You know, one of the other ideas I've been playing with are an approach using those Nuloc plastic fasteners. The idea would be to use double thickness hatch cover as before for the pins heads so they're basically hidden and shave off the threads on 2 opposite sides. And shave off the threads on the spreading nuts on each iddy biddy hinge side.

Line up the flats of the pins 90deg to the strip grain, but put the pin slots in the cedar(?) covers inline w/ the grain. Align the nut flats also 90deg to the grain.

To place the hatch, align the (say six?)slots w/ the grain and push down the hatch, the harder you push the tighter the hatch latches. To release just half turn the slots 90deg to the grain w/ a quarter or swiss army knife or your (coke?) spoon and it releases.

might work.

-mick