered ones. They have a magnetic key and a hell of a hold. Magnet key is a strong ass magnet too.

[Anonymous No.18897]

>books
I would recommend Michael Connors' How To Hide Anything, I'm pretty certain it's available on /rs/

[Anonymous No.19905]

>>18897
Speaking of books...

[Anonymous No.20914]

bamp

[Anonymous No.21231]

Tipmatic drawer runners.
They're completely hidden, not secure but you can make the drawer front inconspicuous enough so that nobody will even know there's a drawer there.
Push to open, push to close. They are a bit pricey though so it may not be your best option, also it takes quite a lot of skill to fit a drawer properly.
Or you could have a piece of brass rod long enough to go through a drawer side and up to the top of the piece so that the opening mechanism is hidden in another part of the project.

[Anonymous No.22108]

>>18897
Second.
>I will never have a record player cabinet big enough to hide inside of
>sadfrog.jpg

[Anonymous No.22142]

>>18468
I am worried about home defence and I dont want visitors to see guns everywhere so I have most of my guns in my gunsafe while I have some hidden heres my hiding spots.

>Sig Sauer p226r with 2 extended mags wrapped in a air tight bag (so water doesnt kill my ammo) inside a tile of my shower with a handle attached to it so i can pull it and get out it fast.

>Mossberg 500 with sharp point slugs inside a case by my front door so it looks like a umbrella.

>Gold platted Deagle (ALWAYS LOADED) inside a old 2 leter soda bottle that it painted to look full and has a opening in the back side in my fridge.

[Anonymous No.22154]

>>22142

[Anonymous No.22176]

>>19905
This method works, but is a pain in the arse. I've made about a dozen book vaults now here's my high speed method:

Step 1: Glue all your pages together, but not to either cover; I use wax paper to keep them separate. I start with white Elmer's and dilute with water until it just glazes my brush (plastic bristle, .29 cents). After giving the pages a good coat, I let them dry in a warm place under weights. The weights help keep the pages straight instead of getting wavy from the water.

Step 2: I mark the shape I want to cut. Mostly it's just about an inch in from each side for the standard vaults, but I can do shapes as well. I've done hearts, ovals and even have a template for a gun.

Step 3: Drill. What's that? You don't have a drill press? Just stick to the razor method. If you DO have access with someone's wood shop make sure you put a thin piece of sacrificial wood on top, this prevents tearing. The bit should be 1/2" or so, go SLOWLY and clear out as much paper-dust as you can. Drill near a corner.

Cont...

[Anonymous No.22190]

>>22176
Step 4a: Sawing. Yup, I do most of my books on a saw. I've used a band saw before, but it leaves a mark you can see from the outside, I normally hide it on the bottom edge near the spine. If someone sees that, they're probably holding the book already and can tell something's fishy. I use some of the removed pages and some glue to close the gap, you can even mix paper-dust with the glue to make a paste/putty for filler.
Step 4b: Jigsaw. I run the blade through the hole and then attach it to the saw. Find a blade with as many teeth as possible for nice results. Again, go slow and clear your dust. The hardest side is the one with the spine, just make sure you hold your pages together as best as possible. With a jigsaw you can make tiny curves and intricate shapes.

Step 5: Finishing. I tend to blow out all the dust with an air compressor then glue the inside cuts. Then you glue the pages to the BACK cover (I made a backwards book by mistake once) and clean up any messy bits. I've even used craft felt to make a nice lining.

[Anonymous No.22197]

>>22190
#1 Lots of people hide shit inside books

#2 If you have alot of books inside your house and someone breaks in they will check it

#3 Buy a safe

#4 Grow up and stop hiding your porn/weed from your parents

[Anonymous No.22215]

>>22142
>Gold platted Deagle (ALWAYS LOADED) inside a old 2 leter soda bottle that it painted to look full and has a opening in the back side in my fridge.
this is so fucking awesome!

[Anonymous No.22227]

>>22142
this is a joke post right

[Anonymous No.22226]

>>22197
Why is everyone so insistent there is no legitimate reason to hide things? The gun shit is a damn fine example actually. Perhaps troll? I hope you're a troll because if you aren't you're an idiot

[Anonymous No.22236]

>>22197
>#1 Lots of people hide shit inside books
So? This thread is about hiding shit, not diy safes.

>#2 If you have alot of books inside your house and someone breaks in they will check it
If someone's in your house to find shit, they're gonna find it. This I just for keeping things out of sight. I never made a claim about security.

>#3 Buy a safe
Yes, good advice for keeping things SAFE, this thread is about how to keep things HIDDEN.

