Hidden latch for rifle display case

[difalkner]

I'm building a rifle display case and decided I would incorporate a hidden latch for the door. So I cut the feet, latch, holes, and pocket for the latch on the CNC. Sort of a different project, more just doing a little engineered machining with the most appropriate tool in our shop for that purpose.

So here's a short video of cutting the pocket on the edge of the bottom board -

Enjoy!

David

[Mick S]

Nice, David! I'm still fine tuning ours, but should be ready to start cutting projects by the time the wrapping paper is cleared away!

[Isaac]

As far as the mortise you show here, that could really be done with a router, right? What is the specific advantage the CNC brings to that step?

 

[difalkner]

Yes, Isaac, it could definitely be done with a router.  I didn't do that because I would have to make a suitable platform to support the base to plunge on something that narrow along with the necessary guides to control the cut.  The bigger reason is that the only bit I have that is long enough to cut that deep protrudes below the bottom of my router when set to the highest position, so I would have to be very careful in setting this in the correct spot right away or the cut would have been sloppy.

Since I have never cut this way on the CNC it seemed like a good opportunity to give that a whirl.  Turned out I probably spent about the same amount of time setting it up in the CAD/CAM program (Fusion 360) and getting the board stable on the CNC bed as I would building a fixture to do it by hand, so it was a wash time-wise.

Plus, it gave me the opportunity to do another video...

David

[Mick S]

I don't have video of it, but I used the CNC router in the technology center I ran to mortise the frame of my workbench. The overall depth of each one is 3 1/2". The second photo is all of them stacked on top looking down into the 13" of mortises.

 

[difalkner]

That's some pretty deep mortises, Mick.  Nice job!

David

[wdwerker]

For a second there I thought you had somehow cut a single 13" deep mortice with a CNC. Then a stack of 3 1/2" deep ones dawned on me.

[difalkner]

Finally finished the display case.  The good thing about a job where they tell you there's no rush is that, well, there's no rush.  But I had a break in my normal activity so I pulled the display case out and finished it.

David

[pkinneb]

That turned out really nice!

 

[mat60]

Nice work David.  I like it when they tell you no rush and then after you take the job they are in a rush because uncle Bob is coming for dinner soon..

[difalkner]

Thanks!  Yeah, I took a while to complete this because I kept putting it aside for jobs with deadlines but the guy kept saying there was no rush.  When he picked it up last night he was ecstatic over the way it turned out and how the hidden latch worked.  I brought up the length of time and told him I've taken on 50 jobs since starting this case and all of those jobs had deadlines that I met or beat.  But 'no rush' to me means literally that - no rush.  He laughed and said, 'Well, then you hit our deadline, too!'

David

[difalkner]

Build video -

Enjoy!  David

[Coop]

Really cool video David. The more I see of cnc, the more I appreciate the fact that there’s more human intervention than I ever imagined. I really like this project. 

[Pondhockey]

Wow.  Very nice.

 

[Mick S]

Beautiful job, David. 

[Woodenskye]

Great work David!  Not much more to say.

[Chet]

Fun video to watch.  Nice work.

[Keggers]

Just saw this. Nicely done!