Need Help with moving bookcase / hidden room project

I'd just use a garage door opener.

Rack is a pain, particularly because of the need to mesh with a pinion. It's often done with a double-sided rack and two pinions, just to make the meshing easier to control. For a project like this, the easiest approach might be to use a chain instead. Take a turn around a sprocket and pull the chain taut between the ends of the railway that it runs on (Yes, I know you can't take an entire turn on a flat sprocket - use idlers as well and about 1/2 a turn)

If you really want to hide it, as in no-one knows it reveals a room, having it pivot open in the middle would be better. A large central pivot just behind the bookcase, a bit of metal attached to the pivot to hold up each shelf, ...

Dave

Thanks, I found the rack and gear at msc. I may need to add another gear to slow it down. I thought about a pivot, but the placement of the opening is tight to a wall on one side. The book case looks like it is built in. It has a couple of slides on the back that are attached to the wall (I think to prevent it from falling over). I can move it, but it is heavy. I looked at garage door openers, but they were too large to put between the book case and the wall (there is approximately 1" space due to the slides).

Rider

Have you considered putting a geared motor inside the bookcase driving a friction wheel on the floor or tracks? A small motor can move heavy stuff that way, either sliding or pivoting.

Might ask these guys:

I have the perfect motor for that. It is from an adjustable bed and is reversible. I forget the RPMs right now but it is very low. The thing weighs abut 25 lbs at least and has a splined output shaft about 1 inch diameter. I had two and used the other one for some crazy machine. Not sure if you can change speeds but don't see why not. I'll sell it from San Diego for 25 bux plus actual shipping

Or you could just run cable, say 1/4" aircraft cable, and pulleys. You can bury the operating mechanism in the floor joists and not lose any of the space behind the bookcase.

I would be more inclined to cable than chain, as it would be quieter, and less maintenance, while giving the flexibility to route in more than just the one plane that chain restricts you to.

Cheers Trevor Jones

Perhaps a "counter-weight" to offset the weight you refer to ??? Along with some 'improved rollers and/or track???

Just as a point of perspective, we visited a Titan Missile Site where "HUGE" steel doors were opened easily by a small woman. I'm sure all bearings, etc. were super precision, but......

All their stuff looks like doors with shelves built onto them. They really gotta get some cabinetmakers working for them that know of more than two ways to trim around a door!

The storage behind the pool rack was OK but most of them look like doors in disguise.

Cheers Trevor Jones