Does anyone know where to buy the small latches commonly found on flute cases? I want to make my own wooden case, but all the latches I’ve found are either too big or low quality.
The boxes in these two ebay ads have the exact clasp I’m looking for. Thanks.
example 1
example 2
Jay
I make my own wooden cases for whistles and flutes. The supplier I last used was…
http://www.smallboxhardware.com
They did once have what you are looking for. I don’t see them on their site today but I bought a few some time ago. They do have another spring slide catch though. Grizzly sold the same spring slide catch about four years ago too. They no longer carry them. I have been buying hardware (hinges and latches) from Woodcraft recently but have gone away from the spring latch to nicer brass latch. Let us know if you locate what you are looking for.
Feadoggie
Feadoggie,
I’d be interested to know what type of nicer brass latch you switched to.
Thanks,
Jay
Here’s what I am now using.
http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=3743
I like the small size and they are straight forward to install. I just started a couple new cases yesterday, nothing complicated or exotic. I’d still be interested in finding a nice solid brass spring slide catch. Most of what I have seen lately are thin stamped brass. The case for that Wilkes flute you linked to is quite nice.
Feadoggie
Thanks for the link. I’ve seen that one on another site, and it’s the best option I’ve located a source for so far.
I’m partial to that first case, with the routered-to-fit slots for the flute, but I wouldn’t mind having that Wilkes from the other link.
Best,
Jay
I wonder if Rockler would have something? I’ve had good experiences with them.
http://www.rockler.com/search_results.cfm?filter=catch&submit.x=18&submit.y=11
I think Ferree’s might sell the flute-case style catches. They have a web page but it’s the ugliest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Best thing is to download their catalogue in .pdf form and troll through that. Even that is painful as it’s in sections but you don’t know which section the thing you want is in. Argghhh. Probably worth doing though as you can turn up other things you didn’t realise you wanted.
Terry
Good catch, Art! Here’s the jewelry box hardware page.
http://www.rockler.com/CategoryView.cfm?Cat_ID=358
Rockler does have the same stamped, brass-plated spring slide catch that Small Box Harware list.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16943
I view Rockler and Woodcraft as pretty much interchangeable. They carry very similar stock. I only mentioned Woodcraft since there is one not far from me and they do have the catches I am using.
Terry, you are probably right about Ferree’s. I didn’t see any case hardware on their index.
Feadoggie
I have a Ferree’s catalogue from 2001 in which the case hardware comes under the “Miscellaneous” section. There are “Case latches”, “Case Handles”, and about 3 pages of other related bits…Their case latches include the type in the photo in Feadoggie’s post above - it’s coded as “T7 Latch without lock”.
Though my catalogue is out of date, I doubt they’ve dropped this category in the intervening years. A search of their site with say, “latches” might get you there…
Garry.
Thanks, Maichol, I don’t have a catalogue here and, as Terry pointed out, Ferree’s website leaves a lot to be desired. I should get their catalogue to check things out.
Much of the instrument case hardware that I have seen available is targeted for sax cases, clarinet cases, guitar cases or even attache cases. They are just too big and heavy duty for my uses in wooden flute boxes. The latch I pointed to from Rockler is relatively small, only an inch high. The slide catches Jay was looking for are maybe 3/4" high and work well for the French style flute cases and for whistle cases (think Thin Weasel cases) which are rather thin in comparison. If I could find a solid brass slide catch like that I’d be a happy guy.
Feadoggie
Whereabouts are you Jay. I searched a while back for these in Ireland. Found that Woodworkers in Harolds Cross, Dublin 6 had a choice of two or three types but mostly similar to Feadogies clasp - surface mounted.
Right - just looked again at the Ferrees catalogue I have from 2001 and saw something I missed earlier. They have, or had back then a “Flute case latch” which is the same design that Jay wanted in the original post in the ebay photos. Their description says:
T2 Flute case latch, solid brass. 1 1/2’’ x 5/8" (38.1mm x 15.9mm). Nickel only. Sold in pairs.
So they say “solid brass” and then they say “nickel only”… But anyway they are the right design and size which in fact I will need myself soon…
They should be somewhere in that slow-loading catalogue of theirs but I have a very slow link here so don’t want to search the full four parts of it. These flute latches are on page 108 of the 2001 catalogue if anyone else wants to try…I might get round to it later.
Garry
Thanks for the update on the flute case latch. I am in the same communications boat here, Maichol. I live out in the countryside and broadband Internet access doesn’t live here. I will download their catalog as time permits. It could be just what I want if the latch is solid brass plated with nickel.
Feadoggie
Been away over the weekend. I reviewed all the suggested websites. Looked at the Ferreestools. The T2 Flute Case Latch they currently sell is the same surface mount brass latch with square button.
So far, it seems the only small latches that are available is the T2 style and the small box catches. I still haven’t found the recessed style clips with the round buttons similar to those in the two links of my first post.
Flutered, I live in Arizona. None of the local hardware stores have anything to my liking. If I don’t find exactly what I want, I think I will try the small box catches as they look to be better quality than the T2 Flute Case Latches.
Terry, you’re right about Ferreestools website and catalouge, but mostly about finding stuff there I didn’t know I needed…
Best,
Jay
Hi,
I have used the solid brass catches, they work well. The T@ one is just stamped metal. There is also the traditional hook and screw, recessed in the wood. Here is a photo, of a box made by Andrew Crawford:
http://www.fine-boxes.com/pages/nsfset_g.html
This is the one you are looking for:
http://www.fine-boxes.com/pages/nsfset_g.html
You might email him and ask where he gets his hardware?
Let us know if you find something, I have been looking for years…
Hi All -
I’ve made a few cases over the years, and had trouble locating these latches also.
In the past I have purchased them from
J.L. Smith & Co.
1816 East 7th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204 USA
704-334-5150
JLSmithCo.com
I used my last pair, in fact had one installed and the site for the second one routed, when I discovered the second latch was faulty. I called JL Smith Co in a panic, and they were able to come up with one last matching latch, but the indication was that they were having trouble finding them also. You might call and ask – even when they had them they were not shown in their catalog. I’ve not been woodworking much lately, so it’s been a year or more.
Do let us all know if you find them. They must be out there somewhere!
Linda
Double-posted – once is enough!
I decided to email Chris Wilkes who replied right away. He gets his from a German supplier, but there’s a minimum order of 200 pounds. He said he would get me the contact information if I was still interested. I don’t think I could use that many.
I followed Linda’s link, and then opened their pdf catalog. The clips are there on page 39. These look like the right ones. Cost is $21.00 each or $9.45 each when buying 12 or more. That’s a huge cost savings!! But I really don’t need 12 either.
If anyone decides to buy a few dozen, perhaps I could buy a few from you.
Linda, you’re case looks very nice. Thanks for sharing the latch source with us.
Best,
Jay
Could you post a link for the PDF?
Thanks,
Jon
Now that’s just being lazy 
…here you go.
Jay