Built-up doors won't close

[quilkin]

I have started to make a modular building that has double doors, each 4x6 bricks, so I am making these up from parts (mainly 2x2 frames and panels) so I don't get frames in the centre when the doors are open. The doors are hinged using these https://alpha.brickl...429c01#T=S&O={} and fit into an opening 8 bricks wide by 6 high. But they don't really fit, because they won't both close (without forcing). Looking at the geometry, I can see why. I notice that the Town Hall modular has very similar doors (although narrower, and with different hinges) but the LDD of this I found http://www.brickshel...4_town_hall.lxf also won't allow both doors to close.

Has anyone found a solution to this? If you have a Town Hall, do the doors close?

[timmyc1983]

I think it would be helpful to see a picture of what you are trying to do and/or an LDD design of what you want and what isn't working. The LDD model of the Town Hall you linked to in the post works fine for me, both doors shut all the way and swing like they do in the real model (i.e. only half open cos the handles hits the pillars)

[quilkin]

Thanks Tim. I'm puzzled why your TownHall LDD allows the doors to close while mine doesn't (I am using 4.3.8). But on closer inspection they almost close - so I would think that the 'real' brick building they would close OK.

In my own design (https://www.cubbyusercontent.com/pli/stmawes.lxf/_268d5d1ad7354f62a64a34c40afd8e99) they get nowhere near closing, so I think I need to use a different type of hinge.

Some great models on your flickr, by the way,

[Rick]

I don't have LDD installed on the computer I'm replying from, so I didn't have a look at your LXF file. In Town Hall, the door is hinged using a "clip and bar" system which puts the hinge at the center of the one stud depth (thickness) of the door. Theoretically they don't close, because the hinge is not at the back of the door, but in practice they do.

If you mount the hinge you mentioned earlier in its "straight" position (so that it forms a 1 x 4 plate) then the hinge is at the "front" of the one stud thick door, which prevents it from opening.

[quilkin]

Thanks Rick, that makes sense. I've inspected the Town Hall design (LDD and PDF instructions) and seen how it's done, but this means the doors stand proud of the wall they are fitted to. So I'm still left wondering how to make double doors (or even a single built-up door?) in-line with a wall (as per my LDD file above). As far as I can see, the only way would be to use round bricks for the outer edges of the doors.

[Redhead1982]

I used the same (or very similar) system for brick build doors in my modular shop. The door was able to open and close right until I started building above them. Well, I could force them to close, but I couldn't reopen them without tearing down part of the wall. I think that continuing the glass wall above the door fixed the door on hinges in a fixed position. The Town hall uses bricks with clips and handles. The door wings are separated by a tiny gap, about 1 mm, and I think that's why the door in Town hall can be opened and closed. I'd suggest you use the same mechanism as in the Town hall if you want your door to open.

[timmyc1983]

Thanks Tim. I'm puzzled why your TownHall LDD allows the doors to close while mine doesn't (I am using 4.3.8). But on closer inspection they almost close - so I would think that the 'real' brick building they would close OK.

In my own design (https://www.cubbyuse...64a34c40afd8e99) they get nowhere near closing, so I think I need to use a different type of hinge.

Some great models on your flickr, by the way,

Yes, I think the issue with the hinge design, as opposed to the clip and bar design, as Rick said, is the swing point location. With the bar and clip the hinge is totally separate from the door and the swing of either door does not over lap each other. Where as with the hinge, it pushes the door itself out during the swing just enough that they won't close (or reopen if forced to close). There's just literally no space for both doors to swing open or close because they overlap each other.

I feel like I'm talking in circles and not making any sense!!! I hope it does make sense! Hopefully this screen shot will clarify:

Hinge Swing Overlap by Tim, on Flickr

So as you can see, the overlap is minimal but enough that when both doors are trying to close, it just won't work