I have used some of the plastic latches from Rockler, pretty chintzy. No way will they carry the load. Magnet in knob is also very weak. Rare earth magnets work OK. Lock is not visible from outside. Still, pretty good for keeping things away from kiddies.
"T" this particular catch really does not hold any weight per se, I have not ever used it but recently I changed some kitchen counter top for a lady that took care of people as assisted care, this is a private home but regulated by the state. the cabinet below the sink where there was cleaning fluid etc had to be locked so no one could accidently drink some of the stuff.
WHile working there we kept screwing up and let that door shut and then when i went to open it cussed like hell because i had to use that damn key.
Pretty nifty private latch it is a simple catch that take the key to release it, I never saw one before and did not take a close look at the workings of it,
This lady is a big fan of HD i would not be suprised if that is where she got it. But as i said i do not believe weight affects it at all.
However if your lid was very heavy you can make that very light by laying up a honeycomb panel
Howsabout this --
At the rear of the lid, "invisible" (e.g., SOSS) hinges. At the front of the lid, a couple of 'blade' type plates, with "bolt holes" in them. these mate with a horiz bolt mechanism on the inside of the front of the box. The horiz bolt mechanism is controlled by a *recessed* key lock. the recessed area is fairly large, with a *tight*fitting* 'cover piece'. The 'cover piece' is a piece of steel, _veneered_ to match the front of the chest. If you use veneer for the entire front of the chest, the cover piece can be darn near invisible.
Put a couple of 'relatively' *weak* magnets in the recess, to hold the cover in place. Build a "handle" with a -stronger- magnet, used to remove the cover and expose the lock.
Or, one could eliminate the magnets entirely, using the 'push open, push closed' mechanisms often found on buffets. Harder to make it as 'invisible' to casual inspection, this way, though.
Another alternative, recess the keyhole behind a "Japanese puzzle box"-style sliding panel. *PRECISION* construction, and serious care with regard to expansion/contraction of the wood involved, is required for this solution.
...
Hi,
We use these locks to keep our young kids out of the cabinets around the house. Ours are the Tot-Lok brand sold at the Borg etc, but appear to be identical to the ones you linked at Rockler and Lee Valley.
These locks are really stronger than you might think. I can't pry one open by hand ... I'd be afraid of breaking the floating panel door before the lock would give. I'd say my locks easily hold 50-100lbs.
The magnets are reasonably strong, but the magnet has to be within about 1/2 to 1/4 of an inch of the lock before it will click open. So they are a little tricky to open, at least until you get used to them. Also, over time the spot where the magnet is slid over the lock will develop an ugly wear spot on the outside finish. You might want to do something like put felt over the magnet bottoms to keep from wearing through the finish.
Hope that helps.
Nate Perkins Ft Collins, CO
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.