>#4 Grow up and stop hiding your porn/weed from your parents
A) I live on my own
B) I don't smoke pot
C) I have the internet, who the fuck keeps physical porn now a days?
D) I don't actually use any of my books, I give them out as gifts. People love getting them because it's something they've always known about but never owned.

Fuck off troll.

[Anonymous No.22237]

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/bs8bs/iama_professional_concealment_designer_i_make/

[Anonymous No.22243]

>>22142

[Anonymous No.22253]

Man, do I love hidden hinges! If you've got any type of project that has panels it's super easy to make one of them a compartment door. Imagine if the pic didn't have a nob on it, now imagine a row of those panels as accent pieces on a large bit of furniture. A few magnets for closure and a small unseen notch to grab. BAM, hidden compartment.

[Anonymous No.22258]

>>22142

holy shit no1 will ever break inside that house and make it out alive

[Anonymous No.22259]

>>22142
sup /k/.

[Anonymous No.22263]

>>22142
>Gold platted Deagle (ALWAYS LOADED) inside a old 2 leter soda bottle that it painted to look full and has a opening in the back side in my fridge.
Oh god wat

[Anonymous No.22273]

>>22142

>>Gold platted Deagle (ALWAYS LOADED) inside a old 2 leter soda bottle that it painted to look full and has a opening in the back side in my fridge.

allofmyhardon.jpg

[Anonymous No.22276]

>walking round my town open carrying my two degals
>bitches getting wet just staring, guys wishing they could be me
>See some shit going down in Subway
>go in, three guys of dark color holding it up
>cough, so they look at me, then flex
>they run out
>subway sandwich technician starts blowing me right there
>look at my reflection in my degal, I look awesome
>SUDDENLY BACK UP
>guys robbing subway were Somalian pirates
>20 come in armed with AK's and tactical Chau-Chats
>Fire one round, I keep my children chambered in .50 heatseeking cop-killa
>Takes out half of them
>Point other degal at the remaining pirates
>die of fear-induced heart attack
>Sandwich surgeon still blowing me
>Helicopter lands
>Obama comes out
>Gives me the Medal of Awesome (it's something only degal owners can have)
>President asks to touch one of my degals
>Say fine, unload it, remove clip, hand it to him
>He starts sweeping the room, finger fucking it
>Dry fires by accident
>doesn't realise it's a degal
>DEGALS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
>Bullet passes through celling, into stratosphere, landing somewhere in Afghanistan blowing a helicopter out of the sky and killing 32 Navy SEALS
>I bitch slap the president
>Cum all over Sandwich-Fuhrer's face

[Anonymous No.22279]

>>22236

[Anonymous No.22291]

>>22276

/k/ommando brofist.

[Anonymous No.22293]

>>22276
>tactical Chau-Chats

>still /diy/ related because I've heard you can make a still out of them

[Atlas !!k+KNdbXljLy No.22326]

>>22142

now that's what i call preparation. very impressive anon

[OP IS A GENTLEMAN AND SCHOLAR No.23679]

>>22142

[Anonymous No.23897]

I want a cool wallet. Shpuld i hollow out a small book? Heard good things about cards

[Anonymous No.23912]

magnetic locks

[Anonymous No.23913]

Whatever to just putting things in air ducts?

[Anonymous No.23927]

>>22197
thats bullshit and you know it

[Anonymous No.23930]

>>22279
I have about $250 in cash in something like this.

[Anonymous No.23968]

this is my kind of shit. anyone got any more? i'd love to make some sweet hiding places.

[Anonymous No.23985]

Hollow candles are pretty slick, especially because they can still be used for their original purpose (carefully), and even sealed for ultimate stealth.

[Anonymous No.23998]

>>23985
that's fucking genius. might have to make some

[Anonymous No.24029]

>>23985
Totally not the right thread for this, but: I'm reminded that if you have candles, wedging coins into them makes them look awesome, especially as wax drips down. Just remember the expanded radius of was drippage and the falling coins.

[Anonymous No.24066]

>>22142
Not a kid-safe house, go into the fridge for soda and pull out a loaded gun? Fuck man.
Still you sound pretty prepared for any unwanted intruders.

[Anonymous No.24077]

http://www.uaff.us/SecretHidingPlaces.pdf

[Anonymous No.24086]

>>18468
Hey OP, Magnets.
I've seen a couple of "off the shelf" set-ups that look quite good.
Try Lee-Valley tools or Garret-Wade.
They have a system that works through "rare earth magnets" that is off the shelf and seems to be reliable.
As I am a Carpenter for 25+ years..
Working currently on a home that has at least 2 " secret passageways" or "secret doors".
I'm not very computer savvy. But if I were, I would have a USB port on te outside, and there you go.

