New latches for old kitchen cabinets

[David Nebenzahl]

I'm looking for a good "latching solution" for some old kitchen cabinet doors. My friends have a house built in the 1920s with old-style built-in kitchen cabinetry. Over the years the latches on the doors have either somehow removed themselves and walked away, or simply fail to keep the doors shut anymore.

So I'm looking for some good latches. The cabinets have doors set flush with the face frames, so the latches would either have to attach to the back of the door and the back of the face frame, or possibly underneath one of the shelves.

I know those cheap-ass ones with the metal tongue that goes into a

2-pronged metal receiver are no good. I want something that will really hold the doors securely. So far haven't been able to find anything locally.

Anyone know of some good hardware in this area? Much appreciated.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Only thing I've ever used is the magnet ones. Used them on different cabinets over the past fifty years with never a problem. Available at any hardware store or home center.

[Greg O]

My kitchen cabinets use the prong an the mating part is to plastic, spring loaded rollers. Similar to what you describe. I needed to replace some of them a while back and the first ones I picked up were crap. I took them back and went to a real lumber yard and bought pretty much the same items, but a different brand that happened to be made in the good old USA. They cost more, but worked. So you might try somewhere else other than Home depot, Menards, or Lowes. Do you have a real, old fashioned lumber yard close by? Give them a try! Greg

[Charlie Groh]

...I've been using rare-earth magnets for a long time...from fine project cabinet work to my trailer I use for large kitchen jobs (big

1"ers that REALLY hold my cabinet doors shut). These things stick, baby...you can get them in 1/4" to 1" readily, you just have to figure out how to mount them and you're in business...and it's a bulletproof system. Rockler has 'em, so does Woodcraft. It's as simple as lining up two holes and using some epoxy-like stuff to make 'em stick...a plate screws into the other side. Your kitchen cabs would use 1/4" or 3/8"...

cg

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