# Finished - Hidden latch for rifle display case



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

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


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Tricky. I'm too lazy to do something like that, I'd have gone with something along these lines. 
http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=40353&cat=3,41399,41403&ap=1


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Great job David, nice to see you use different approaches to things 
If you got it flaunt it!


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

Clever solution, David. I'm not positive, but the only bug in how you clamped it down appeared to let the board move a bit forward and back. I could see what looked like a little jump when the bit reached the end of the slot. Then it would jump back the other direction when it hit the other end. It didn't appear to be of any negative consequence though.

On my Meteor that has a 4th axis I've used the bed beam to clamp long boards to standing up. The width of of the boards is only limited by the distance to the floor, so getting the top edge within the CNC's cutting area is pretty easy. Open up that CNC bed and you've got a whole new world of possibilities to play with. 

4D


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

JOAT said:


> Tricky. I'm too lazy to do something like that, I'd have gone with something along these lines.
> Magnetic Secret Latch - Lee Valley Tools


I'm not familiar with the term, Theo. Lazy? Never mind, I'll look it up. I don't 'do' lazy. :wink:

Whenever possible, which is often, I'll come up with a different approach or method because I like the creative process - to have an idea, work out the process steps, and develop that idea into reality is far more satisfying to me than buying something ready made that anyone with a buck or two can go purchase.

But I do like the hidden magnetic latch idea, have seen it before. I may come up with my own version to use sometime... :nerd:

David


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

4DThinker said:


> Clever solution, David. I'm not positive, but the only bug in how you clamped it down appeared to let the board move a bit forward and back. I could see what looked like a little jump when the bit reached the end of the slot. Then it would jump back the other direction when it hit the other end. It didn't appear to be of any negative consequence though.
> 
> On my Meteor that has a 4th axis I've used the bed beam to clamp long boards to standing up. The width of the boards is only limited by the distance to the floor, so getting the top edge within the CNC's cutting area is pretty easy. Open up that CNC bed and you've got a whole new world of possibilities to play with.
> 
> 4D


Thanks, 4D! The board isn't moving, it is secured with two screws into the 2x4 on the right side.








What you're seeing is the small amount of flex in the stand in the Y direction. The frame is rock solid but I have allowed for a small amount of give in the stand to keep the machine from walking on the floor and to lessen the impact during rapid changes in direction. It's more noticeable in short cuts like this, though.

I keep the thought that one day I'll add a rotary 4th axis and also that I will take advantage of the removable sections of the bed but I have yet to have time to do either one. The bed is removable in two sections at the front specifically for what you've mentioned but I have yet to have a project where I need to remove either or both sections. Ah, well, one day...

David


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Great job David . I love your video editing with the screen in screen like that . 
I think you came up with a very clever solution for the lock , and you did a great setup for holding the part . This certainly shows what’s involved to do it right , thanks again for sharing


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

I don't display firearms. I did at one time and they were stolen in March, 1970. I'm sure the display is outstanding but not secure against theft.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

No, it is not secure, John. But that's not my problem - it's theirs. I think the latch is just to keep kids and curious neighbors from opening the door to 'get a better' look. It will be set on the mantle and easily accessible but unless they reveal how to open the door I doubt anyone will think of rotating the foot. The case will have 1/8" glass so even if someone wanted the rifle out of the case the glass is easy to break.

I don't display firearms, either. This particular Henry 45 is a retirement gift and will likely never be fired.

David


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

difalkner said:


> But I do like the hidden magnetic latch idea, have seen it before. I may come up with my own version to use sometime... :nerd:
> David


Yeah, I really like the magnetic latch, but in reality would not buy one. Just too many options on making your own, that I think are stronger, not as complex (read less likely to malfunction) and certainly cheaper. I have seen various examples of home designed/built versions, so if I ever get to that point, will start doing some more researching on the subject, and see if anyone has something for inspiration.


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## ggom (Apr 5, 2017)

I would not display firearms.

Even if they where totally unusable.

This attracts bad people,

one of my friends got his hunting guns stolen .

BTW:
Henry 45 seems to be a nice and a powerful one.


Regards
Gérard


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Just ran across this. SECRET MAGNETIC LOCK DRAWER: 11 Steps (with Pictures) It's inspiration, I don't know if it would be what I want or not. But someone else might.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

ggom said:


> I would not display firearms.
> 
> Even if they where totally unusable.
> 
> ...


Can't attract bad people if they don't advertise where it is and how it's displayed. Now if they put it in full view of the street, leave the curtains or blinds open, and make it obvious to outside nosy onlookers, i.e. bad people, then yes it can be attractive to them. But cars get stolen, lawn mowers from the shed or back yard, bicycles in garages, etc., if bad people want something bad enough it doesn't matter what that 'something' is they're gonna try to take it.

I don't display firearms, either, and wouldn't unless it's something really old that won't fire.

A .45 *anything *has to be powerful, I would think!! :wink:

David


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

difalkner said:


> if bad people want something bad enough it doesn't matter what that 'something' is they're gonna try to take it.
> David


Sad part is even the most innocent including yourselves could cause a taking just
by talking about what you or someone else has. People talk and somehow the right
ears listen 'carefully'.


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

The Gander Mountain stores had a big sign over the safe and locker display- With rights come responsibilities.
Three of the twelve firearms (we didn't call them guns in the Army) were my grandfather's. They were taken in March, 1970. They are gone! If you have firearms do the following-
1. Photograph them.
2. Write a complete description of each one- manufacturer, model number, caliber/gauge, any accessories as slings, scopes. etc.
3. Keep a copy in a secure place at home and give a copy to your insurance agent. When we turned in our claim, we had to sue the insurance company as they claimed we didn't have the firearms.
4. WHEN they are stolen, the information is turned into a national listing. If you are extremely lucky, they MIGHT be found but don't count on it. IF they are old firearms and have no serial numbers, according to a gunsmith friend who tried to buy a rare firearm from the BATFE, they will be destroyed. He even offered to put a BATFE approved serial number on it but they refused.
I'm in the process of writing the new Hunter Education student manual for the state of TN. The old one we used had firearms in a rack in a closet with cable locks (locks are for honest people). The new manual has them in a safe. My plan is to show a picture with a safe and state why a safe is highly recommended.


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## 4DThinker (Feb 16, 2014)

I have 4 sisters. Just one had the habit of hosting parties in her apartment for just about any occasion. She was also the one who repeatedly had her apartment broken into and property stollen. Almost always the break in would happen within one or two days after she had held a party. It was pretty obvious to me that the thief had been someone who had been in her apartment and knew what she had that he/she wanted. 

Now my sister never owned a gun or kept drugs or wads of cash in her apartment. The stuff that was stolen includes a vacuum cleaner, kitchen gadgets, decorative trinkets, etc. Stuff you could easily pawn for cash or just keep and use yourself. 

My point is that once people know what you have then a chance grows that someone will want to steal it.


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## chessnut2 (Sep 15, 2011)

Another nice video, David. I've been wondering about routing a board on edge on CNC, and this encourages me to try it. Thanks.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Keep in mind guys, David is building this gun case for a client , not himself . But there’s some great points here .


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

Know of a guy who keeps his firearms in a safe. The safe is in his living room. In front of a plate glass window. The shades/curtains are open. The light is on 24/7. All of his neighbors have been instructed to immediately call the police, if the lights are off, or the curtain is closed, because that will mean he is being robbed. Sounds about as good a solution as any, and better than a lot.


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

What i'm waiting for is David hitting the ends of the boards w/ Dovetails
or maybe some simple yet complex box joints. CNC is the gateway drug
to making wicked things Theo. Join us, it's a trip man. Lol.... :nerd:

@chessnut2 Do it... just make sure you have it supported. Don't
need anything flying.

Kinda beat as some are limited to a certain height depending on their machines.
I sometimes see that you can get riser blocks that elevate your spindle majingie
but still maintain the same Z movement. Why is that? Maybe for table jigs
or for a vacuum pad?


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

One thing I noticed on doing this board is that my limit is about 6", maybe 6 3/16". If the Z axis mount were to be slightly redesigned this could go to over 7", not that I have needed that much. I may get with Nate on that to give him some ideas on future Saturn CNC frames.

David


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

UglySign said:


> CNC is the gateway drug to making wicked things Theo. Join us, it's a trip man. Lol.... :nerd:


It all depends on one's definition of wicked. You certainly wouldn't want to get thumped by one of my carving mallets - these are mid-size by the way. I think my corporate iggle is wicked. There's my Ultimate Squirrel Rifle - not up to date, changes were made, more forthcoming. Then there is my scratch made .22 rifle, still ongoing so far, making everything except the barrel, screws, and bolts. I'm doing quite well without, for example right now, reruns of Forged In Fire are on, then the new Oak Island, after that cartoons, I have coffee, mechanical pencils, erasers, and a binder for sketching. All wicked. Life is basically good. 
:grin: Welcome to join me. Hehehe


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## ggom (Apr 5, 2017)

Fun this Orange rifle!

Probably some ergonomics I did not get aware of.

I believe that you are left-handed .

