Bedroom Porthole

One day my wife went out on some errands and left me and the boys home alone. She returned to find a porthole from my sons closet into the next bedroom. I haven't watched the kids alone since.......

It's fun to open the hatch from inside the closet and crawl through to the other room. Especially when playing hide and seek or being chased with Nerf guns. If your house is setup in a similar fashion, have a little fun and make this porthole. You can't win "father of the year" without putting a few holes in the walls.

Step 1: Materials,Demo and Build

For this project you will need,

• Sheet of coroboard
• Sawsaw
• Drywall screws
• Drill,Sharpie and other misc tools.

After you have decided on your new porthole spot. Measure again on the other side to make sure you don't hit anything important. Now draw a circle with the diameter of your choice. Ours is about 2 feet in diameter and flattens out just above the baseboard trim. In case I have to cover this hole some day. I didn't want to repair baseboard and drywall.

With your safety glasses on, carefully cut out the hole using a reciprocating saw or other sharp object.

I cut through 2 studs and used small pieces of that wood to outline the hole on the sides, top and bottom. Everywhere you see a drywall screw I have wood behind it.

Using a strip of coroboard the width of your opening. Line the inside of the hole and secure it with a few screws.

Now measure and cut out a door with frame to fit over your hole. Leave a section uncut to be the door hinge.

Attach to the wall with a few evenly spaced screws and add a couple extra near the hinge area.

Step 2: Finishing Touches

Using a Sharpie, draw some fake rivets around the porthole to make it look cooler and hide the screws.

A simple wood sliding latch was glued to the door with a matching hole cut into the inside strip. It works, but isn't going to stop any intruders. Original plans were to have a mechanical iris, but unfortunately there was not enough clearance inside the wall. My quick fix was to add a large piece of coroboard to the inside closet. It slides up and down in a channel made from coroboard.

Now wait until your wife goes out, grab the kids and make some holes in your walls.

If you enjoyed this Instructable, you might like these other hiding places I've made in older instructables....

Mysterious bookcase

Secret Batcave

UPDATE:2016

We redid the room and while I am making a nicer wooden porthole door. A little change was made to the porthole. I'd hate to try catching the pokemon that fits in there......

Comments

[Random gamer]

Want it now😝

[YASSQUEENSLAY]

This is so cool i wan this for my room!!

[Stryker]

Thanks. and you reminded me to update picture of door.

[Treker2]

Epic, awesome, amazing, crazy and cool all mashed into one.

[Stryker]

Thanks I try.

[Amthyest]

love the idea and executiond

[CuteUnicorn]

love it!

[Mysterious_Gal]

This is epic I voted for you. I am totally going to have to make this.

[Stryker]

Thanks. Post a pic when you do it.

[Stark Ideas]

You can put an epic / over the top lock on the hatch.. and your son can tell his friends that is where one of Dads "experiments gone wrong" lives and have your other son fly out when unlocked..

[Stark Ideas]

you are on fire.. this is to cool!

[diy_bloke]

I am sure kids love this.
I might have missed it but is there still entry through a door as well?

[TheDinosaurLady]

The porthole goes into the adjoining bedroom.

[diy_bloke]

yes, i kinda got that a bit later :-) thanks

[Stryker]

I think I'm spoiling my kids because they only use this when friends are over. Yes there is a door to that bedroom.

[diy_bloke]

kids! you just got to love them :-)

[Vyger]

I have the next one for you --- An escape hatch into the basement complete with a slide. You can cover it with a rug so it will not be accidentally discovered.

[dalesql]

No building inspector I've ever dealt with would allow a slide to be constructed inside a residence. But, laundry chutes are allowed. *grins*

[Stryker]

You might be joking, but I have already thought about that. A cable system inside the wall with a foot platform and handle. Starting from my upstairs, down thru the first floor hallway and into the basement. It will never happen but I've thought about it.

[silkier]

I think this is the cue for all instructables readers to donate a small sum to pay for tickets for your wife to visit her old schoolfriend/aunt/other for the weekend just so we can get to see the escape chute.