In this view you can see the construction of the door. A spring on the back side pushes against the door to keep it from opening after it is shut. A small dowel fits in a hole and helps lock the door shut when it is down. To open the door, you squeeze it towards the outside, so it will clear the short dowel and lift up. No fancy hinges are needed, the door just pivots on a dowel.

We used to spend a lot of time searching for all the parts for his old crates. Then when we found them, we had to pay a lot of money to purchase them. This crate design is so much simpler and less costly because there is almost no hardware needed. A few screws, a spring and a couple of washers is all it takes.