Secret Compartments

[Bill T Tucker]

Mornin' Everybody,
Have been asked to turn a larger piece with one or two secret compartments in it! No decent ideas come to mind and no idea where to go to find suggestions and techniques for hidden spaces in turnings. Any suggestions or experiences would be Greatly appreciated...Please.
bill

 

[hockenbery]

I have seen a hidden compartments in box lids.
One quick idea is a lidded vessel with a compartment in the top and a compartment in the bottom.
Threaded plugs for access

My closest experience is a demo I’ve done on a hidden ring box

This is one is from a demo a bit rough but you get the idea

Top view bottom view open view

 

[hockenbery]

Also I have seen the lids held closed with magnets and spring loaded bullet latches with matching recesses

Turn a big Lego set….

Jack set

Bonnie Klein did some tops with threaded parts that unscrewed for compartments

…

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Good luck, I have not seen too many drawers in bowls and hf....maybe something with a glass insert for flower that has large solid chunk u could hide a compartment in disguised cracks. Problem the hidden compartment would be small. Segmentors might have ideas, but have not seen before.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I did series called "This Way" with 2 boxes

 

[Walter Mooney]

Good luck, I have not seen too many drawers in bowls and hf....maybe something with a glass insert for flower that has large solid chunk u could hide a compartment in disguised cracks. Problem the hidden compartment would be small. Segmentors might have ideas, but have not seen before.

Friend and former Houston club member Kai Muenzer has turned drawers and even some “cabinets”. I’m pretty sure he has a tutorial on them. Look him up!

 

[Clifton C]

This was proof of concept and a "how to hold and manipulate". Never went anywhere with the idea, probably 20 years old. Grain runs thru it so, if made well, the join at the beads would blend in better. Loosely based on a magicians, color changing/disappearing ball box.

 

[Clifton C]

Here is the "puck" on top...

 

[john lucas]

I've done quite a few Christmas ornaments with screw treads that are hidden. I call them gift ornaments. I had an article on the gift ornaments in Anerican Woodturner.

 

[hockenbery]

Another source of ideas- Beth Ireland does a nice demo with turning bandsaw boxes on the lathe.


This could be explored.

 

[Russ Braun]

Hidden Drawers?

Wen-Ping Haung is worth looking up. This turner from Taiwan is out of this world. Andy Chen can talk him up better than me; enjoy some amazing skill set here!​

 

[Bill T Tucker]

I have seen a hidden compartments in box lids.
One quick idea is a lidded vessel with a compartment in the top and a compartment in the bottom.
Threaded plugs for access

My closest experience is a demo I’ve done on a hidden ring box

This is one is from a demo a bit rough but you get the idea

Top view View attachment 48304 bottom view View attachment 48306 open view View attachment 48305

Thanks Al...by the way, congrats!

 

[Bill T Tucker]

I did series called "This Way" with 2 boxes

Thanks Charlie...good, a different direction

 

[Bill T Tucker]

Friend and former Houston club member Kai Muenzer has turned drawers and even some “cabinets”. I’m pretty sure he has a tutorial on them. Look him up!

Thanks Walter...you're right, he's good

 

[Bill T Tucker]

Here is the "puck" on top...
View attachment 48344View attachment 48345View attachment 48346

Thanks Clifto9n...interesting

 

[Bill T Tucker]

I've done quite a few Christmas ornaments with screw treads that are hidden. I call them gift ornaments. I had an article on the gift ornaments in Anerican Woodturner.

Thanks John...will have to re-read

 

[Bill T Tucker]

Hidden Drawers?

Wen-Ping Haung is worth looking up. This turner from Taiwan is out of this world. Andy Chen can talk him up better than me; enjoy some amazing skill set here!​

Thanks Russ...may have to look at segmented work

 

[robo hippy]

We had a Chippendale woodworking school in town for a couple of years. One line they used was 'A customer called us up and told us they had found the hidden compartment in the furniture piece we built for them. We asked them, which one?' They did comment that the customs people were experts on hidden compartments. Maybe the customs people should do a tutorial on hidden compartments.

robo hippy

 

[Bill T Tucker]

We had a Chippendale woodworking school in town for a couple of years. One line they used was 'A customer called us up and told us they had found the hidden compartment in the furniture piece we built for them. We asked them, which one?' They did comment that the customs people were experts on hidden compartments. Maybe the customs people should do a tutorial on hidden compartments.

robo hippy

 

[Mike Johnson]

A poor man's lock for a secret compartment is a steel rod or ball bearing, you can use a magnet to activate the locking mechanism.
The ball or rod sits in a hollow cavity mated up between the work piece and the secret compartment.
There are companies that make RFID locking mechanisms for secret compartments that you use an RFID chip to activate the lock.
Segmented wood is a good way to hide the secret compartment into the design of the piece. Bead details are another way to hide
the joint of a hidden compartment on a round turned work piece.

 

[Bill T Tucker]

Thanks Mike...am old, don't get out much ....RFID locking is new, well to me. Got to play with these ideas.