Best value place to get paddle latches?

[rayra]

I want some solid hardware for a platform drawer system, want one locking and one nonlocking and ~$80 for the pair at McMaster-Carr is just too much for my budget. Any suggestions for a more affordable source, excepting eBay?

I prefer the look of neliconcept's build, from the big show & tell topic

 

[mike the welder]

Northern Tool has them a little cheaper $18 for non and $27 for locking.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326971_200326971

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200326962_200326962

 

[rayra]

Now that's more in my budget range, thanks. I found Southco latches last night, both source and a smattering of dealers, but they were still pushing around $75-80 for the pair. Every buck counts on this pending build, blew most of my 'project' capital on the '02 Sub itself, along with new Yoko Geolanders and a raft of 100k mi maintenance. Tryign to bring the platform / drawers in under $250 while still looking nice.

 

[MuckSavage]

Shoot me a PM, I may have what you need (free)

 

[rayra]

Thank you for your kind offer but I ordered a pair of the locking northern tool paddle latches the day after I posted this. They were $11ea and it seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. I'll post a review of them when they arrive. Their listing was a little skimpy on details of their design.

 

[rayra]

Got a partial order delivery from Northern Tool this morning, 1 latch of 2. Not sure if it's an inventory issue, weight limit on the padded manila envelope they used, or a way to charge me S&H twice. We shall see.

It's a good basic latch for $11. Large, sturdy. But no frills. Uncoated steel, in the white. The face plate is 4-5/16" W x 5-9/16" T. Depth is 1-1/2". Thru hole for the mechanism is 3-3/16" W (plus a bit more at the top for the latch pivot pin protrusions) x 4-1/4" T

The flange has no threaded inserts or thru holes. You'll have to weld or drill bolt holes to suit. For the price I'm not complaining. The lock is readily removable for painting / coating the latch body. I might try some oven powdercoating. Or some metal-etching primer and long-curign epoxy paint.

 

[rayra]

Got the second latch on Friday, identically packaged and with its own duplicative S&H charges. I don't understand why they weren't in a single shipment with less fees, but it's only a couple bucks and under $30 delivered for two large locking paddle latches, so I'm not calling about it. But I'll damned sure make a point of inquiring about the practice the next time I buy multiple items from Northern Tool. And I'll make that next order on the phone rather than their web page.

 

[rayra]

addendum to the above, they came with matching keys.

So over the last few days I looked things over, took some measurements for my drawer / platform planning and decided I'd go with (6) cap-head allen- or torx-driven thru bolts to attach them to my drawers.


Whipped up a crude jig to support the stripped down latches and marked centers and drilled 6 holes in each for mounting screws / bolts on the final product. Then worked the wicked sharp stamped steel edges with some sanding blocks to make them safe and to better take paint. Weather is nice this week so I can get away with some rattle-can painting.

Didn't like where my center lines put the corner holes so made an adjustment on the fly to keep the holes aligned on each side of the latches.

And my centering punch didn't quite do the job. Both too small of a mark and I started with too fat of a drill bit, so my holes aren't perfectly aligned. Should have used my crappy drill press instead of a hand drill, but it wanders a bit too. Smaller bit would have been better. So I used a step drill bit to enlarge the holes a bit more. I can cheat and better align the bolt heads when I do the final assembly.

Going to use something like this for assembly

Got the latches primed and painted today, nice mid-60s weather and stuff warmed in the sun.

A few days from now when the paint is hard enough I'll re-assemble the lock hardware and set them aside for my drawer build, which ought to happen in January.