Question:

Try www.wwhardware.com >My 1910 house has kitchen cabinet catches that are hard to find. Half of >the 8 male catches don’t work and I’d like to replace them.

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Response:

:> :> My 1910 house has kitchen cabinet catches that are hard to find. Half of :> the 8 male catches don’t work and I’d like to replace them. :> :> Actually, I’m probably better off replacing the lot (two of the males :> don’t match the others), but I haven’t been able to find this type of :> catch where I live (around Berkeley, California), and I really do think :> that this type of catch makes plenty sense in earthquake country. I can :> just imagine what my kitchen would look like after a REAL shaker with :> all the other catches I’ve been seeing. I went into the major local :> recycling outfit (Urban Ore) and they told me they don’t get them. :> :> The catches I’m talking about have lift-up latches. That is, the male :> portion has a handle that points down. You pull it out (against internal :> spring resistance) to disengage a horizintal metal cylinder (about 3/16 :> inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long) from the female catch, which :> simply has a crescent that the cylinder catches into. :> :> 1/2 of my males in this system have the spring system not working, and I :> haven’t figured out a way to fix that. Last night I took one apart :> hoping to fix it, but gave up, putting it back together without the :> spring after cleaning it up. It’s still usable, but you have to force it :> into the female catch for maximum closure. :> :> Anyway, I took one of these off some time ago to show to people in :> hardware stores and seem to have misplaced it. :> :> More info: There’s two different female catches. There’s one for single :> flap cabinets that sticks out further for purchase from the male. This :> is due to the fact that in this case, the famale gets attached to the :> cabinet body and has to reach out further (by the thickness of the flap) :> to engage the male. The other female catch fits on the counterpart :> double-flap cabinet. It doesn’t have to reach out as far, since it’s :> mounted in the same plane as the male catch. In such circumstances, :> there are separate spring loaded hook catches on the inside to hold the :> flap with the female catch closed – until you release the hook (by :> reaching around the flap, as you’ve pulled the other flap open). Those :> internal catches were hard to find (I needed a few replacements), but I :> did find those in brass and steel. Those internal hook catches are far :> better than magnetic catches in terms of security in the event of an :> earthquake. :> :> Any help very much appreciated. :> :> Dan :Maybe you can get two short pieces of rope and tie then up just in case f a earthquake????  In my area, Gulf coast we have hurricanes and when :hope this helps. Unfortunately, you can’t expect more than 20 seconds notice before the full force of an earthquake is upon you. Usually it’s a lot less than that. In the few seconds you get, you are lucky to be able to just get yourself out of harms way and into a position where you are maybe somewhat protected.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > My 1910 house has kitchen cabinet catches that are hard to find. Half of > the 8 male catches don’t work and I’d like to replace them. > Actually, I’m probably better off replacing the lot (two of the males > don’t match the others), but I haven’t been able to find this type of > catch where I live (around Berkeley, California), and I really do think > that this type of catch makes plenty sense in earthquake country. I can > just imagine what my kitchen would look like after a REAL shaker with > all the other catches I’ve been seeing. I went into the major local > recycling outfit (Urban Ore) and they told me they don’t get them. > The catches I’m talking about have lift-up latches. That is, the male > portion has a handle that points down. You pull it out (against internal > spring resistance) to disengage a horizintal metal cylinder (about 3/16 > inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long) from the female catch, which > simply has a crescent that the cylinder catches into. > 1/2 of my males in this system have the spring system not working, and I > haven’t figured out a way to fix that. Last night I took one apart > hoping to fix it, but gave up, putting it back together without the > spring after cleaning it up. It’s still usable, but you have to force it > into the female catch for maximum closure. > Anyway, I took one of these off some time ago to show to people in > hardware stores and seem to have misplaced it. > More info: There’s two different female catches. There’s one for single > flap cabinets that sticks out further for purchase from the male. This > is due to the fact that in this case, the famale gets attached to the > cabinet body and has to reach out further (by the thickness of the flap) > to engage the male. The other female catch fits on the counterpart > double-flap cabinet. It doesn’t have to reach out as far, since it’s > mounted in the same plane as the male catch. In such circumstances, > there are separate spring loaded hook catches on the inside to hold the > flap with the female catch closed – until you release the hook (by > reaching around the flap, as you’ve pulled the other flap open). Those > internal catches were hard to find (I needed a few replacements), but I > did find those in brass and steel. Those internal hook catches are far > better than magnetic catches in terms of security in the event of an > earthquake. > Any help very much appreciated. > Dan

Maybe you can get two short pieces of rope and tie then up just in case of a earthquake????  In my area, Gulf coast we have hurricanes and when hope this helps.

