# Drop Panel measurements



## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Of course this is in millimeters so you'll need to convert.

The size of my panel was determined by the size of the picture I had to use. To be truthful it probably wasn't the BEST picture to use, but it was the only big one I had.

The actual dropping panel is only slightly larger than the size of the picture and the hole I cut in the false wall was just slightly smaller than the picture. I'm talking perhaps 15mm either way. (you'll have to excuse the rough cut as I don't have any power saws so this was done by hand saws and a drill).

One thing to consider also, you will see in the photo that I put some beading around the edge of the photo to ensure that it doesn't catch on the edge of the wall panel and rip as it drops. I have also covered the picture with a sheet of thick flexible plastic sheeting. Glass was out of the question and I didn't want the picture to lift.

I hope the illustration is fairly self explanatory. I don't yet have a photo of the front of the picture since the matting was fitted and the frame properly attached. I'll try to take a photo of that over the next few days.














































My shopping list for the timber was:
1600mm beading
350 x 450mm MDF panel
2 x 1000mm pine
2 x 800mm pine
1 x 500mm pine
1 x 400mm pine

Gate latch, screws and liquid nails, plus a couple of pieces of scrap timber to keep the panel in place. The scrap timber is only held on by a couple of nails in case down the track I want to remove the panel to replace the picture.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Then of course you have the bracing to hold the walls up.










The store kindly cut all the timber for me including the 45 degree angles on the bracing.
One pair of braces takes:
2 x 800mm
2 x 400mm
2 x 300mm cut with 45 degree angles on each end.

A couple of things to keep in mind....
The Dropping Panel plus the beading should be just slightly thinner than the thickness of the 1000mm lengths to allow the panel to slide up and down freely. Mine has just a little too much gap and tends to stick out a bit at the back which will allow light from behind the wall to be seen from the front of the portrait. I'm going to have to come up with something to either block the light, or make the panel sit closer to the wall at the bottom. However don't make it too firm because if your timber gets damp and swells at all it won't slide freely enough to get full benefit of the drop.

The other thing is that the two 800mm support beams that reach down to the floor to take the force of the panel dropping will need to extend beyond the bottom of your wall panel an equal distance to the width of the bracing timber. Hopefully this photo shows what I mean.










Hopefully that all makes sense - but if you have any questions or see any gaping holes in my explanation, please don't hesitate to ask.


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## MapThePlanet (Nov 12, 2010)

Looks great. May I make 1 suggestion though? Between the bottom of the picture/dropping panel and above the stop plate/bottom brace, enclose this area. As in a dark environment, and when scares are at a high tension point, someone may be resting their hand in that area, and one they trip the drop mechanism, gravity will not stop until the panel reaches the fingers....


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes I'm aware that there is a hazard there. The panel will be dropped from a distance - the lock will be triggered by way of a length of nylon as the person operating it will be off to the side and not standing behind it. However if I ever use it again in a different way it will absolutely have a safety screen.


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## AdamC (Sep 16, 2012)

Thanks for the post


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## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2012)

Good catch with the pinch point hazard MapThe. Headless, let me see if I understand how this wall is constructed based on your schematic.... There are supports on both sides of the false wall, or only on the side with the drop panel? I don't know if it would work, but I'd want to conceal all support elements out of view, so your attention wouldn't be drawn to the false wall.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

I don't need to worry about it as it is an "end of hallway" section and will have other decorative items in front of it.


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## [email protected] (Aug 25, 2012)

Got it!


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