Automatic Mechanical Door Closer

If you are like me, you hate getting out of your bed to turn off yoru lights and or close your door. I guess you could call it being lazy... but it was fun to build.

There are a few steps, and depending on how many walls away door is, construction will differ. In this instructable, you will learn how to make an automatic door closer, controlled by pulleys . Almost every Item Listed is from home depot. I did not show pictures of the molleys and dry wall screws, because that is all preferance based.

Step 1 The Door closer

In this first step you are going to prepare everything you need so that construction is made simple. It is difficult to determine how many pulleys you need depending on how many walls you are going to cross.

1. Drill the four holes on opposing corners.
2. Remove all copper staples
3. Unhinge the bottom where the arm of the rat trap holds the springs.
4. Remove and discard the safe guard holder where you put the cheese.

Picture 2:

1. Cut the broom stick about 2 feet away from the handle. It depends where you put the rat trap, but it shouldnt be more than 2 feet.

2. Dremmel out enough space to place the toy car wheel( reduces friction when riding on the door.
3. Drill an axis for the whell, where the arrows indicate. You want to make sure there is enough room left for the wheel to spin.

4. place the wheel in the handle, and slide a nail through the axis holes you drilled. If the wheel wobbles when spun,take the nail out, and place a staw on both sides of the wheel for bearing. Cut the end of the nail off with wire cutters. Your finished product should look like Picture 3.

Comments

[wild1357]

Nice instructable been looking for a good one of these for a while!!!! also it would be a great help if you could post the light switch one!

[Romado12187]

There are a bunch of different ways you can do this. This was my first shot at it, and looking back I think I would have changed it up a little... I liked using a rat trap 'cus it's soooo cheap, but you could use a motor if you wanted... but I guess that would get pretty messy.

[wild1357]

I'd like to not involve electronics, because when you do that everything gets messy as you said. I like this one because it's self powered and not to hard to build (I think) this coming weekend i think I will build it if I had enough time.

[watson9194]

this is cool,but it could be simpler(albeit less elegant ).

[maxpower49]

can i get the light instructable

[Romado12187]

ill put it up only because you have a cartman icon. hahahh

[MadBricoleur]

Hey, you didn't put it up yet!!! In other words: i'd like you to put it up too :D thanks? :)

[ousire]

i want it up too! sounds awsome! XD

[WillTheRescue]

I love how we put more time and hard work into making something so we can be lazy. Ironic.

[Dyer13]

Did you know that you can buy spring hinges? We use them on our bathroom doors and they work great. They replace the standard hinges and they have a spring inside the assembly that makes the hinge close automatically.

[Honestinwilkesbarre]

My lease won't allow me to change any hardware in my building. But I am allowed to screw stuff to the wall. This is the answer to children who can't remember to close a door after they open it.

[knex_mepalm]

Yeah what if you are the child who is in the way of the door when it closes? And the spring is huge!

[Romado12187]

it closes at about 1 mph... and the door isn't too heavy. It doesn't close automatically, so the person pulling the lever would be responsible... but you could rig it to intentionally hit people... but that just seems wrong.

[knex_mepalm]

1 mph? That's fat fora clsing oor but to hit someone real hard, try closing it at the speed i normally do, 10 mph it makes a giant bang!

[Romado12187]

yeah... but that's no fun... and besides, that won't let me close the door when i'm in bed.

[Ben The Builder]

you could make it so the door latches to the wall and then just undo the latch from bed, and if you were truly lazy you would go for the easier thing

[Romado12187]

That's what it does... i would need spring loaded hinges in order for that to work, in this case i used the spring force from a rat trap

[Dyer13]

Haha ok then. I used to have a string and pulley system rigged up to turn off my lights from in bed, so I guess i can't say too much.

[littlegandhi1199]

I was thinking about this the other night, a way too close my door from my bed as you mentioned and i wasn't sure what i would do so i went to instructables and found this! thanks so much

[xcoastie]

great idea, but I think this would make a better "face smasher" than a door closer. Just hang the contraption in a hallway/doorway/ceiling and when your victim comes walking by, pull the string ( a trip wire would also be easy with your design.) Just make sure to video tape it. // joking, or am I? /// anyway you have a great idea, thanks

[Thundertydus]

now one to open it

[newkiraj]

gonna build this this weekend! thanks 4 the idea great instructable

[Romado12187]

haha, np. let me see how it comes out

[NikonDork]

Awesome instructable. I love Rube Goldberg devices, they're so fun.

[tyeo098]

a video of it in action would be nice, i really want to build this! looks pretty shweet... and im lazy lol

[Romado12187]

Videos added

[tyeo098]

Ind33d, I understand the process (and purpose) more clearly now, Thanks

[allanf0]

awesome, I want to see this bad baby in action

[Romado12187]

vidoes were just added

[lemonie]

You put all that together just to close a door? I'm impressed, but it makes the room look untidy - do your parents have an opinion? L

[Romado12187]

hahah, I mean they have an opinion , but whether I listen to it, is a different story. When I post the video it will show the room looking less untidy, haha

[ll.13]

Nice. that wallpaper would drive me crazy though. ;)

[Romado12187]

hahahhaha, tell me about it