And just run it for x seconds?

It is a nice idea, but I think they're still too expensive, pretty tight budget.

Mine are piled in cardboard cartons -- when I remember to put them back.

Or I could use a hall effect sensor or two to detect whether it is open or shut.

Mine are in an old Fairy tub. :J

They use a mechanical linkage which reverses direction (motor runs continuously in one direction), so just install it so that turn in direction coincides with the max open position of the hatch, then add a limit switch to stop the motor when it reaches there.

They use a worm gear in the gearbox so produce substantial torque, but I've no idea if it's enough to lift a MDF door from horizontal. If there was torque figure available somewhere it's fairly trivial to work it out, though. Or just try it and see, if I doesn't work you have a spare motor for making a robot.

Is it finished?

Which bit?

It's half boarded and the hatch frame is in. Should get it pretty much finished tomorrow. Then I'll design some ridiculous way to open the hatch door.

What about having a piece of hanging 'art' on the wall beside where the hatch is?

Use it as a counterweight, if you want to open the hatch then just give it a gentle tug downwards and marvel at your secret entrance skills :D

My dad has suggested a counter-weight method too, with the weight in the attic.

It would still require the door to be pushed (at least initially), but it would make it much easier.

We've also realised that with a top opening door it may need some space for the loft ladders, unless the door actually goes within the frame rather than on top. Anyway, I've got enough MDF left over to sort that.

Spring(s)?

Have you got any pictures of what you've done so far?

Whenever anyone's telling me about their DIY projects my mind automatically imagines an Ikea-like paradise where everything fits neatly, walls are perfectly straight, you've got all the right screws to hand and there's never a dead battery, all in a room lit by white light coming through diaphanous curtains. I don't know why, 'cos my own DIY projects are usually messy affairs covered in filler, caulk, paint, blood and much swearing.

My DIY project sounds very similar to yours. I've taken a few photos of the hatch progress, I'll put them up later. I'll take a photo of the finished flooring once it's done. I was going to put a camera up there and timelapse it, but it's so so filthy.

My dust mask from yesterday

Filth. :C

But I would like to see how it's going - always interested in DIY stuffs.

Glad to see you have the keys to the windows, in their rightful place, on the window sill.

And the getaway car parked nearby.

The other place is in the lock, but that's risky business when there's a chance the key will fall out when you open it!

Not totally finished but so far... (click for bigger)

Original hatch



Day 1 - widen hatch and put supporting beams across existing beams. Filthy work. Didn't realise that the developer I bought it off had put a suspended ceiling in the landing area, that made things a bit more complicated.

 

Day 2 - Give the hatch a box/carcass



Day 3 - Architrave

 

It will soon be painted white.

Day 2 - Started the boarding

 

Day 3 - Most of the rest of boarding done

 
 

You may notice I've not laid the tongue & groove as it should be. I've gone tongue-tongue, groove-groove. My original reason was because I wanted it to be easy to lift any boards in future, and as I've been laying the boards it became an even better idea because the beams I'm screwing into aren't level/even in the slightest so getting them to align nicely would have been impossible. The house is about 150 years old so that's not a surprise.

The best way would have been to build a frame across the area to lay the boards on to ensure it was totally flat. That wasn't going to happen.

Day 4 will be laying any extra boards and bits of boards that need doing.

I'll need to make a change to the door when the ladders arrive. Once that's done I'll crack open the paint.

:D looks like it's going well, but a pretty big job. Are you taking time off work to do this? How did you tidy up the top of the uprights (the bits that cover the gap in the suspended ceiling) from the hatch where it meets the boards above? It looks nice n' neat.

Are you boarding over the insulation stuff or removing that as you go?  That's reminded me, I had a look in our loft space the other week. Like yours it's got a suspended ceiling from when the attic was converted from a room and a corridor into one big room. They made some attempt at insulation - there's a bag of polystyrene pellets up there covering about a square meter's worth of floor space. It's just above my dart board, so at least that'll be nice and warm come the winter. :/

I like the light well. :)

 

I can't open attachments on my Kindle. I'm avoiding any new threads with attachments til I get home. Looks like you have a nice bit of attic space. Mine is pretty big but there are s many bits of wood supporting the roof (I don't know the tevhnical term for them) that it makes it very awkars to move around the attic.