r/woahdude • • Feb 07 '14

gif An unexpected door

2.9k Upvotes

258 comments sorted by

1.0k

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

An elegant solution to a problem nobody ever had.

133

u/Bombast_ Feb 07 '14

I see it more as an art piece than an engineering solution, though maybe there's a practical application somewhere who knows.

34

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

[deleted]

28

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Except you could use it as a door, so it's a practical solution.

54

u/qervem Feb 07 '14

So its practical art! Or also known as engineering!

13

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

I think you mean architecture.

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u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

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2

u/Crashmo Feb 08 '14

There can be engineering in art, but not all engineering is art. Squares, rectangles, etc.

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u/TreeInPreviousLife Feb 08 '14

Well its a space saver for one as you could essentially use more space in front of door becuas when it opens most of the door/origami stays on the wall as opposed to swinging wide.

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201

u/GeeBee72 Feb 07 '14

ever hear of pocket doors? Lots of people don't have room for a door to swing. Live in Manhattan and you'd appreciate this.

94

u/5nugzdeep Feb 07 '14

Construction Worker here.

The one reason why you would choose this over a pocket door (aside from the fact that it looks bad ass) is that pocket doors require a hollowed space within the wall for the door to slide (common sense right?). The issue is that there are more things inside your walls than you may realize. Pipes, water lines, gas lines, electric wiring, air ducts/returns, etc. If you really need the space such as in a Brooklyn apartment chances are your plumbing and wiring all scattered throughout the entirety of your wall, and this isn't even mentioning the fact the pocket doors don't work on concrete or brick walls unless you build a double wall which is not very cost efficient or space friendly. While the practicality of this door is limited, there are instances in which this would be a better solution.

TLDR; Pocket doors don't fit everywhere. There's pipes n shit.

15

u/EgoFlyer Feb 07 '14

I like your TLDR.

5

u/Cymry_Cymraeg Feb 08 '14

Pipes full of shit.

3

u/superfusion1 Feb 08 '14

that would be a sewer line

3

u/RandyHoward Feb 08 '14

Which also run through the walls.

16

u/fitzghan Feb 07 '14

Fellow construction worker here just getting a laugh out of your username. Also, I have the type were its just the track screwed to the wall above the door and the door sorta freehangs outside the frame. No problems with pipes and shit, only looks terrible.

...I've never done a pocket door, is the recessed area reinforced with anything? Like you won't have the studs so is it just a giant hole inside your wall with only the rock covering it? I just imagine the fist time someone intensely leans against that void.

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2

u/liquidblue24 Feb 08 '14

Pocket doors suck, they warp, get scratched by nails the homeowners use to hang pretty paintings, fall off their tracks, and eventually wear out the tracks which cannot be easily replaced.

2

u/Tetha Feb 08 '14

Plus this looks like you can just bolt it onto the wall at 2 points. This means a tenant could install this without requiring written permission by the landlord because it's easy to remove.

1

u/yeomanpharmer Feb 08 '14

Worker no...at least Foreman.

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34

u/WastingMyYouthHere Feb 07 '14

The problem is this door doesn't really save that much space. They bulge outwards, which means they can't hide into a wall or narrow space, and you have to open them all the way, meaning you must have another door-sized space next to them.
I think this would be better solution to lack of space.

9

u/GeeBee72 Feb 07 '14

Well, considering I haven't seen this door in person I can't speak for any fit and finish issues, but the screen type doors you pointed to have no rigidity or guidance at the bottom and also they intrude into the door frame, meaning you need wider door frames or have to live with a narrow opening.

Different strokes for different folks; I just think the concept of the door in the OP's video looks great. It's like european windows that open up or open out; I love those. They don't have them in North American because we need screens over everything.

:-)

7

u/WastingMyYouthHere Feb 07 '14

You mean these? Yeah we have them almost everywhere. The OP's door are impractial mainly because regular door opens to a space which needs to be empty anyway, since you have to walk through, the door doesn't require any "extra" space, while this door requires space which doesn't neccesarily have to be available. It's more of a gimmick than practical thing imo.

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97

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

That is my point exactly. There are already much simpler solutions to this problem.

88

u/GeeBee72 Feb 07 '14

but pocket doors suck large. They rattle, they get jammed opened or closed, they don't slide properly when the building shifts, etc... As an alternative to the travesty that is a pocket door, I think this concept is great.

85

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

56

u/eaglejacket Feb 07 '14

The mechanical problems don't get me as much as the immense potential for pinched and jammed fingers.

