I now have two of these dampers installed at my cabin and they work flawlessly. With its elegantly simple design, why don’t we find them in every hardware store? There is a real beauty in its simplicity. I suppose that’s usually true (I don’t pine for slide rules or carbon paper) – but it isn’t always. It seems we tend to value things just because they are new. Screw the hook in only far enough for the needle to hang vertically. When you find the spot where the ball is just barely touching the outer door jamb, that’s where you’ll put the hook. Hold the pencil point against the closed door, allowing the ball to swing freely. To position the hook, insert a pencil through the needle’s loop. The pendulum you just made will swing from a hook screwed into the door’s side rail, roughly midway between the top and bottom. Thread the ball and the bead onto the needle, making sure the ball rotates freely. The hole should be slightly larger than the needle but smaller than the bead. You’ll find them at your grocery store’s meat counter.ĭrill a hole straight through the ball. For the rod I chose a 4-inch poultry needle because the end is already looped. It is large and soft enough to dampen the door, yet heavy enough to swing out while the door is closing. Here’s how I did it:Ī 1 1/2" squash ball is perfect. So, figuring I’d never find another damper, I made one. Unfortunately the rubber ball had hardened with age so the door slamming on the ball was nearly as loud as the door slamming without the ball. I bought it and installed it on our door. After a year of searching, I found an antique hardware dealer on the Internet who not only knew what I was describing – he had one. I searched hardware stores, big and small, urban and rural but couldn’t find anyone who had ever heard of such a damper. I immediately resolved to find one for my cabin. What genius! What simplicity! And so cheap! After hitting the ball, the door would bounce back just enough for the ball to return to its resting position and the door would close quietly. When the open door started to close, centrifugal force would swing the ball out enough to come between the door and the door jamb. It consisted of a rubber ball impaled on a metal rod that dangled from a hook in the door’s frame. And they’re not inexpensive.īack in the 1930s my great grandfather used an ingeniously simple device to dampen the sound of his cabin’s screen door slamming shut. But they look out of place on a simple wooden screen door. Your weekend is shot.Ī little prevention in the form of a pneumatic door closer can save the door and your weekend.
You’ll have to trim it, sand it, install it, test it, remove it and repeat repeatedly. You’d think replacing it would be straightforward, but when the hardware store is two hours away, you can bet your last dry match you’ll buy a door that’s too big. Eventually its hinges will tear loose, it will sag out of square, and you’ll have mosquitoes attending your open house.įingers and tails heal themselves. On the other hand, slamming screen doors can injure little fingers, kink dogs’ tails and snap fishing rods. And of course, it is one of the ubiquitous sounds of summer. Who cares if the door slams? Maybe it falls under the category of stuff we don’t sweat at the cabin. The bad news is, they won’t learn until they have a cabin of their own. The door accelerates with unbridled authority until – BANG! – it slams shut.Įars ringing, you wonder, will they ever learn not to slam that door? The good news is, yes, they will learn. As it starts to close, you cringe in anticipation. Its spring stretched to the limit, the door pauses tauntingly at its apex. With the reflexes of a cat, you yell, “Don’t let the screen door slam!” But before the word “slam” passes your lips they’ve flung the door open and they’re halfway to the lake. You’re quietly sipping coffee at the kitchen table when a herd of adrenaline- spiked kids stampedes toward the door.