Best Method to Dampen A Spring to Open slowly?

[LDR]

Has anyone got an tips on making a hydraulic type system, so that a door will open slowly, rather than spring open?

It will just be a catch that releases the door, but i need it dampened rather than springing open fast.

Any suggestions on how to do this, or if there is something you can buy, e.g drawer slides?

Hopefully it doesnt need to be as complicated as a hydraulic system.

Any help would be great!

Thanks

lewis

 

[Invicta]

I don't know if this will work or is even feasible for you.

My neighbour had an old glass topped turntable where you would release the catch and the lid would rise slowly. Well it was getting on a bit in years, so was my neighour but thats another story, and the slow rise hinges were shot.

My answer was to pull out the hinge pins and slip a couple of DRY "O" rings up against the riser part of the hinge. This provided enough friction to counter the springs allowing the lid to rise slowly.

Just a thought

Malc.

 

[Node Nine]

The mechanism you are looking for is called a rotary damper. They are used in a great many products. You will have to look around for one sized to your needs.

Take a look here

 

[Sith_241]

A simple plunger type hydraulic rig might now be too hard to throw together.

 

[Sidewinder]

Are we talking person sized door? or a small hatch on a prop?

SAS

 

[LDR]

A smallish hatch on a prop. I was looking at car boot dampers. Those might do the trick nicely, with a strong spring to pull it up.

Infact around the size of a sight hatch on a ZF-1

 

[Sidewinder]

You can get small dampers for RC car suspension.

SAS

 

[terryr]

When I had Tonkas, the dump truck had a spring in a cylinder to mimic the hydraulics. One end had a donut of felt to drag on the shaft, which slowed the opening and looked real.

 

[LDR]

When I had Tonkas, the dump truck had a spring in a cylinder to mimic the hydraulics. One end had a donut of felt to drag on the shaft, which slowed the opening and looked real.

Thats quite a good idea. Probably be easy enough to make a hydraulic cylinder out of tubing, and add the felt/polishing bit inside.
That might work! and cheap to.

 

[terryr]

Good enough for Tonka. And because the spring pushes on a washer which pushes on the felt, it always stays tight. In fact I remember putting drop of sewing machine oil on it to smooth out the action.