Cabinet Locks

Cabinet or drawer locks come in all different sizes and applications. Some are used on filing cabinets, gun cabinets, liquor cabinets, or desk drawers. The most common questions that I get asked are; "What size do I need for my application, and Can I get them keyed alike?" I will go over all the basic points of cabinet locks in this post. First, what types are there? Cabinet locks come in either a disc tumbler or a pin tumbler. The term tumbler is interchangeable with the term cylinder. See the anatomy listed below:


A disc tumbler works by discs inside the cylinder that rotate back and fourth to lock and unlock. A pin tumbler has spring loaded pins that drop down into place when it's locked and unlocked. A pin tumbler works the same way a door lock that would be on your front door works.



Next would be the types of application, we carry the disc tumblers which is by far the most popular. These would go on doors or drawers for filing cabinets, liquor cabinets, built-ins, etc.. the "everyday use" cabinet. The pin tumblers would be used in similar applications but with a little more security. Another type would be a plunger lock, these come in both disc and pin options. The plunger locks are used on sliding doors or on the side of a filing cabinet. You can press the front of the lock in and it will push a small "button" into the strike. When someone tries to pull the drawer out or slide the door over the "button" will not allow the door or drawer to move. When you unlock it with a key, the "button" retracts into the lock and allows clearance for the door or drawer to move.


A drawer lock comes in either a dead latching (works just like a deadbolt on your front door) or spring latch (works just like a door knob on your bedroom or bathroom.) A drawer lock is specifically made to latch up into the frame of the cabinetry when the drawer is closed.


And, the last application that we have is a combination lock. You can either use the combination or the key override for locking and unlocking the cabinets. These would be great in a school, church, gym, or any other public setting where you have multiple people using common areas.


So, can you get the locks keyed alike? Yes, all of the cabinet and drawer locks that we carry either come keyed alike or keyed different right from the manufacturer. If you want six locks keyed alike then all you have to do is order the one that has the KA in the part number and when you get them they will all use the same key. If there is a KD in the part number then all of the locks will use different keys. We stock two different key numbers from National Cabinet Lock, our numbers are 413A and 415A. National Cabinet Lock's part numbers look like this C8053-14A-KA413A. The first set of five digits are the specific model of lock, the second set of digits is the color of the lock. 14A is Nickel, 3 is bright brass, and 4G is antique brass. The last set of digits will be the keying of the lock. KA413A will be keyed alike with the number 413A, KA415A will be keyed alike with the number 415A, KD will be keyed different, and KDMK will be keyed different and master keyed.

Last would be the dimensions. On our site we list the overall length of the lock in the first line of the description, in the product specifications it will tell you the maximum material thickness. For example: The NCL-C8060 is 1 3/4" long but will only accommodate a material thickness of 1-7/16". This can work in a number of ways, if you have a door that is 3/4" thick and sits on a frame that is 3/4" thick this lock will work with the straight cam that comes with. If you have a door that is flush with your frame and your door is 1-3/4" thick, you will need this lock plus you will use the offset cam (the bent one.) The bend in the cam that comes with the locks is 1/4" so when you add the 1-7/16" thick and the extra 1/4" you're right at 1-3/4".

For the most part, the National Cabinet Locks that we carry will come with the straight and the bent cam inside the package. We do also carry additional cams to accommodate different applications.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Ironing Center Sale!

Ironing centers are another item that have become popular. If you ask me, I don't really see why. But, this is coming from the girl who's ironed about a whole five times in her life. If I did iron, I'd definiately want one of these. On some of the models you can store your iron and starch (do you even use that anymore?) and the best feature is that you don't have to store a big ole ironing board under your bed or in your closet or wherever you typically hide that thing. These are always in the same spot and easily hidden.

Most of the models have to be recessed into the wall, which is a great feature because they don't stick out very far at all. And, for the less construction savy person there's even a surface mounted model.
The ironing centers come with an array of features, sort of like a car. You've got the base model let's say a Dodge Neon which is basically an ironing board, and a built in hanger. At the top of the line there's a model that has a built in light, an electrical outlet, a larger board that swivels, all the bells & whistles sort of like a Cadiallac Escalade.


All of the ironing centers that we carry in stock are hinged on the right side, but we can special order them left handed or the hinge is easy to change on site. The doors are made out of an unfinished birch veneer so you can stain it or paint it the same color as your wall. I know, they're starting to sound pretty appealing aren't they? Heck, I might even get one and take up ironing. But, the best part about these is that right now through the end of September they're on Sale. Yep, it just doesn't get any better than that. Who doesn't love a sale?!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

What's In Your Closet?

Have any of you watched "MTV Cribs?" No. How about "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous?" Probably. These types of shows always intrigue me, because you get a peek into all the wonderful, crazy gadgets that are available in the world that one might not own unless they've got money to spend and nothing to spend it on. Aside from the 17 different cars in the garage, all of the houses shown have a common feature. They've usually got a humongous closet (or two.) Not only are the closets about the size of my entire house, but they've got "mad features," as they say. There's all kinds of organized storage; pull out shelves, shoe racks, pull down closet rods, jewelry drawers, towel warmers.... you name it. Of course we can't all have a closet like this, but for there's a lot a really neat items to make your closet feel like it's fit for "Cribs."

There are two color choices for most closet hardware that's available now, Chrome and Oil Rubbed Bronze. The oil rubbed bronze is a newer finish in these items, but because it has become so popular in homes today it's been added to most product lines. The one word of caution I'll make to anyone interested in Oil Rubbed Bronze closet rods is that metal hangers tend to sratch the surface of the rod. On a Chrome rod the scratching is barely noticable, but on an Oil Rubbed Bronze rod it will be something that you'll notice.

