Miniature Barrel Bolts

[Fender]

Anybody have a source for miniature barrel bolt latches like the one pictured below? I need some for my Davenport project. The length needs to be about 1" and the width about 3/8". Need 16 of them, so would rather not have to make them individually.

[Mike Walsh]

As much of a pain it seems to make, they could be made relatively simply. The tricky part would come with the latch - the little nub that engages the latch. You could easily form the two plates using the method shown in the following thread: http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/F ... fault.aspx

You'd need to make a fixture to machine the slot and side slot but those would be simple enough to machine.

Just a thought.
Mike

[Dick_Morris]

No suggestions on a source, but it doesn't look like they should be too hard to make. I would start with about two feet of material 3/8" by 1/4" or so and cut away everything that doesn't match the cross section. A round tipped end mill or fly cutter with the correct radius would put a grove in the back side. You probably don't need to cover the grove in the back, but it could be done with a plate over the entire back or fit into the slot and soldered. At this point just cut the needed pieces from the stick as if your were slicing bread. The latch handle just needs to be Loctited into a hole in the sliding portion of the latch.

[Fender]

Mike & Dick,
I'm leaning that way. These latches are apparently a bit too utilitarian to have miniature versions for dollhouses, jewelry boxes, etc.

[David_T]

If they will be more decorative then operational, you could try Evergreen brand extruded plastic sheet, square tubes and rods from your local hobby shop.

[Mr Ron]

Anybody have a source for miniature barrel bolt latches like the one pictured below? I need some for my Davenport project. The length needs to be about 1" and the width about 3/8". Need 16 of them, so would rather not have to make them individually.

It looks like it could be easily made from a small piano hinge.

[FredR]

I hope that I can say this right. First of all, I have no idea that this will work!

Use a strip of brass the width you want and the length you need to make both pieces. Solder brass tubing lengthwise of the strip. Make a bolt to fit the id of the brass tube. Mill a opening for the bolt handle. Then band saw the pieces apart, etc, etc....... Whatcha think?

[makinsmoke]

How close do you want to be?

Here are both ends of the spectrum:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sliding-Bolt-La ... 500wt_1113


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Bolt-Lot-6 ... _500wt_880

[Fender]

Hah! I started to make these exactly as Fred suggested. So far I soldered a piece of brass 5/32" tubing to a piece of 1/2" wide brass strip, but haven't milled out the slots in the tubing yet. Been sidetracked on other projects. Will post photos when I'm further along. The plan is to make the bolt with 1/8" brass rod and use a 1/16" copper rivet for the handle on the bolt.
Those bolts shown by makinsmoke are really good looking (maybe a little small for my project), but I already started down another path....I bet somebody else can use them, though!
Hey Robert, do you need some miniature latches/barrel bolts for your caboose project?

[FredR]

Well, I must not be as dumb..... ummm.... novice as I thought Of course, it took looking back at the photo a dozen times before it clicked

Hah! I started to make these exactly as Fred suggested. So far I soldered a piece of brass 5/32" tubing to a piece of 1/2" wide brass strip, but haven't milled out the slots in the tubing yet. Been sidetracked on other projects. Will post photos when I'm further along. The plan is to make the bolt with 1/8" brass rod and use a 1/16" copper rivet for the handle on the bolt.
Those bolts shown by makinsmoke are really good looking (maybe a little small for my project), but I already started down another path....I bet somebody else can use them, though!
Hey Robert, do you need some miniature latches/barrel bolts for your caboose project?

[Greg_Lewis]

Hah! I started to make these exactly as Fred suggested. So far I soldered a piece of brass 5/32" tubing to a piece of 1/2" wide brass strip, but haven't milled out the slots in the tubing yet. Been sidetracked on other projects. Will post photos when I'm further along. The plan is to make the bolt with 1/8" brass rod and use a 1/16" copper rivet for the handle on the bolt.
Those bolts shown by makinsmoke are really good looking (maybe a little small for my project), but I already started down another path....I bet somebody else can use them, though!
Hey Robert, do you need some miniature latches/barrel bolts for your caboose project?

You may have already thought of this but just in case: Make more than you need. It's the setup that takes the time. Making another cut doesn't take much time at all. The reasons: First, some will get screwed up later in the process (Uh, or should we say, lost to research and development), second, you'll need another one sometime next year, and third, you could sell a few here and there for beer money.

[Fender]

After a long delay, I finally got around to making the barrel bolts. Here's a photo of the first one.