Fine Woodworking 2007 Building Furniture

Handmade

Catches and Latches

Four elegant ways to keep doors in place

Hidden Magnets

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Shaker Spinner

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Flipper Catch

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Button Catch

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L

ook through a catalog of cabinet hardware and you’ll find dozens of gadgets made for keeping

doors shut. Nonetheless, many woodworkers create their own catches and latches because

they’re attractive, not difficult to make, and cost little. Another benefit is that you won’t see

any clunky metal hardware in the cabinet. We asked four woodworkers to show us how they keep

cabinet doors closed. The solutions include hidden rare-earth magnets, a traditional Shaker spinner, a

wooden flipper catch made popular by James Krenov, and a button catch. All of these clever devices

look a lot better than most store-bought hardware, and they can be customized to fit your needs.

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