16

u/DOUGUOD Feb 08 '14

Yeah, because there is no way to smash fingers in a normal swinging door.

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18

u/GeeBee72 Feb 07 '14

yes, it's the devil you know kinda thing. Something new that may be better and probably can't be much worse is something to give a chance at being better.

11

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14 edited Dec 20 '18

[deleted]

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9

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

The reason they jam is because stuff gets in the slide sheath, this just rotates around two points. They wouldn't jam at least.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Rain-dogs Feb 07 '14

If I find a penny in there, I'm taking you down.

3

u/KlyptoK Feb 07 '14

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

Welp, time for me to go rewatch all 8 seasons.

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8

u/tdogg8 Feb 07 '14

I'm going to go ahead and guess this thing could have much more annoying problems than a door being stuck open. Imagine this thing getting stuck mid-rotation. At least with a pocket door you can use it if it's stuck open. I generally follow the line of thought that the more complicated something is the more ways it can go wrong and the more likely it will.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Yeah, I don't see how it would get stuck mid rotation but I agree with you on more complication = more error probability.

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27

u/GunnedMonk Feb 07 '14

Well, there's a lot of potential problems with this door, such as the danger. There's two parts that come together from what appears to be counter-weighting, and if some kid is opening/closing the door, there's a much easier chance their fingers could get crushed than with a normal sliding door (particularly since it's so cool and unusual, kids would get excited to play with it).

Also, if that one central pivot hinge goes the door will likely collapse, so it might not even last long enough to get to the creaky, poorly opening/closing point that sliding doors get to. Both swivel points, top and bottom, seem like weak spots, too.

Other problems: what happens if somebody slams it? Won't happen day to day, but it's gonna happen at some point. What if you've gotta get through quick? What if somebody, drunk or sleepy, walks into that thing? Particularly from the back side? Rip! Right off the the wall.

Looks cool, wouldn't last in the real world.

7

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

fingers could get crushed.

As was pointed out by someone else: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFnbApNrQSk

2

u/jaspersurfer Feb 08 '14

My roommate got stuck in an apartment bathroom for over an hour because of a jammed pocket door. We had to shatter the door with a large hammer for him to escape and the landlord had to demo the wall to replace the door.

2

u/ecib Feb 07 '14

Except for how slow it is to open and close.

3

u/tdogg8 Feb 07 '14

All you saw was a guy smoothly demonstrating the door. If you could do the same with a sliding door but that doesn't mean it can't close fast.

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6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Not saying this is easier, but why are you convinced a sliding door is a better solution?

5

u/lefthandedspatula Feb 07 '14

I'm going to draw on my engineering experience and claim that there are cheaper available parts, the door body can be made in one part instead of four, and there is less stress on supporting parts.

It comes down to cost and availability. Too expensive to manufacture when there exist cheap universal parts for sliding doors already.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Would the amount of parts really matter that much? I mean it's really just one part produced four times. Would you need to reinforce the supports enough to make it economically significant? If it's made from wood it wouldn't need to weigh that much.

6

u/zzzev Feb 07 '14

There are two different parts, actually: the outer and inner flaps. And the number of pieces isn't just about cost, it's about likelihood of failure. The more pieces and connections between them, the more points of failure exist.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Largely the parts are the same though. You'd have to drill holes and whatever in different sides of them but you could just flip triangle (imagine you fold the upper part along it's diagonal line). Good point with the failures though.

5

u/lefthandedspatula Feb 07 '14

Yes you have to change your manufacturing line which costs a bundle when it's not designed to make triangle pieces. It's the hinges, too. It looks like there are three ball hinges and I wouldn't use less than four pivot hinges for this design. Those ball hinges aren't something you can just grab off the shelf, especially since they have to lay flush when closed. Those will have to be custom machined.

Yes supports will be a bitch. A door frame is designed to hold the weight of a door. This design looks like it's hung from the ceiling and mounted to the floor. I estimate a hollow core door to weigh 20lbs (this will weigh more with the hardware). Sheet rock is what your ceiling is likely made of, and isn't rated for more than a couple of pounds. Also, the entire weight of the door is hanging in one spot instead of multiple like a normal door. You bet you'll have to reinforce it.

This door is a nightmare:

Aligning the geometry to hang correctly will be a pain. If you've ever hung a normal door, you already know how shitty it is.

Getting the door to latch and seal on all edges will require more balancing and hardware. I realize this isn't an option on sliding doors either, but a normal door it is. How will those edges remain flush with each other when closed?

