Billet Door Slide Latch

[bturner2]

Looks like we have several people able and willing to cut these. Whoever decides to do it please do it right with all the edges done properly.

I'd have to agree on the aluminum as it's much easier to work. Some one let me know what we want to do here and we'll go from there.....

[sdfoiler]

Yea, I agree, you definitely want the edges chamfered or rounded since you will be grabbing it with your hand. Unfortunately I don't have a boat that has that door, so the only way to test one would be to ship it back to someone to make sure the first one fit.

Definitely not trying to take work away from anyone, just saying my machine is free right now. Totally up to you guys.

[MC25]

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy the part? Lol

[501s]

$100/season for a piece of plastic is not really "easier".

I am happy to be the test subject. I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.

[LakeDays]

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy the part? Lol

I would rather file it out of titanium by hand than pay MC $100 for a piece of crap.

[MC25]

$100/season for a piece of plastic is not really "easier".

I am happy to be the test subject. I'm in Canada if that makes a difference.

I've never broken one of these. 1 a season seems insane

[Stevext23]

So to be clear. You're talking about the black sliding thing right here? I found this on the web. Is this the same do the new 2017's? If so, I'll definitely be breaking that.

EDIT- yes 2017 is same.

[Stevext23]

If you made it out of metal and someone pushed the door HARD, made it would damage the hinges?? Just saying maybe this is why it's plastic. It's design to be failure point. PS: I've worked with engineers all my life so have taken on their line of thinking some times.

[dt37803]

Yep . I feel it is designed to break as a safety issue. If someone falls against the door it would break to allow the door to absorb the impact. Thus reducing the risk of injury.

[Mathewfamily]

It would take an extreme blow to that door to damage the hinge. I am thinking that the part is made of plastic due to the way it slides on the aluminum. If it were aluminum and tight to prevent rattling it would scratch as you pulled it across. You could bond a thin delron sheet on the inside of an aluminum channel to prevent the scratching and allow it to slide easily. Having a custom part made to fit the exact shape would cost more than this plastic piece unless you had them make a lot of them because you are paying for the engineering time and programing time for a one off part. You could probably find an extruded channel that could be bonded on top of the plastic one that is currently in your boat even if it is broken. Polish it up and it could look really nice. If you found the right extrusion it could cost you a couple of dollars for a foot of the material. Check out speedy metals and see if there is one that would work.

[LakeDays]

I've never broken one of these. 1 a season seems insane

You weren't trying hard enough. Time to step your game up.

[LakeDays]

Yep . I feel it is designed to break as a safety issue. If someone falls against the door it would break to allow the door to absorb the impact. Thus reducing the risk of injury.

Darwinism... If you fall against my door and cost me $100 part, you deserve to be injured

[Upnorth07]

I just looked through my boat parts box and looks like I did not keep the original one I broke.

Someone get SDFoiler one of these...I'd love to see how they turn out in aluminum.

My boat is 45-60 days out from storage retrieval.

[sdfoiler]

I'm guessing it's something like this. Does anyone that has one of these latches have a digital caliper that could do some measuring for me?

My guesses: 4" x 1" x .625" with a .125" hole

[Upnorth07]

^^^

That is a great start! I actually found some pictures of the original one I broke.

If you notice, there is a "lip" on the inside of each side of the slide that fits into a channel on each side of the door.

You'll also notice that there is a half dome on the top, inside part of the slide. IIRC, there is a ball catch in the top of the door that the slide rests in...if that make sense.

I don't have a caliper so I can't validate measurements for you...someone else have one and the slide handy?