Cabinet Latches for Passagemaking

[Linda - Olympia]

Any ideas for simple cabinet latches to hold cabinets shut while underway offshore?

if you have home-made ones, please send pictures.

[JPA Cate]

Yes,

Look at a rabbit hutch. You have a circle of timber that overlaps the door that will open, it swings out of the way or into retaining position. To make them, you need the wood, a sabre saw, varnish and screws. Are you DIY? Do you like KISS?

In addition there are many prettier ways of dealing with it. Expensive, but attractive are the push-button locks.

Some people use barrel bolts. Some use curtains or nets inside the door so the contents cannot push on the door and escape.

As book cases have bars, so can cupboard doors. There are spring loaded little grippers that you can adjust for tightness: our boat came with those.

Think of it as a challenge to keep the goods where you want them, and invent a solution that suits your practicality and aesthetics. It's a question with many possible answers.

Ann

[Darrelwalters]

I have used this company as I have had to replace a few in my maxi 38+

http://www.locksonline.co.uk/acatalo...n-Latches.html

http://www.locksonline.com/acatalog/...locks-957.html




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[Darrelwalters]

I popped some links over,


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[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Yes,

Look at a rabbit hutch. You have a circle of timber that overlaps the door that will open, it swings out of the way or into retaining position. To make them, you need the wood, a sabre saw, varnish and screws. Are you DIY? Do you like KISS?

+1, get some stock about 30-40mm (1 1/2") wide and 6mm (1/4")thick and cut it into 75mm lengths. round corners, sand and vanish if you have the luxury of time and nothing better to do, otherwise just take off the sharper edges and bits of splintered wood left over from the blunt saw you quickly hacked them up with using some 36 grit.

Screw them onto the frame with a backing block behind if it's to thin. Bolts can work but they need to have nylocs or something to stop them coming loose. Use a stainless washer under the screw to help them turn smoothly and spread the load.

Add enough toggles to each locker, floorboard and door to make sure it isn't coming off, ever. unless you want it to. I normally add 4 to each bigger locker so the hinges aren't loaded.

Keep a screwdriver handy to adjust the tension as the wood expands and contracts. At sea tighten them (and tighten them even more if you are in a real blow), in port slacken them, and just use one or two of the toggles. if living aboard you can even remove some extra toggles and replace them for offshore trips.

You can get all fancy and countersink the washer and screw heads to stop them catching on stuff or tearing the backs of upholstery (or just stick duct tape on the back of them over the wear spots) . Maybe those funky screws with big heads and Allen keys might be the go.

I have also made smaller ones from aluminium and perspex but they are harder to work with. Cast Bronze elliptical ones would be the beez neez. Maybe a 3d Printer could knock out some cool complex shapes?

If your boat is finely finished the toggles will wear the finish off so maybe put some thing wear resistant and slippery under the circle that the toggle works around. ie formica, HDPE, stainless or bronze?

Cheers

Ben

[BPetrie]

Originally Posted by Linda - Olympia

Any ideas for simple cabinet latches to hold cabinets shut while underway offshore?

if you have home-made ones, please send pictures.

I have some simple luggage clips (the clips from backbacks ext), one strap/ clip is help to the bunk/ settee by a small screw and the other from the top by the same. when im not moving the just flod away under the berth and when i sail they meet in the middle to hold all the cabinets in place.
about 10$ to make.

[Snowpetrel]

Great idea with the backpack straps. Ive also used line an cleats and bungy cord onto hooks or into cutouts in the joinery. Sven lundin has some cool ideas on his site.

[Snowpetrel]

July « 2013 « Present Project

interesting idea. The same thing could be done using suitable cleat shaped cutouts directly on the plywood.

Heavy bungy cord put through tight holes and knoted behind makes a simple cheap and tidy loop. Put a small sliceof tubular webbing carefully cut and sealed through the loop to act as a handle and stich it in place. Add a plastic button or clever ply cutout to hook it over and you are done. Not as strong as the toggles.