Thanks Champ! Offers like this are what make RCU so cool. Thank you, but like chasint, I am going to pass. I am very intrigued by the magnet option and I've been playing around with some rare earth magnets that I picked up at Hobby Lobby (craft store, not the RC distributor) - see picture1. I wanted to see how strong these magnets were and judge if they had the holding power to keep the hatch on. I was surprised, to say the least. These aren't the flimsy magnets that hold your stereo cabnet shut. I actually had trouble separating the magnets from one another and had to slide them apart - pulling in opposite directions just wasn't going to get it done. I decided to makeup a mock former and see how well this "stuck" to the metal supports I have in my basement shop (picture2). I CA'd the magnets to the "former", let the CA cure and brought the "former" near the pole - SNAP! The attraction surprised me and the former snapped onto the pole and held tight. Based on this completely unscientific test, I think this will work for me. Hey, that's the beauty of building, if it doesn't work, I'll fabricate a hatch that uses the screw method.

I figure the "back end of the hatch will be held on with magnets and the front will have dowels through the firewall. The airflow will try and lift up the hatch at the front (not happening with the dowels) and will be less of a factor at the "back" of the hatch. If, after I build this, it appears that it's not going to work, I'll add the screw re-inforcement before the maiden.


Picture1 - Rare earth magnets 1/2" diameter
Picture2 - Quick mockup of former and magnet configuration