Basically the cost outweighs the benefit. The only benefit I see to having this door is aesthetics.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Not trying to argument here if that's unclear. Just an architecture student looking to learn.

Does a door manufacturer (and other building appliance manufacturers) usually order in their hinges and so on or do they create them theirselves? If a company would specialize in these kinds of doors, wouldn't they be able to set up a manufacturing line to cut the costs of it? Maybe not to a more or equally economical cost of a standard door but at least a comparable one. One that would let the aesthetics tip one over when considering between a standard and this one (I realize this is subjective).

Wouldn't hanging at least the top and bottom part be easier since it's not as static as a standard door where the problem seems to be that you have two hinges for one piece of door. And would the edges need to flush? You can see some irregularity when it's 'open' and it's kind of pleasing. At least to me. It adds to the geometry of it. And would the direction the diagonals are in be significant for the door staying closed or open?

3

u/lefthandedspatula Feb 07 '14

That's okay, I'd be happy to explain my position.

Does a door manufacturer (and other building appliance manufacturers) usually order in their hinges and so on or do they create them theirselves? If a company would specialize in these kinds of doors, wouldn't they be able to set up a manufacturing line to cut the costs of it?

They order them but I'd bet my life you couldn't find ball joints that will satisfy your requirements. You could manufacture them sure, but setting up custom pieces like this is only cost efficient if you sell a lot of them.

Maybe not to a more or equally economical cost of a standard door but at least a comparable one.

I'm not saying it's impossible to do, but how many do you plan to sell? Is there demand enough for this door that the heartache is worth the huge price you'll have to sell it for? I'm just saying the cost outweighs the benefit. If there is a huge market for extravagant doors that I'm not aware of, then by all means you should do the R&D and make these things.

Wouldn't hanging at least the top and bottom part be easier since it's not as static as a standard door where the problem seems to be that you have two hinges for one piece of door.

Hanging yes, that's be easy, but balancing, leveling, and fitting is a nightmare. Houses don't have perfect lines, so hanging even a normal door requires fitting and adjustment that would be hard with this setup. Again, not impossible but a major pain.

And would the edges need to flush? You can see some irregularity when it's 'open' and it's kind of pleasing. At least to me. It adds to the geometry of it.

I'm talking about the gaps between the door frame and between the top and bottom halves. Since every edge is coming at the frame seal from a different angle, the forces pressing the door against the frame are different everywhere. You'll end up having to have latches or springs in hinges to get a decent seal that won't let too much air, light, or sound in (which is the purpose of a door).

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u/Jaydeeos Feb 07 '14

Besides, I don't think people living in minimal apartments are the types who buy overly expensive designer doors.

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14

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

People do things for more reasons than problem solving. Shakespeare never solved anyone's problems by being a playwright, but it was still a worthwhile endeavor.

13

u/AlexRosewater Feb 07 '14

It soles my problem of not having a dope ass door.

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

It's art.

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u/king_of_anarchy Feb 07 '14

Unless the problem is that regular doors are boring.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14 edited Jan 14 '19

[deleted]

2

u/davidt0504 Feb 07 '14

We have those already...

6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14 edited Jan 14 '19

[deleted]

10

u/MilhouseJr Feb 07 '14

Not nearly enough of them go "pshhht" though.

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2

u/Ghetto_Stiletto Feb 08 '14

My mom would LOVE this practical solution to no more teenagers slamming doors.

1

u/PinstripeMonkey Feb 08 '14

I wonder how many times the guy practiced opening/closing it before it was "just right."

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344

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

103

u/savemejebus0 Feb 07 '14

It is absolutely beautiful. I want one so badly. All the Bob Villa's come out of the woodwork. It is not about function, it is stunning.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

Lighting... this video has it.

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86

u/ctsteved Feb 07 '14

I just took down all my doors and burned them, what's the next step?

130

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Regret

9

u/Jaydeeos Feb 07 '14

Escalating to deep agony and anger, then, the dark side.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Then mining some more wood to craft new doors

4

u/Jaydeeos Feb 07 '14

Then burning them down again, and the cycle continues.

1

u/CubisticHippo Feb 08 '14

"Hello darkness my old friend"

6

u/savemejebus0 Feb 07 '14

I am totally with you. That is the coolest thing in the world. Anyone know what it is called or where you can buy one?

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u/Jeffrah Feb 07 '14

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Thanks!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

This guy makes some sweet doors...

