Invitation - Parade of Homes Orlando

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Some of you followed the repair and remodel of our 1908 bungalow after Hurricane Charley dumped a tree onto it Aug 2004. The job was completed Dec 2006. The builder endulged me by letting me build some of the details.

The remodel will be on the Orlando Parade of Homes remodel tour Sat/Sun May 9-10, noon to 5PM. If you are in the area, stop in. The price is right ... FREE.

Nope, the shop's not open. It's full of furniture and "stuff" that we removed for the tour.

Link to info and directions:
http://www.paradeofhomesorlando.com/homes.cfm?ID=1003

Link to previous post with details and gloat about feature in Orlando Magazine.
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=35084

Thanks to all of you that answered my questions and gave me encouragement during the remodel.

- Lonnie

[cabinetman]

Congratulations on being famous. How's the "new" house working out?
.

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Thanks, C-man. This kind of fame and a nickel won't buy a cup of coffee!

We've lived in the completed project for a couple of years. I'm happy with every detail, except the cabinet catches in the kitchen. Not major problem, but want to replace them eventually.

The cabinet maker and I discussed cabinet catches for a month. He wanted bullet catches mortised into the top and bottom edges of the doors. I thought that they would be hard to align and may eventually fail. Then I eliminated magnetic. Etc, etc.

As a stop gap, he installed two spring catches -- top and bottom. The good part is that they also serve as a stop for the doors. The bad part is that they sometimes cause the door to warp out if the top catch doesn't engage. And they look cheap.


I think I'm back to some type of magnet catch.

>> Any suggestions? I should have asked you before we instalalled the first catches.

Thanks,

- Lonnie

[pelligrini]

Nice stuff. I missed the post about the magazine feature.

I hope the event goes well. You're a braver man than me. There's no way I would let a bunch of folks go through my house.

[cabinetman]

Thanks, C-man. This kind of fame and a nickel won't buy a cup of coffee!

We've lived in the completed project for a couple of years. I'm happy with every detail, except the cabinet catches in the kitchen. Not major problem, but want to replace them eventually.

The cabinet maker and I discussed cabinet catches for a month. He wanted bullet catches mortised into the top and bottom edges of the doors. I thought that they would be hard to align and may eventually fail. Then I eliminated magnetic. Etc, etc.

As a stop gap, he installed two spring catches -- top and bottom. The good part is that they also serve as a stop for the doors. The bad part is that they sometimes cause the door to warp out if the top catch doesn't engage. And they look cheap.


I think I'm back to some type of magnet catch.

>> Any suggestions? I should have asked you before we instalalled the first catches.

Thanks,

- Lonnie

From looking at this picture:
.

.
Your doors look like they are full inset, and you used regular butt hinges (leaf type) with an exposed knuckle. They are likely not self closing. I don't know what your preferences are for magnetic catches, or friction catches, but there are better selections than the type of catch you pictured.

An alternative, although probably not the most inexpensive one would be a self closing hinge. Maybe if we eliminate what you don't like, we can come up with a winner.
.

[pelligrini]

A neat magnetic solution that I reccomended to a client a while back was to inset a couple 1/4" or 3/8" magnets into the door frame edge and cabinet edge, making sure the polarity was correct. They didn't like any surface mounted catches and didn't want to change hinges.

The idea looked good on paper, but I don't know if it got done or even worked.

[leehljp]

Man, That is nice! You could compete shoulder to shoulder with a Cahill home!

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Thanks all for your interest. The current catches aren't a deal breaker, but a better catch will upgrade the feel of the entire kitchen. Here is my long answer to your short question ...

No real preference friction vs magnetic.

CONSTRUCTION:
> Cabinets built on site
> Face frames 13/16"
> Inset doors 13/16"
> Maple door frames w/plywood inserts
> Ball tip butt hinges
> Knob on one corner of door, not in middle of door stile
> Two catches per door. One at "knob" corner; one at other end of stile to hold door flat with face frame in case door warps with season
> No door stops. Catches act as door stops. OK to add small stops if needed for different catches.
> 33 doors with catches

GOALS:
> Do not change hinges
> Simple construction
> Retrofitable onto existing cabinets. Doors can be removed.
> Fairly easy to close and to open

FRICTION vs MAGNETIC:
> No preference, except I don't want the Magic-Touch type that are pushed in to release
> Friction (current) - If the catch on the end of the stile away from the knob is too difficult to engage, the door will warp out until I push that catch closed.
> Friction and Magnetic - Don't want to be so strong that the door warps and "s-p-o-o-o-i-n-g" when knob-end catch releases first, followed by the other catch releasing.
> Ball catches in the edges of the rails and face frame may be hard to align
> Magnets in the rails plus stops on the face frame, like pelligrini suggests, may be easier to align than ball catches

- Lonnie

[cabinetman]

Stopping the door flush with the faceframe can be tricky with an inset door. If there is a closing variance between the top corner and the bottom corner that condition should be corrected before planning on any stops/catches.

The door should swing and align with the faceframe. Using two catches is not a solution I would use especially with the knob not being centered on the stile. Using a mortised magnet in the edge of the door/cabinet, matching to a catch in the opposing edge (by-pass) will not stop the door.

If the door aligns correctly, considering the knob is in one corner, a single stop or catch either at the center of the stile or located in proximity to the knob, is what I would use. If this is the way you want to go, we can isolate the pickings to that type of hardware.
.