Blast cabinet door latch

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All
I had to replace the locking latch on my blast cabinet door again!

The previous one was so badly worn it just kept falling apart and when you could get it to work it had to be in a certain position to hold the door closed so it wouldn’t fall apart. A real pain in the ….. This time it was just a bit sloppy and didn’t create a good seal around the door seal.

The new latch was made from sheet metal and round stock as before. Which was simply folded in to two channels so one would fit inside the other and then cut and shaped. The hinge pin was a simple turning job. The latch was bent around a piece of flat stock with radius filled on the corners to aid bending of the round stock. Once complete it was held in position and the holding bolt holes transferred and drilled. A coat of spray paint and the job was finished. I don’t know why I put off doing this job. The door closes first time every time now.

From the photos it is clear to see why this part wears as it gets covered in the abrasive medium as can be seen by the paint already being removed. This latch is just over a week old and already showing signs on wear. The cabinet does get a lot of use and has had a new perforated internal shelf

New latch locking door
Latch in the released position as can be seen paint is already being removed through operation of the latch.
Photo shows machine screws holding latch to cabinet.

I will be looking around the workshop for other annoying things that get on my nerves every time I go to use it. This was one of those jobs I should have done a longtime ago before it totally gave up, which would have saved a lot of swearing every time I went to use it. The cabinet is a pleasure to use again rather than a frustrating piece of kit.

This is the second one I have made maybe I should have made a spare.
many thanks again
The Home Engineer

[DIYer]

Thanks thehomeengineer! We've added your Blast Door Latch to our Miscellaneous category,
as well as to your builder page: thehomeengineer's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Blast Door Latch by thehomeengineer

tags: safety, door, locking

[Nitrous]

well, after too many years in the world of chemistry.... a "blast cabinet" means something completely different than I gather is meant here.
Is "blast cabinet" a short form of sandblaster cabinet?
Doug

[thehomeengineer]

Hi Doug
my terminology might be incorrect. I think it is just away of shortening shot/sand blast cabinet. Again I have never used sand as a blast medium. So I am know totally confused .
But to try and answer your question it is a cabinet which uses a air supply and a medium to peen the component surface to give a uniform surface finish (in my case) However Shot peening is also used to improve surface hardness. An example of an industry that uses this technology is Formula 1

If I have got anything wrong in this post please correct my understanding
Thank you again Doug

[Nitrous]

No worries and thanks for taking my question/comment the way it was intended.
I am most certainly not the one to know what the abbreviations are in this field.
That being said, I did a palm plant when I did a google search… and realized.. “I think he’s talking about a sand blasting cabinet!”

Sort of a Homer Simpson “doh” moment.

Thanks again for your response.
Stay safe!

Doug

[Philip Davies]

Before the repair, you keep saying to yourself, “That blasted latch!”