[Anonymous No.24116]

you know those opening mechanisms that you have to push in first so that they come out a little and then you can pull them out easily? I suggest these.
It avoids hinges or notches for your fingers to put in.

Unless the spot you're trying to hide is something people lean against.
If you want to make sure it isn't opened by accident, add something like having to push it upwards and then push it in.

Another idea would be to use a IR controlled lock that you open with a remote control.

[Anonymous No.24217]

Amazon have these listed, look useful:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnetic-Cupboard-Drawer-Locks-locks/dp/B000KG8DJ4

[Anonymous No.24220]

>>24217
...forgot pic

[Anonymous No.24912]

>>24116
OP here, I don't think IR would work unless the receiver is outside of the compartment which would give away its location. I think either RF or RFID would be best suited to this and for myself, it wouldn't be all that hard to make something that would so this, its just the locking mechanism thats really giving me problems. The way I want to open the compartment is from underneath it so the compartment would literally fall out after being unlocked. Now the things that are worrying to me are how well will my locking mechanism hold the compartment in place and will the magnets be strong enough to unlock the mechanism?

[Anonymous No.25414]

don't die on me.

[Anonymous No.25490]

>>19905
>>19905
>>19905
>>19905
>>19905
>>19905
>>19905


speaking of hollow books...

pic related, my OC.

[Anonymous No.25516]

There's some videos, on YouTube, maybe, of Lord British's house (the guy behind the Ultima series of games).

He's a nut for secret passages, doors, etc. Some of the stuff is rather extravagant, but I specifically remember a magnet lock that required the person to move a little statuette (w/ an embedded magnet) in a certain sequence on a counter top, to open a hidden door.

Check it out.

[Anonymous No.25676]

bumping for more secret hiding places

[Anonymous No.25740]

>>25516
found this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM109_EbMcs

pretty neat, but not something someone on my budget could manage

[Anonymous No.25796]

>>24217
>>24220

Those SUCK. My company uses them to keep people out of the food in the kitchen and if you pull them abit hard they will open up without the magnet. We lost the magnet so everyone just pulls it open. It will keep a small child out and maybe a retard but nothing else.

[Anonymous No.26151]

>>25796
The trick would be to use them on a door without a handle, so pulling wouldn't be an option

[Anonymous No.26515]

I would suggest adding some trim work to your project. Nothing much.. but a few pieces. You can then make one of the pieces of trim attach to a sliding bolt or dowel which holds your compartment closed/in place. You can take it even further and make another piece of trim attach to a dowel (I actually use trailer door hinges and pins, because they were handy.) which holds the first trim piece in place. Thus... even if someone notices one piece of trim seems to slide back and forth a bit, it does nothing for them unless they try to move the second piece of trim while the first is out of place. I have had people over who have noticed one piece seemed loose, but they usually just push it back into place, as it is the natural tendency of someone who bumps a picture frame, etc.. askew to straighten it. No one has accidently come across it... and even some people who have watched me open it could not replicate opening it.

[Anonymous No.26989]

>>24912
>The way I want to open the compartment is from underneath it so the compartment would literally fall out after being unlocked.


>>24116 here,
I still think the opening mechanism I suggested would work perfectly fine for that.
I mean, if you know the place, everybody can open it, but that's besides the point.
if someone finds it, they'll find a way to open it with force anyway. And if they don't find it, there's no need for extra security.

Here's a schematic of what I mean.
Container moves on rails inside hollow compartment without floor. Normally would slide out towards bottom.

slide it up manually to engage the lock ("uncock" the L-lever; really it's pretty similar to how a gun works) and hold container in place, aligned with bottom of hollow compartment.

slide up further to cock the lever and free the container.

Also note the inner container's floor aligns with the inner side of the compartment. Depending on the way it looks and from where you normally look at it, it might be less obvious if it overhangs and aligns with the outer side.
Of course the schematic is just a crude drawing of the principle, and in practice there are much better ways to implement this than the exact way I drew. But it shows the principle clearly, so I guess that's fine.

[Anonymous No.27066]

I'd love to see design that needs for example 3 items of specific shapes to unlock and iron door with holes for the said shapes, then I'd put on a kind of stone skin on the door to make it look like an ancient door. That would be a badass way to access your basement's back room AND a nice story to tell people asking about the door (ancient ruins in your basement, lol).

[Anonymous No.27285]

a few years ago I was reading a magazine article about secret safes, and they had a couple of how-tos...including a chess set that was locked by 4 magnetic locks and could only be opened by placing the appropriate pieces over the locks. I'd love to build one, but, sadly, I've lost the instructions :-( if anyone knows where to find said instructions or knows what I'm talking about, I'd appreciate a link or instructions please