Hidden Lock? Cow Magnates

[charlie b]

Well after The Kid rejected the dowel with magnet idea for the hidden lock on the LP albums cabinet we're working on he came up with a completely hidden lock idea which requires a cylindrical magnet with a round end. After he left for the day it came to me - cow magnates!

What!?

Imagine a cylinder with hemispherical ends. They use to get cows to swallow one and it stayed in their first (or was it their second?) stomach. Any nails, pieces of wire, barbed or otherwise, would get stuck to the magnet and not get into the intestines where they could raise hell. With luck the grain and feed store will have some ...

Diagram of the new idea for a hidden lock is in a.b.p.w.

Fun this woodworking, especially when working on a project with and for your kid (in this case a 27 year old kid).

charlie b

[Upscale]

Don't know how big cow magnets are supposed to be, but Lee Valley Tools has cylindrical magnets if you need them Charlie.

[LRod]

Isn't a cow magnate a cattle baron?

- - LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

[charlie b]

OH BOY! - More types of earth magnets! Thanks - will order some today. But, this project is go> Isn't a cow magnate a cattle baron?

Hey - it was 2 AM when I hit the send button. I did supply a diagram in a.b.p.w. to illustrate the idea In my defense, isn't "magnate" the British spelling of what we in The Colonies call magnets? Or it could be the Oz spelling.

charlie b

[J. Clarke]

Good try, but according to the unabridged Oxford "magnate" is define as "a great man" or "In Hungary and Poland, a member of the upper house of the Diet". OTOH, they do state that "magnete" and "mangnet" have in the past been used as alternative spellings for "magnet".

[Bryan]

I'm not sure if these are burly enough for your purposes, but we have had good luck the the "Tot Lok" from Safety 1st in a similar situation (locking kitchen cabinets). They are a hidden locking mechanism that is unlocked with a magnet. If installed well, there is very little play in the door when locked. Obviously they are intended for child safety, but perhaps they might address your need. Here's a link:

[J T]

Mon, Jun 21, 2004, 1:44am (EDT-3) [e-mail] (charlie=A0b) says: Well after The Kid rejected the dowel with magnet idea for the hidden lock on the LP albums cabinet we're working on he came up with a completely hidden lock idea

I'm still waiting for the reasoning behind a completely hidden lock. Secret compartment, or door, I can see it. But this is a freakin' chest! Too artsy. That'll just make people want to break into it. Somebody's gonna tear it up trying to get into it. Better, put the hidden lock in, then put a phony touchpad combination lock on it. His kids'll go nuts trying to figure out the combintion, and probably won't bother trying to pry it open. Or, at the worst will only concentrate on one area, and not random choices.

JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.

- Bazooka Joe

[Wood Butcher]

Rockler sells a complete hidden lock if you don't want to DIY.

[Frank McVey]

Nope - the accepted spelling *is* "magnets". I know you Yanks have your own eccentric ideas about spelling, but you can't blame that one on us!

Cheers,

Frank

[charlie b]

University students don't often have a great deal of money. As a result, you'll seldom find them in gated communities with uniformed security people patroling the development and sophisticated security systems everywhere. You're far more apt to find them in the less desireable parts of town where places to live are less expensive and landlords who don't change locks between tenants or fix broken window locks etc.

These cabinets will hold and semi-secure a "priceless to him" LP Albums Collection which has taken him years to put together. The feeling is "out of site, out of mind" should someone "visit" while he's out. I did suggest a dummy lock distraction but he insisted on a clean simple, no froo froo look. I build what the customer insists on. In fact he's the one building the cabinets. I'm just providing the equiptment and technical advice. Naturally I'm also paying for the materials too ....

Life did get a bit simpler when he liked the look of the cut end of baltic birch ply - no face framing required. Found 3/4" 13 ply Russian Birch ply that has some great figure in it - looks like sand dunes. The top, bottom and middle shelf will be honey or black locust with some interesting figured grain.

Interesting project made more interesting by the fact that I'm helping my son make his own furniture. Hell, he even used a #7 to get one edge straight on a piece of locust. He now knows one way to use a stopped sliding dovetail to join the bottom and shelf to the cabinet sides - holding the sides together without any glue or screws or dowels.

Did order some rod earth magnates and some brad point bits from Lee Valley, the former suggested in this thread. Fun this woodworking thing

charlie b

[Old Nick]

On Mon, 21 Jun 2004 08:02:40 -0700, charlie b vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

As an Auzzie dealing with USisms, I just assumed that it was a trade name, playing on "magnet that cows ate" or something.

[FMB]

4&catid=81&filter=magnetic%20lock

or at

[J T]

Mon, Jun 21, 2004, 9:33pm (EDT-3) [e-mail] (charlie=A0b) says: =A0These cabinets will hold and semi-secure a "priceless =A0 to him" LP Albums Collection which has taken him =A0 years to put together. The feeling is "out of site, out of =A0 mind"

I've been thinking on that. If I was breaking in, and saw a big block, with no apparent lock, or way to open it, I'd be curious. And, if I had a pry bar of some type, I'd use it.

I'm thinking if you want to do out of SIGHT, out of mind think, then put 'em in a coffee table. Big, honkin', clunky lookin', coffee table. Apron around it about 6", great big legs, maybe tree trunks sawed square. Then put your insible lock on it, and have the top liftup. Of course, the first time he opens either, with anyone around, the secret's gone.

Or, could hinge them under a dining table. Or, could make a little

2-3 drawer filing cabinet type thingy, with the door at the back of it, hinging at the bottom. Should hold two compartments, not to deep, but make two cabinest.

Maybe a compartment in the bottom of a recliner. Tip the chair back, to get to 'em.

JOAT Use your brain - it's the small things that count.

- Bazooka Joe

[charlie b]

Good points, good ideas. But we're talking about eight linear feet of LPs. The volume involved precludes stashing under a table top or recliner etc..

His apartment is in an area where the potential thieves are addicts who tend to be opportunistic. Get in, grab a stereo, TV or wha will have 3/4" russian birch sides, 3/4" locust top, 1/2" Baltic birch ply back in dadoes and 1/2" or 3/4" russian birch ply front panels. There really won't be anyplace to get a pry bar or screw driver into. The sides are held together with stopped sliding dovetailed shelf and bottom. These cabinets are going to be semi-indestructable. Add 50-60 pounds of albums and they're not going to be very portable.

Did order the magnet rods from Lee Valley, along with three of their brad point bits.

charlie b

[bridger]

the thing is to make it make sense in the space as some other piece of furniture. get some cushions made for the top, perhaps?

[charlie b]

He's thinking birdseye maple or medular rayed sycamore for the tops. Covering either up with cushions would be criminal! Maybe I can talk him into shaping up some 12/4 quitled maple to look like cushions! : )

charlie b