Still struggling with my lock (video)

[Cutting Cathy]

I worked on the silly thing all day and just can't get it right. I watched the video on the site here and the tongue is all the way to the left. If you watch the video you can see where I mean. Not the greatest video sorry!! You can watch the video here.

It's not the greatest quality video, but I think you can see what I mean. Any thoughts on what I can do differently?? Thanks for looking!!!

[evilbadger]

Cathy

It is hard to tell from the video it could be the pattern line throwing me off but from what I see in the video it looks like the hole in the tongue might be a little loose on the pin. The tongue should pivot freely but not move side to side on the pin. You might have it that way but it is hard to say from the video.

[evilbadger]

Cathy

If you pivot the shackle does it stay locked?

[dgman]

I could be wrong, but it looks like the angle of the slot for the spring is off, causing the spring to slant to the right.

[Rolf]

Dan is right. The angle of the small slot that the spring fits in is critical. Take a close look at the spring in the acrylic faced lock(pg 40), notice the bulge on it. I also was off a bit on the spring slot. If you did not glue the spring into place yet just make a new one. If it is glued in then just make a shim to take out the slop and glue it to the existing spring.

[Cutting Cathy]

Bot excellent catches!!! I wondered about the drill holes being a little big. I made several springs, but I will work on that more tonight. Rolf I did notice the bulge in the the spring on the one lock. I had wondered if I could do something like that. I will make more springs and work on it again tonight. Thanks so much guys!!!

[Ramjet]

To me it looks like the top part of the tongue is rubbing or nor clearing enough for the spring to pull it back . Photo 12 in the book page 44 , it looks like there is more clearance.


Roger

[Wood Dog]

Cathy I ran into the same problem, the work around I used is putting a real spring to hold the spring board where it should be. See photo.
spring (Small).JPG

[Jan]

Did y'all catch BobD's post about the hole size being wrong in the article?

Jan

[handibunny]

Jan, I think Bob meant the metric equivalent, which was off by quite a bit.

[Cutting Cathy]

Well I didn't get out to the shop tonight! I was just too tired to venture out there. I will get out there tomorrow night though. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks so much for all the replies!!!

[handibunny]

Sorry, Jan, I didn't see Bob's second post. I had only seen the first. I didn't realize that there was an ambiguity about the hole for the buttons.

Cathy, it seems that you're not alone in having some issues with this project, and it has to be frustrating. I took one look at the instructions and decided to give it a pass, even though I thought it might be fun to do. I don't think I have as much patience as I once had.

It's fortunate that we have the forum where we can get things corrected and clarified, without having to work all this out alone. I'm sure you'll eventually get things "tweaked" and end up with a lock you can be proud of.

[Rolf]

Carole, it depends on who packages the buttons. I looked in my stock and I had an older bag from a store now closed that calls it a 1/2" button but plugs a 3/8 hole. The new ones from Lowes only put the size of the hole it fits on it. When I did the locks I never looked at the bill of materials, just went by hole size called out in the instructions.
That is what is great about this forum, with all of these members someone always has an answere or different approach or solution.

Cathy when it is all done and you have your chains attached to it you will very pleased with it. It was cause for lots of conversation and ooh and ahhs at our last club meeting.