Response:

You could try: www.crowncityhardware.com www.sandiegohardware.com They both have lots of old house hardware.  Unfortunately Crown City doesn’t have much online, you have to order the catalog.  And man, what a catalog !! — Paul

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My 1910 house has kitchen cabinet catches that are hard to find. Half of > the 8 male catches don’t work and I’d like to replace them. > Actually, I’m probably better off replacing the lot (two of the males > don’t match the others), but I haven’t been able to find this type of > catch where I live (around Berkeley, California), and I really do think > that this type of catch makes plenty sense in earthquake country. I can > just imagine what my kitchen would look like after a REAL shaker with > all the other catches I’ve been seeing. I went into the major local > recycling outfit (Urban Ore) and they told me they don’t get them. > The catches I’m talking about have lift-up latches. That is, the male > portion has a handle that points down. You pull it out (against internal > spring resistance) to disengage a horizintal metal cylinder (about 3/16 > inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long) from the female catch, which > simply has a crescent that the cylinder catches into. > 1/2 of my males in this system have the spring system not working, and I > haven’t figured out a way to fix that. Last night I took one apart > hoping to fix it, but gave up, putting it back together without the > spring after cleaning it up. It’s still usable, but you have to force it > into the female catch for maximum closure. > Anyway, I took one of these off some time ago to show to people in > hardware stores and seem to have misplaced it. > More info: There’s two different female catches. There’s one for single > flap cabinets that sticks out further for purchase from the male. This > is due to the fact that in this case, the famale gets attached to the > cabinet body and has to reach out further (by the thickness of the flap) > to engage the male. The other female catch fits on the counterpart > double-flap cabinet. It doesn’t have to reach out as far, since it’s > mounted in the same plane as the male catch. In such circumstances, > there are separate spring loaded hook catches on the inside to hold the > flap with the female catch closed – until you release the hook (by > reaching around the flap, as you’ve pulled the other flap open). Those > internal catches were hard to find (I needed a few replacements), but I > did find those in brass and steel. Those internal hook catches are far > better than magnetic catches in terms of security in the event of an > earthquake. > Any help very much appreciated. > Dan

Response:

My 1910 house has kitchen cabinet catches that are hard to find. Half of the 8 male catches don’t work and I’d like to replace them. Actually, I’m probably better off replacing the lot (two of the males don’t match the others), but I haven’t been able to find this type of catch where I live (around Berkeley, California), and I really do think that this type of catch makes plenty sense in earthquake country. I can just imagine what my kitchen would look like after a REAL shaker with all the other catches I’ve been seeing. I went into the major local recycling outfit (Urban Ore) and they told me they don’t get them. The catches I’m talking about have lift-up latches. That is, the male portion has a handle that points down. You pull it out (against internal spring resistance) to disengage a horizintal metal cylinder (about 3/16 inch in diameter and 1.5 inches long) from the female catch, which simply has a crescent that the cylinder catches into. 1/2 of my males in this system have the spring system not working, and I haven’t figured out a way to fix that. Last night I took one apart hoping to fix it, but gave up, putting it back together without the spring after cleaning it up. It’s still usable, but you have to force it into the female catch for maximum closure. Anyway, I took one of these off some time ago to show to people in hardware stores and seem to have misplaced it. More info: There’s two different female catches. There’s one for single flap cabinets that sticks out further for purchase from the male. This is due to the fact that in this case, the famale gets attached to the cabinet body and has to reach out further (by the thickness of the flap) to engage the male. The other female catch fits on the counterpart double-flap cabinet. It doesn’t have to reach out as far, since it’s mounted in the same plane as the male catch. In such circumstances, there are separate spring loaded hook catches on the inside to hold the flap with the female catch closed – until you release the hook (by reaching around the flap, as you’ve pulled the other flap open). Those internal catches were hard to find (I needed a few replacements), but I did find those in brass and steel. Those internal hook catches are far better than magnetic catches in terms of security in the event of an earthquake. Any help very much appreciated. Dan

Response: