Installing Ball Catches

[Jason Tuinstra]

Friday I received my ball catches from Horton Brass that I'm going to be using on the doors for the wine cabinet.

One problem: I don't know how to install them

My thought was to use a dowel center in the doors and then shut them so that they are perfectly flush and then push the centers up into the rails of the cabinet and then drill them out of the other part of the catch.

My problem with this, though, is I don't think I'll find a center the size of the catch. Second, I don't know that there will be enough clearance for the spur in the center between the door and the frame. So this can't be the way you do it. Hmmmmm.....

How do you install these babies? Any help would be appreciated.

[Dick Bringhurst]

Jason, drill a small hole the same size as the diameter of a finish nail in the door where you want the catch centered. Take a finish nail and sharpen the end very sharp. Cut the sharp end off so the nail shaft is long enough for the pointed end to stick out. Put the door in place and push it up so the sharp end marks the frame. If you do this before the hinges are installed, there should be enough room. You can then drill the hole to the proper diameter. This is nothing more than a home made dowel center. Dick B.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Line up the two locations and be sure you have your dpeth and locations set and marked.

You don't want the ball to gouge a track in the wood as you open and close so install the recievers and balls so they don't touch the wood as you open and close

calculate the dimension you want the ball to project to engage ther reciever. That'll give you an idea how deep you want it.

Drill a little hole no deeper than needed to sink the body of the catch to the depth you require. If you over drill shove & glue a bit of wood in the hole to get the depth right.

Drill the hole tight - very tight or use epoxy to hold the body in.

shove the body in the hole and install the reciever.

One cheap trick to locate the reciever is to build up the surface of the wood where the reciever is going to go with masking tape. so that the tape is engaged by the newly installed ball. Close the door to the desired position - not a scosh more.

Open and there is you center point imbossed on the tape.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Thanks guys!

[tod evans]

jason, i use carbon paper after installing the actual catch. .02 tod

[Jason Tuinstra]

jason, i use carbon paper after installing the actual catch. .02 tod

Tod, I just came across this from Whitechapel's website: "This indent can be accurately located if a sheet of carbon paper is laid on the wood and the door closed carefully. The end of the resulting black line will mark the center of your countersink."

Good call! But how do you do this if the ball isn't supposed to touch the wood?

[Jace Weber]

Tod, I just came across this from Whitechapel's website: "This indent can be accurately located if a sheet of carbon paper is laid on the wood and the door closed carefully. The end of the resulting black line will mark the center of your countersink."

Good call! But how do you do this if the ball isn't supposed to touch the wood?

I've done the carbon paper trick before, if the ball won't touch the wood I just build the door frame up with 3 or 4 layers of masking tape to add some thickness, mark it, drill it.

[tod evans]

I've done the carbon paper trick before, if the ball won't touch the wood I just build the door frame up with 3 or 4 layers of masking tape to add some thickness, mark it, drill it.

thanks jace! ya` beat me to it...

[Jason Tuinstra]

Thanks again for the advice! SMC comes through again.

Since you guys are familiar with these, would you install just one at the top of the door (22" high) or would you go with one at the top and the bottom?

[tod evans]

probably top-n-bottom, depending on how it`s viewed...the last few years i`ve been burying rare earth magnets in both the door and frame, it`s a little more work but i like the no hardware look.02 tod

[Jim Becker]

Jason, be sure to post pictures of the process...thanks in advance!

[Bill Lewis]

jason, I use carbon paper after installing the actual catch. .02 tod

a couple of weeks ago, I was drilling some jambs for a bolt and wanted to do the same thing, but I just couldn't find any carbon paper around.... Who uses carbons anymore!?

[Mark Singer]

I install the ball the fold a piece of carboard over it...fold the carboard over the edge of the door....that is the reference line....now push on the ball an make an indent...with an awl make a hole where the indent is. Now put the fold line on the frame where it strikes...the fold is at the outside of the door face....make a pencil mark in the hole...thats the center... Yo can also use a marking gauge to accomplish the same thing,,,