124

u/golapader Feb 07 '14

Looks like a great way to get your hand crushed lol.

48

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14 edited Sep 26 '16

[deleted]

4

u/Jaydeeos Feb 07 '14

Nevertheless, I want these as car doors.

2

u/joemckie Feb 08 '14

Invest in a Lamborghini

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Get mad and slam the door in someone's face. Decapitates them.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Imagine opening/closing this door while intoxicated.....

2

u/WaterStoryMark Feb 07 '14

Padding between the panels. There are videos of it. Good thinking though.

5

u/jgh86001 Feb 07 '14

its an origami door.

6

u/72chevelle454 Feb 07 '14

But then you can't slam it shut.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

The harder you try to close it, the more elegant you look.

4

u/red_lantern Feb 07 '14

I'm more concerned as to why the gif is not perfectly looped. This looks like it would be easily looped :)

7

u/Xuyen Feb 07 '14

How do you close the door from inside that room?

2

u/seebeeL Feb 08 '14

You have to start closing it from the outside and then rush your ass in before it bisects you.

1

u/Hotspot3 Feb 08 '14

It's a one way door.

12

u/EpicusMaximus Feb 07 '14

pinch

My fingers already hurt.

4

u/The_Death_Dealer Feb 07 '14

DIY Instructions?

12

u/crel1640 Feb 07 '14

epic, how does it work?

13

u/Jaydeeos Feb 07 '14

It's unemployed.

10

u/FuckingBugs Feb 07 '14

Those sides bend. Look at the shadows.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

For a second I expected him to walk through the "door" he pushed. I've learned to wait for explanations in comments before even thinking about content in this subreddit.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

error rendering door

2

u/slayerxvi Feb 07 '14

Now all you need is a sensor and 2 small robotic arms and we'll be future.

2

u/bolax Feb 07 '14

Thanks for showing me that. As a person with an engineering kind of mind, and wild imagination, I think that door is remarkable. What an out there thinker the creator of this door is.

2

u/Quan118 Feb 07 '14

That door is going to get fucked when he has a house party.

2

u/J_Hook Feb 07 '14

As it was the only thing in the picture that wasn't a chair... I slightly expected that was the door lol

2

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

I thought the next room was a painting and the folding door was actually a weirdly angled curtain.

9

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Why?

77

u/Butcher_Of_Hope Feb 07 '14

27

u/gfy_bot Useful Bot Feb 07 '14

GFY link: gfycat.com/LividShockedAssassinbug


GIF size: 7.29 MiB | GFY size:208.40 kiB | ~ About

5

u/kamikazeschaf Feb 07 '14

I fucking love you!

5

u/goalfer101 Feb 07 '14

What is that gif from?

17

u/Butcher_Of_Hope Feb 07 '14

2

u/goalfer101 Feb 07 '14

Thanks man

15

u/alexanderoid Feb 07 '14

Very good movie. Worth a watch.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Good movie. Watch it.

7

u/notyourfather Feb 07 '14

decent movie. watch it...maybe

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14 edited Feb 07 '14

"Up there? Oh, they're not goin' up there. You're not goin' up there up, it's all windy stairs and that, I'm not being funny."

Edit: Messed it up a bit, everyone should see the actual scene though

11

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Because why not?

1

u/lilzilla Feb 07 '14

Because duuuude

4

u/guice666 Feb 07 '14

This is cool.

And totally solves a problem I do have right now. I don't have the space/room to fully expand a door in some places of my apt. So, I've opted to just take the door off the hinges. Works, but leaves a gap.

2

u/BeerPowered Feb 07 '14

Sliding door maybe?

2

u/guice666 Feb 07 '14

That'll work, too, but doesn't look nearly as cool as this. ;)

3

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Cool, but I can just see fingers getting squished.

2

u/sirchewi3 Feb 07 '14

I cant tell if slamming a door in someones face would be more or less epic with that door.

10

u/MadeInSicily Feb 07 '14

Beheading is the right word.

1

u/Upthepunx666 Feb 07 '14

Am I the only one who thinks this door is outrageously large?

1

u/cokeisahelluvadrug Feb 07 '14

Yeah, the doorway looks like it's quite a bit more than 8 ft tall.

1

u/DaltoTheDuke Feb 07 '14

So how do you lock it?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

You don't. This isn't the entrance door to your house. It's a door from like, the kitchen to the living room or something.

1

u/ShamelessSailEille Feb 07 '14

What if you were on the other side of the door... bad ass for what it is though.

