I've been pounding my head for a couple of seasons now trying to come up with a simple and safe trap door that opens down in our stock platforms. Our current unit opens up, is simple and safe. We (by we I mean the diretor) needs one that opens down. However the framing a already 2x6 making the neccessary gap around the deck rather large. Has anyone had any luck with bi-fold doors? Anyluck with a simple locking system?
platform trap door
- Thread startermsdweedle
- Start date
One of our trap doors was designed by our local school's shop class.
It's is one solid door, as all the bi-fold systems either failed or were to dangerous.
The locking system is like that of a dunk-tank.
There is a builders-right triangle underneath the trap, supporting the actuall door.
Then there is a arm that holds the triangle in place. It is rigged on a quick-release hinge. The trap stays in place nicely, and when we are not using it there is a small arm that pivots underneath to support the other side of the trap.
When we did Sweeny Todd a few years ago, we used a tunnel slide underneath, so we could drop the company head-first through the trap and they would slide down the childrens tunnel-slide until they were horizontal, where they just climbed out of the slide. Unfortunately, the bend in the slide was such that they came out of the slide very fast, and we had to make a foam pit at the end for them to land into. It was very fun as the drop was from the second story of the home, or about 15 feet.
Here is a link to an image to help explain the trap better
It's is one solid door, as all the bi-fold systems either failed or were to dangerous.
The locking system is like that of a dunk-tank.
There is a builders-right triangle underneath the trap, supporting the actuall door.
Then there is a arm that holds the triangle in place. It is rigged on a quick-release hinge. The trap stays in place nicely, and when we are not using it there is a small arm that pivots underneath to support the other side of the trap.
When we did Sweeny Todd a few years ago, we used a tunnel slide underneath, so we could drop the company head-first through the trap and they would slide down the childrens tunnel-slide until they were horizontal, where they just climbed out of the slide. Unfortunately, the bend in the slide was such that they came out of the slide very fast, and we had to make a foam pit at the end for them to land into. It was very fun as the drop was from the second story of the home, or about 15 feet.
Here is a link to an image to help explain the trap better