Regards .

Gérard


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## JOAT (Apr 9, 2010)

ggom said:


> Fun this Orange rifle!
> 
> Probably some ergonomics I did not get aware of.
> 
> ...


Really ticks the guys on the Marlin Forum off, for some unknown reason. >
I hope so.
I believe I am right handed.

From the trigger guard back, the stock no longer resembles the picture. It has been changed about 3 times, and at present is in the middle of, hopefully, its final mod. Possibly not exceedingly accurate for anyone else, but it is custom fitted to me.


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

Hi David, can you tell me where you bought the 3kw spindle? I've been looking at solar.jean on ebay. Thanks Joe.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Pro4824 said:


> Hi David, can you tell me where you bought the 3kw spindle? I've been looking at solar.jean on ebay. Thanks Joe.


Sure thing, Joe. This is the link to the supplier I chose - 3kW water cooled spindle. I also looked at Solar Jean but chose this one instead.

David


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

And you're using the Hitachi WJ200 2.2kw vfd with the 3kw spindle because they are actually 2.2kw? If that's correct then that's the route I'll be taking.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Pro4824 said:


> And you're using the Hitachi WJ200 2.2kw vfd with the 3kw spindle because they are actually 2.2kw? If that's correct then that's the route I'll be taking.


No sir, I'm using the 3kW spindle because the WJ200 will actually handle 3kW (it's even in the manual if you know where to look, took a minute to find it, though). I checked with Hitachi before buying that unit to make sure. And based on the current draw and load feedback from the WJ200 the guys at Hitachi tell me it's a whole lot closer to 3kW than it is to 2.2kW. So I'm good with it being a 3kW unit.

Now my 6.5 HP shop vac is a different story... :surprise:

David


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

Ahhh I see! Thanks for the info. I'm definitely going down the same road. Thanks a bunch!


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

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


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Looking good. Another Falkner one of a kind masterpiece.


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## Pro4824 (Oct 17, 2015)

A break in my normal activity usually means I got out of my chair for something. 🙂 I've got to get over being lazy and get some stuff done. Thanks for the pics David, it turned out great!!


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## TwoSkies57 (Feb 23, 2009)

There is a reason for your being so busy David!!! 

I find these kinda of "one off's" projects to be the most rewarding. 
Just you, the wood and a bit of imagination. 

Beautifully done!


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

What an absolutely beautiful case...nice job and love the video...very professional.

I couldn't help but notice a bit of bearing noise on startup and shutdown...is it bearing or something else...?

Thanks for sharing...I'm not a CNC'er but I appreciate the beautiful pieces you can create with it...

Regards...Nick


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks, guys! 

Nick, I don't know what that is but it has made that sound since day one. When I spin it by hand I can't feel anything rough so maybe it's the ramping process by the VFD to the spindle, changing the frequency from 0 Hz to 300 Hz (running at 18k rpm). I can set the length of time the spindle takes to get up to speed and I have both the ramp up and ramp down set to 5 seconds.

David


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

difalkner said:


> Thanks, guys!
> 
> Nick, I don't know what that is but it has made that sound since day one. When I spin it by hand I can't feel anything rough so maybe it's the ramping process by the VFD to the spindle, changing the frequency from 0 Hz to 300 Hz (running at 18k rpm). I can set the length of time the spindle takes to get up to speed and I have both the ramp up and ramp down set to 5 seconds.
> 
> David


It might also be a lower frequency vibration at some particular resonance between a couple of parts...you could try holding different areas of the frames to see if some thingimajig is loose. You could also use a stethoscope with a probe end and place it on different spots...very accurate. If you don't have a stethoscope, you can put the business end of a screwdriver at the target location and the handle right up against your ear...works just as well. I chased down what turned out to be a loose screw holding down a metal wire clamp...the vibration appeared to come from all over the place.

Can you set the speed so that it stays at the point the noise appears...? That would give you more troubleshooting time...

...just thinkin' out loud...


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Build video - 






Enjoy!
David


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## UglySign (Nov 17, 2015)

David that was awesome. How much longer by hand?

I got a few ideas out it all.

Are you going to engrave a Brass nameplate in front of the bullet holder?

When is the next project coming, I gotta get some more cashews


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Thanks, Ronnie! How much longer by hand? Not sure I understand the question...

They already have a name plate for it but that's what the front of the bullet block is for - good catch.

Next project isn't as exciting but video should be coming within the week. Get your cashews ready - LOL!

David


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

Cool!!!


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

thanks...
that is one fine build...


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## MoHawk (Dec 8, 2013)

Beautiful display case for a fine weapon!!


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