(only 1^1 ⁄ 2 in. long), so be careful not to cut
too deep too fast.
Square up the mortise with a chisel. Drill
a hole in the deeper part of the mortise for
the spring. The hole should be about^1 ⁄ 8 in.
deep and the same diameter as the spring.
I use^1 ⁄ 8 -in.-dia. springs from ballpoint pens
trimmed to^1 ⁄ 4 in. long, but you also can get
springs from a hardware store.
Put the flipper into the mortise to test the
fit. It should be snug but not overly tight. If
it fits, place the spring in its hole, put the
flipper in place, and secure the assembly
with a small wood screw.
I usually make a shallow notch (^1 ⁄ 16 in.)
in the bottom of the door to engage the
flipper. If the door is made of very soft
wood, such as redwood or pine, it’s not a
bad idea to insert a piece of hardwood in
the bottom of the door to prevent exces-
sive wear.
To determine the location of the notch,
first close the door several times on the
flipper, which will create a shiny spot
where it is rubbing. At the end of this shiny
spot, make the notch for the door to catch.
If this shiny spot does not appear, rub the
top of the flipper with a pencil and then
close the door. The pencil mark will indi-
cate the location of the notch.
A variation on this catch is to include a
positive stop. By shaping a shoulder onto
the flipper itself, I can control the closed
position of the door. I use this variation on
inset-door applications or on double doors
that can be opened individually.
A little trimming here and filing there,
and you’ll have a good catch that makes a
subtle “click” when the door is closed.Doug Noyes is a furniture designer and
woodworker in Guilford, Conn.I make the flipper out of a durable hard-
wood, such as ebony, because it resists
wear. Although I make the flipper to fit,
one made for a^3 ⁄ 4 -in.-thick door will typi-
cally measure approximately^1 ⁄ 4 in. thick by(^3) ⁄ 8 in. wide by 1 (^1) ⁄ 2 in. long. Cut it out with
a handsaw, then shape the flipper with a
file or knife. Drill a slightly oversize hole
for the attachment screw. This will allow
the flipper to pivot. Countersink the hole
so that the screw is flush with the top of
the flipper.
Next, cut the sloped mortise, which al-
lows the flipper to recede when the door
is closed. Use a plunge router with a fence
to make the mortise. It is a short mortise
I
discovered flipper catches in one of
James Krenov’s books on cabinetmak-
ing. I like these catches because they are
easy to make and allow me to utilize exotic
hardwood scraps. The one I frequently
use is an L-shaped wood flipper that is
recessed into a mortise in the case bottom.
A small spring keeps the flipper engaged
with the bottom edge of the door.
Chisel the mortise to length. Scribe the length and width, then pare close to the layout lines.
Check the fit often as you work; you don’t want to make the mortise too wide.
Catch assembly. The spring sits in a hole bored
in the deep end of the mortise, and the screw
threads through the back end of the flipper.
Flipper
Catch
A spring-loaded
solution to keeping
doors closed
b y D o u g N o y e s
Cut the
sloped
mortises.
Use a plunge
router to
make a
sloping
mortise for
the flipper.
Door
Notch
Flipper
catch
Wood
screw
Spring
Sloped
mortise
102 F I N E w o oDw o rK I Ng Photos, except where noted: Timothy Sams; opening page (bottom, left): Erika Marks
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