** MOTOR OPTIONS for DIY Automatic Coop Door ???

[JBarringerNC]

I am interested in installing an Automatic Coop Door on my newly built Coop and I've tried to make my own auto door by using an electric CAN OPENER motor.. I didn't take into consideration that the motor doesn't have a reverse!
So, I need some help trying to figure out what other MOTOR options I can use on this system


Anyone make their own using a misc.. AC Motor from old appliances, or other electrical devices?

I thought about using a used ELECTRIC CAR WINDOW REGULATOR / MOTOR.. but priced them locally at a junk yard and they're more than $35 used !!! Crazy!

______

If anyone's done this using a very common motor then please let me know how you went about designing and putting it together.


~Thanks in advance

 

[Hoot]

So basically you want a small version of an automatic garage door on your Chicken coop. You and my Dad would have been best friends.

Well now I have something to think about the rest of the afternoon.

Thanks.

 

[Hoot]

Chickendoors.com

I can't believe they have these.

Good luck.

 

[JBarringerNC]

Oh yeah, apparently they're really common with Chicken enthusiast these days.. but the prices for them are outrageous. (my opinion)

All I need is an electric motor with forward and reverse which operates at low RPM's and the rest is simple.

I just don't know where to get a cheap (or free) electric motor with forward and reverse.

 

[nick6442]

Use an old blender, they have a built in shaft already and a reostat for speed, as for reverse, make a slip cam that lets the door fall or weight it to were the door will "pull its self shut when the motor has no power, few hand held blenders have reverse

 

[ScottnLydia]

Once I saw a plan for one that used a rechargeable electric screwdriver. Sounded O.K., but the plan said they had to replace them fairly often (not so good).

So I was thinking, why not an electric drill? Plent of power, reversible, fairly inexpensive. I can't remember why they wanted the recharcheable, if that's some sort of advantage, but you can get drills either way too.

Lots of 'em at garage sales and second hand stores!

 

[bachbach1]

All DC motors with brushes are reversible, so that is a must to keep it simple. As for the speed of the motor controlling the speed takes electronics, the best way to approach this is to get a slow gear motor, that naturally turns slow. I have built a lot of electromechanical prototypes, and have a lot of experience, never a chicken door though. Anyway the best source by far is ebay. There will be people on there asking way to much always, but there will be others dumping surplus, and that is what you need. You can reverse the motor with a DPDT (double pole double throw switch) switch, with what we call X wiring. You can see an example of X wiring at the link HERE. You can get a DPDT switch HERE, and a motor at the link HERE. Be sure to get a slow, DC motor with brushes. I would go for a 12 volt motor. If you like you can run a 12 volt motor on 6 volts and get about 1/4 to 1/3 rated speed. The link was for a momentary DPDT switch, which means when you let go it springs back to the OFF position. Flip it one way the motor goes one way, flip it back and it reverses.

You might consider a simple setup where the motor has a small reel on it's shaft, and a string (fishing line) winds up and lifts a vertacle door by winding up line then by reversing and unwinding line the door would close, it would be simple. Controlling it with a long wire to your DPDT switch would work. Setting up an automatic system would be a challenge.

 

[chispaza]

I think I've read that you can use a car antennae (you know, the ones that go up and down).

 

[zildjian]

Or like I did,
an automatic curtain closer,
motor mounted on a short slide for adjustment, has two stop settings no top for open/close
apply power it runs either one way or the other, I either control mine with a simple plug in timer>AC adaptor>motor

or a cheap remote controlled plug in thing with off/on buttons

curtain motors even come with daylight sensong probe that plugs in although I've never used it myself and its still in garage

Anyway motor is mounted above a car number plate sized door which slides up and down in a pair of tracks about 5mm wide (so nice and close)
piece of nylon string attached to top of 'door' loops round motor, and along to a counterweight (i found that prevents string kinking up around motor's drive wheel)

if anyone wants, I'll put up a picture this week its all painted up and mounted on simple sub-frame over existing doorway

Richard

 

[zildjian]

So door is the oblong with string running up from it over motor and then off to counterweight on left,

with two small plastic channels either side to carry the door
(it drops into a third at base to make it 'lift proof'

actually here's a more detailed version showing the travel adjustable stops that prevent it trying to wind the door into motor by accident, they just click around manually till you find best open and closed park positions.
whole assembly mounted on simple oblong wooden sub-frame in turn screwed to side of hen house