Magnetic Cabinet Door Catch

I wanted to do 2 things:

1.  Replace the set of magnetic door catches (latches) on my 30+ year old armoire.
2.  Try my hand at embedding magnets into something.  :-)

I could, of course, have just bought some new ones from your friendly neighborhood hardware store for not much money, but why buy, when you can print for nearly the same price?!  (LOL)

Truthfully, these are cheaper to make than the cheapest I could find them nearby, though not by much.  However, they do (IMHO) look really nice, they get the job done, and I made them!

Unfortunately, I didn't accurately measure for my needs the first time and I wound up with a set of 4 catches which just barely held the doors in place because they installed flush to the edge of their mounting spot.  They needed to extend a bit in order to make contact with the metal plate on the doors, which I didn't discover until after I installed them.

But, they look nice, so I decided to not rip the magnets out of them and to keep them as a “Version 1” instead.  I'm sure I'll find a use for them later, and they do make a nice, satisfying *click!* when the magnets engage!  So, there's that:

To help you decide which version you'll need, here's a cut-away of Version 1:

And for comparison, Version 2:

The magnets in Version 2 are both little higher up from the base and they jut out a bit more; an additional 3mm in both directions.

Version 2 worked a LOT better for my needs, securely holding the door after a quite satisfying close:

So, that's it.  I'm sorry that I haven't parameterized this design yet.  I may still do so at some point, but for now, you can find my OnShape document here:

https://cad.onshape.com/documents/f5ec88147781d54b49d2fef6/w/3b811a17ce1c335e2e9addf6/e/228db5ed5486010fdebaac65

It contains both versions of the model, but I'm also including STEP files, in case you'd rather start with those.

As to additional hardware…

I used 4 * (20 x 5 x 2)mm Neodymium magnets to fit a (20 x 10 x 4)mm cavity because I already had some of them.  Here's a link to to what I used if you don't want to modify the model:

https://amzn.to/3TuCXOs

It would probably be better update the model to use 1 * (20 x 10 x 5)mm magnets like these:

https://amzn.to/3PG1jDP

so that you only have to worry about 1 magnet at a time.  But, I'll leave that exercise up to the reader.

You'll also need mounting screws, but you can probably locate those on your own.


PRINTING NOTE:  I have found that it is best to use a “reprint the current layer” directive when using a pause routine to insert the magnet.  Doing so ensures better layer adhesion when you restart the print.  It will also leave a more distinct line at the seam, but it's well worth the tradeoff in strength and you can easily remove the line with a hobby pen-knife.


Cheers!

&

Always Be Printing