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#Post#: 91902--------------------------------------------------
Frankencatflap?
DIR By: ferretjuggler
Date: August 15, 2014, 1:29 pm
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Anyone ever made a cat flap from the top half of an old safari
door?
I'm looking at my rotten safari door and thinking "why the hell
not? "
OK it will take some scavenging, scrounging, and begging to
find the metal for those weird curly hinges, but I can't see why
not.
Gotta find some tube about 5/16" ID for the anti crush tubes in
the frame, and similar for the hinges.
Otherwise looks easy enough.
#Post#: 91903--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: Albert Ross
Date: August 15, 2014, 1:45 pm
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Instead of curly hinges, could you not use 2a front door top
hinges..? They have a deeper arm than the bottom hinge. Also, it
will need a lot of bracing, as it will be quite flexible.
#Post#: 91906--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: rowehillmaster
Date: August 15, 2014, 2:15 pm
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I have seen one - let me think where - maybe on a debender
though !
Edit: thought so - It was when I was looking for info on gas
struts
Prepare yourself though - there is major gayness about the rest
of the truck !
HTML http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/defender-hardtop-2-piece-rear-door-46244.html
HTML http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f7/defender-hardtop-2-piece-rear-door-46244.html
#Post#: 91908--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: ferretjuggler
Date: August 15, 2014, 2:47 pm
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Actually
The vehicle looks OK to me.
I was expecting to have my eyes fucked out by something that
looked like Lily Savages handbag.
Dunno if it will need bracing.
The perimeter frame of a safari door is made out of the same
section as front doors.
They are pretty stiff.
Takes a good hard twist to tweak a twisted door straight.
The gas strut looks the business.
Not sure about the shed hasp though.
#Post#: 91918--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: ProDave
Date: August 16, 2014, 2:09 pm
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I bought a genuine cat flap from fleabay.
It didn't have the hinges so I made some. went to a builders
merchant and bought a couple of the thickest bits of strapping
bar they had. That's a galvanised steel bar about 1" wide and a
bit under 1/4" thick, pre drilled with holes about 6mm.
It bent easilly to the required shape and my home made hinges
work well. Not totally authentic, but more so that external
hinges like that.
I did try a gas strut (had a spare one kicking about) but I
found (probably because my home made hinges are not as strong)
that it just distorted them and made it hard to shut, so I just
use the manual prop to hold it open.
#Post#: 91920--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: ferretjuggler
Date: August 16, 2014, 4:07 pm
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Yes I am planning to use the proper hinge points on the hard top
too.
The hard top appears to be the original fitted in 1970 and I
don't want to start mutilating it with external hinges etc.
I'll be using some mild steel flat and just painting it.
Looks like there's about 2" of depth between the window and the
tailgate.
I'm just wondering if I could squeeze a locking mechanism in
that space somehow.
Not enough room for the traditional belcrank and rods set up?
Maybe something more cunning is required.
#Post#: 91922--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: rowehillmaster
Date: August 17, 2014, 12:33 am
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If you are making the hinges, here is a drawing that I made
from a borrowed actual hinge, so I could make mine.
[URL=
HTML http://s46.photobucket.com/user/kemplen/media/hinge_03_zpsb1460d6f.jpg.html][IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f137/kemplen/hinge_03_zpsb1460d6f.jpg[/img][/URL]
;-)
#Post#: 91933--------------------------------------------------
Re: Frankencatflap?
DIR By: ferretjuggler
Date: August 17, 2014, 6:19 am
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Thanks very much :thumbs:
Downloaded that for future reference.
Of course I'll have to modify the lower part of the hinge to a
"T" shape to fit onto the narrow perimeter frame of the safari
door top half.
Might be a problem there with a lack of rigidity.
4 x 5/16 UNF bolts holding the flap but all four on the same
horizontal line.
Dunno at this stage I'll have to see how it goes.
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