wdk450
Well-known member
Gang:
I got tired of the ugly assortment of mini-bungee cords and rubber bands that I have to use on the cabinet knobs to prevent inadvertent cabinet openings during travel, and possible cabinet door collisions with the slide-outs. I had a brainstorm the other night, and so far have assembled 1 prototype, but the others should be pretty easy.
The idea is to convert the simple knob pull into a rotating knob on an extended shaft ending in a metal blade that will lock against the cabinet frame opposite the door hinges.
The new stuff needed is a 3 inch, 8-32 flat head screw, 2 #8 flat washers, 1 ¼ inch flat washer, 2 ¼ inch felt washers ( I used round felt feet and drilled holes in them), 4 8-32 nuts, and a closure blade made from a piece of 1/8 inch thick by ¾ inch wide zinc plated steel bar stock (from Home Depot) cut 1-½ inches long, and drilled with a 13/32 hole ¼ inch in from one end at the center.
The assembly is pre-assembled by sliding the closure blade down the 3 inch screw to the head; threading on and locking tight a nut to hold the blade in place; threading on 2 more nuts about ½ way up the screw; putting on a #8 flat washer, then the ¼ inch flat washer, then 1 of the felt washers; insert the screw assembly through the cabinet door hole; put the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] felt washer on the screw outside the cabinet (with the adhesive side away from the wood surface; screw on the original knob using thread sealant and locking the screw to the knob as tight as possible. Now screw the inside nut nearest the wood surface down tight against the washers assembly until the knob is snug, but can still rotate. Screw the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] inside nut down to the first one and use 2 wrenches to lock them against each other. Try the locking knob assembly out, and bend the closure blade as needed to get the blade to make the proper closure behind the cabinet framing.
Some extras: You may want to put a screw or thumbtack in behind the door framing to act as a downward stop for the closure blade. You may want to make some sort of discreet, small mark on the knob neck in line with the closure blade, to let you know where it is positioned. Most double knob cabinets have center framing, so they are secured as above. If you have a double knob door set WITHOUT center door framing you can do everything as above, but make the blade for 1 knob 4 inches long, mount the blade close to the inside washers assembly as possible, put no blade on the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] knob assembly, and cut a slot in the 1 blade where it contacts the adjacent knob’s extended screw on the inside of the cabinet door.
Here's a picture of the felt sliders I converted into felt washers for the project.
I got tired of the ugly assortment of mini-bungee cords and rubber bands that I have to use on the cabinet knobs to prevent inadvertent cabinet openings during travel, and possible cabinet door collisions with the slide-outs. I had a brainstorm the other night, and so far have assembled 1 prototype, but the others should be pretty easy.
The idea is to convert the simple knob pull into a rotating knob on an extended shaft ending in a metal blade that will lock against the cabinet frame opposite the door hinges.
The new stuff needed is a 3 inch, 8-32 flat head screw, 2 #8 flat washers, 1 ¼ inch flat washer, 2 ¼ inch felt washers ( I used round felt feet and drilled holes in them), 4 8-32 nuts, and a closure blade made from a piece of 1/8 inch thick by ¾ inch wide zinc plated steel bar stock (from Home Depot) cut 1-½ inches long, and drilled with a 13/32 hole ¼ inch in from one end at the center.
The assembly is pre-assembled by sliding the closure blade down the 3 inch screw to the head; threading on and locking tight a nut to hold the blade in place; threading on 2 more nuts about ½ way up the screw; putting on a #8 flat washer, then the ¼ inch flat washer, then 1 of the felt washers; insert the screw assembly through the cabinet door hole; put the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] felt washer on the screw outside the cabinet (with the adhesive side away from the wood surface; screw on the original knob using thread sealant and locking the screw to the knob as tight as possible. Now screw the inside nut nearest the wood surface down tight against the washers assembly until the knob is snug, but can still rotate. Screw the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] inside nut down to the first one and use 2 wrenches to lock them against each other. Try the locking knob assembly out, and bend the closure blade as needed to get the blade to make the proper closure behind the cabinet framing.
Some extras: You may want to put a screw or thumbtack in behind the door framing to act as a downward stop for the closure blade. You may want to make some sort of discreet, small mark on the knob neck in line with the closure blade, to let you know where it is positioned. Most double knob cabinets have center framing, so they are secured as above. If you have a double knob door set WITHOUT center door framing you can do everything as above, but make the blade for 1 knob 4 inches long, mount the blade close to the inside washers assembly as possible, put no blade on the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] knob assembly, and cut a slot in the 1 blade where it contacts the adjacent knob’s extended screw on the inside of the cabinet door.
Here's a picture of the felt sliders I converted into felt washers for the project.
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