Secret Rooms Secret Compartments [Plastic Comb]

Jerry Dzindzeleta (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1990

A design manual 80 pages of text and 45 drawings on how to design secret rooms and secret compartments to protect valuables in any home or place of business. If a thief cannot find your valuables he cannot steal them.A secret room is a superior defense against burglary because even a professional thief is placed at great disadvantage. It tricks his eye. It fools his mind. A secret compartment causes your valuables to become invisible. A safe or locked cabinet screams for a burglars attention, but a hidden compartment renders him helpless. It gives him no target, no hinge or hasp to pry off, no lock to drill into.It provides him with nothing at all, and that is the beauty of it.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The author was a profesional magician for many years and that knowledge has been the inspiration for the design ideas in this book.

Product Details

• Plastic Comb: 80 pages
• Publisher: Jerry Dzindzeleta (November 15, 1990)
• ISBN-10: 0967113903
• ISBN-13: 978-0967113906
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,718 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a hiding book that actually tells you how to build!, June 21, 2003

By 

R. A. Ward "speedbmp" (WV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret Rooms Secret Compartments (Plastic Comb)

I have been frustrated with this type of book in the past.

I am carpentry challenged, but I actually want to build a secret room and/or compartment in my home by myself to preserve secrecy. Unfortunately, most of the hiding books I own do not tell you how to actually build anything. They are really just lists of hiding places, with a few hand-drawn type illustrations to give you vague ideas on how to construct them. This includes all of the major ones out there: "How to Hide Anything," "The Big Book of Secret Hiding Places," and ironically enough even "The Construction of Secret Hiding Places" is very short on actual building instructions and illustrations. Even worse, a couple are simply retreads of others!

This book is totally different and does not reference any other books, and in fact exceeds them in quality in every way as far as content. It appears to be self-published, and the author has obviously spent years thinking about this subject and building the projects he discusses. This is uncoventional carpentry, folks; Mr. Dzindzeleta realizes this and wrote to show you *how to build* this stuff, without getting locked into "example" projects that are too dependent on certain sizes/materials to apply to you.

The strengths of "Secret Rooms, Secret Compartments":

It is chock full of quality illustrations that detail the actual working mechanisms for locks, glides, rollers, sliding panels, the operation of hidden doors, and even a special hinge I have not seen before.

Even better, the author has the text and the illustrations completely cross-referenced, so you can hold one finger on the page with the illustration and go back again and again as he discusses each design idea or variation.

Dzindzeleta also gives ideas for supplies that you will probably need for each project. However, please note that he does not give specific brands or models, because he realizes that every secret room/compartment is totally custom and will be different. He does give you a general idea of materials, and it will get you started.

Another strong characteristic is the introduction. Not only does he go into detail about "how to think" multidirectionally to best locate and most easily build your secret room/compartment, he also goes into how incredibly important secrecy is, and gives very good, *detailed* instructions on doing a tour of your home or business to figure out where the "wasted" space behind the walls is or where the best place to "shorten" a room is. He even gets into plumbing, heating ducts, etc.

If all of this isn't enough, the design ideas themselves are innovative. Dzindzeleta has ideas in here that I have not seen before, and what's more they are usually a lot better than the other books as well. This includes a unique under-the-stair design, column compartments, a secret elevator, a closet in a closet, box-beam drawers, room divider to mask a secret entrance, floor-access room or compartment, and the obligatory bookcase projects.

Other than some (admittedly annoying) typos that do not affect its usefulness, this is simply the best "build your own hiding place" book I have ever read. I do recommend that if you want "all" the possible hiding place ideas for your home, that you purchase "How to Hide Anything" by Michael Connor in addition to "Secret Rooms, Secret Compartments." Connor's book is the one that the retreads always copy, and was obviously the standard "good" hiding book back in the 1980s, when most of the hiding books were written.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars secret rooms secret compartments, November 7, 2000

By 

Mario Rodriguez (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Rooms Secret Compartments (Plastic Comb)

This book is a must own for those of you who are concerned with the protection of personal property. It is a step by step guide to building your little secret and invisable spot or spots. I gave it a four only because it can be labour intensive and some mechanical ability is needed. It's not exactly good reading it's more of a Do It Your Self type of book. So get your tools and hide stuff

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars if serious, a must buy, September 15, 2005

By 

madjack "madjack" (Zoo Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret Rooms Secret Compartments (Plastic Comb)

I bought this book after buying some others that fell short. I was looking to build a classic bookshelf door and this book came through. I am finished and new visitors to my condo never have any clue its there, just walk right on past. Wonderful feeling, I spent quite a number of man hours but did it all by myself. From building the wall to finishing the bookshelf with trim. This and a home depot do-it-yourself type book and you are off and running. Have fun, good info in this one.