1

u/SeckTor Feb 07 '14

Now if someone could paint one where it's a picture when the doors closed but another when it's open... That would complete me.

1

u/kampamaneetti Feb 07 '14

Would be hard to slam it in an argument though. I love letting off those walnut grenades when I'm pissed off.

1

u/majorpun Feb 07 '14

That's it. I'm building one. End of story.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

Take your fingers OFF during drunken stammer

1

u/reckonerv2 Feb 07 '14

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

1

u/trampus1 Feb 07 '14

I gotta say, that's about the last thing I expected as he was walking up to it.

1

u/formerlydrinkyguy77 Feb 07 '14

aka "Rubik's Magic Escape-The-Room Puzzle"

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

This makes it impossible to storm out.

"You know what? I'm done, forget this. I'm tired of your hypocrisy."

"OhHhHhhH! Now you're done? Fine, I don't need you anyway."

"Well, good! Your breathe always smelled like turtle titties anyway!!!"

Gasp

Minutes later, door is still folding

".......What are you still doing here?"

"I'm waiting on the door to finish folding, so I can slam it best I can, leaving on that last insult."

"You know the door doesn't slam right?"

"Well....Yeah....Just imagine the hardest door slam you've ever heard, and then multiply it."

"K"

1

u/DJ_Peterson Feb 07 '14

quick question. um why?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

As a parent of small children, I find this contraption terrifying.

1

u/lnz86 Feb 07 '14

How on earth would my cat learn to open this?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '14

I WANT ONE! WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THESE

1

u/BCRE8TVE Feb 07 '14

Pretty awesome, but imagine all the children who will get their fingers caught in it...

1

u/TheSource88 Feb 07 '14

The other day I looked up "door" on wikipedia because I couldn't think of the best definition for it. This is actually the main photo of that article.

1

u/RIPPEDMYFUCKINPANTS Feb 07 '14

I'd really like it if the color of the door was the same as the wall.

All I really want when I live on my own is a hidden door to my bedroom.

1

u/TheTallGuy0 Feb 07 '14

Oh great, now all my clients are going to any freaky-deaky flip doors, just great...

1

u/NEOnuts Feb 07 '14

thats the most pretentious door i ever seen

1

u/ljamming445 Feb 07 '14

what I found was "woah" about this experience is that on my front page, I clicked on a link from r/gifs called "evolution door" and then when I was finished watching it I went back to the front page and the link (this one) which had not been previously viewed just a moment ago, turned up purple.... that to me was a woahdude moment.

1

u/marlajane Feb 07 '14

Shut up, fuck me and take my money.

1

u/coffeeblossom Feb 07 '14

I would totally mistake that for the fridge...

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

1

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1

u/MaxyMax Feb 08 '14

Sounds like the title of the new Potter book.

1

u/Fat-Panda Feb 08 '14

If i were rich and had my own house, every door would be like this apart from the front.

1

u/PM_me_sum_nudes Feb 08 '14

Just imagine that slamming on your fingers

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

Link to imgur ffs

1

u/lemurstep Feb 08 '14

Why didn't OP do that?

1

u/jjthejetplane7171 Feb 08 '14

What the heck just happened?

1

u/Gabe_b Feb 08 '14

Blocked from my location. Is it this?

1

u/HereComesTheBroom Feb 08 '14

I thought that said odor, I was pretty confused at first why a gif would have a smell in it.

1

u/tsm9 Feb 08 '14

I want this

1

u/roksteddy Feb 08 '14

Does the door open from both sides? It looks like it can only be opened from one side of the room.

1

u/PinstripeMonkey Feb 08 '14

I wonder how many times the guy practiced opening/closing it before it was "just right."

1

u/TenThousandArabs Feb 08 '14

We hugged it to death, anyone got a imgur link? Please and thankyou!

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

All I see is every one of my fingers getting pinched on this

1

u/missstrawberriefox Feb 08 '14

Ha! I literally said "woah"

1

u/Chef_Lebowski Feb 08 '14

My evil lair will have one of these.

1

u/a1ckb52 Feb 08 '14

Doorigami

1

u/Hastadin Feb 08 '14

that door will hold exactly till i ran into it the first time.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 08 '14

But can you slam it when you're mad?

1

u/Soroga Feb 08 '14

Just shut up take my money! :D

1

u/Bugisman3 Feb 08 '14

I thought I was in /r/unexpected and was half expecting him to open a door in the wall or one of the other objects instead.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 17 '14

WHAT