The run-of-the-mill items such as closet rods and ends come in both Chrome and Oil Rubbed Bronze, and they come in round or oval. As far as I can tell the only advantage to having the oval over the round is that there is less friction from the hangers on the oval rod. Other than that, it's mostly aesthetic.








Now for the fun stuff, we carry a company called Rev-A-Shelf and they specialize in home organization. Some of the items I'm going to talk about are new for them, so they're not uploaded to our site yet but I think they're worth mentioning.

Rev-A-Shelf makes a number of items that are extendable or pull out's, these come in various baskets, tie & belt holders, extendable hangers, and pants racks. The beauty of these is that they can be used for storage and then, pull out for easy access of the items you need.
Here are a couple of tie/belt organizers. These are universal, you can hang either ties, belts, or scarves from any of these.




They also make valet rods, or extendable hangers. They take up very little space inside the cabinet, but if you need to hang your clothes while your getting ready, or packing, the rod can be "whipped out" and voila you've got a ready made closet rod.





Pull out pants racks have been pretty big sellers for us as well, to me this is a little crazy but in all fairness this is coming from the girl who has used an iron a whole five times in her life. The pants racks can be used for dress slacks, jeans, or even skirts. The first type below is simply a pull out model for easy access. The second is a pivoting pants rack. It mounts to either the left or the right cabinet wall and then pivots front to back for access.





And, you've got items like pull out hampers that can be stored inside the cabinets, and wall mounted ironing centers, and also towel warmers if your closet is big enough to change in.

The last cool thing I want to talk about is a pull down closet rod. These are really cool for those of us with limited closet space. You can mount these up high where you normally wouldn't be able to reach and then pull down with the provided bar, it brings the entire closet rod down to about shoulder height. That way you can have two tiers of closet rods as opposed to one.



Regardless, whether your closet is small or huge there are some really neat space saving products to help organize and customize your space. You can turn your space into something that's envied. Think, Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

"Maggio ho un bicchiere di vino?"

Studies have shown that a glass of wine here and there is actually good for you. Maybe that's why so many people are putting bars and wine cellars in their houses these days. No, you don't think so? Ok, well let's just say that's the reason.

It seems pretty common lately to look in any home oriented magazine and see at least one wine cellar, a section of the kitchen or a small bar area featured. New homes in particular are being built with an extra space for wine storage. Homes that are being built now seem to focus more around entertaining family and friends. Kitchens are larger,more open and more functional. Mostly for the purpose of entertaining our guests. I've even seen a few magazines that show wine cellars with a kitchenette and seating in them.

All this talk about wine...it's got you thirsty doesn't it? Well it's not even noon! So you might want to wait, but in the meantime here's some really cute wine themed cabinet hardware to spruce up your bar area. Many manufacturers make knobs and pulls with either grapes or actual wine bottles, but some of these are really spectacular. There are a few with actual mother of pearl inlay, and hand painted enamel.





If you're not into the themed hardware and want a more subtle touch, there's always hand carved corbels and rosettes with a grape theme that can be incorporated right into your cabinetry or as decorative accents under your counter top.



And, don't forget the most important part...storage. Where are you going to store all of those beautiful bottles and glasses? We carry a couple of manufacturers that have open storage racks that can be installed in what is basically a cabinet without a door. These come in styles that look like a big letter X, and squares that hold individual bottles, they also have pull out racks that are installed in the cabinetry if you don't want to display your bottles. There is also an alternative to having your glasses put away in a cupboard, there are small racks that can be installed under the cabinets for easy access. Oh yeah!


If you're remodeling or building a new home, odds are pretty good that you could use a glass of wine. Cheers to a new beautiful room!

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

It's All In The Details

What is a Corbel? According to Dictionary.com a Corbel is an architecture term meaning: 1. any bracket, esp. one of brick or stone, usually of slight extent. 2. a short horizontal timber supporting a girder.
In older classical style buildings you see stone corbels a lot around the corners and under balconies.



Woodworkers and Cabinet makers have been using wood corbels for years as architectural details in the kitchen, living room, dining room, you name it. The nice thing is you can use the different items where ever you want. I've seen them under mantels for fireplaces, as corner pieces in doorways, under crown molding, under cabinets, and I know someone who uses them as bookends. The first two pictures below show a couple of corbels that we sell unfinished and the picture below shows what they would look like in a kitchen setting. Corbels come in all different styles and sizes.

We also have wood turnings that can be used on the corners of cabinets, on tables, and islands.
This:

Can be turned into this:


Appliques are a good way to add detail to a lot of different items, the example I have is for a range hood. Again, these elements are found on picture frames, armoires and furniture, directly onto a wall, kitchen cabinets, and more.

These types of products are no for everyone, but for homes with a more traditional or classical style these are a good way to make your fixtures blend in and look more like furniture that has been there forever.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Hey August, What's New?

This month has been a slower than normal month for adding new items to the site, but behind the scenes we've been diligent little worker bees with our stocked items. For those of you who have not read my initial post, THH (The Hardware Hut) is part of Spokane Hardware. We have a print catalog of all of the items that are stocked in our warehouse that we are able to give to builders to take on job sites and order their stock items from. There are a number of items that are what I call "more functional and less visual", such as roller catches for cabinets, sand paper, adhesives, padlocks, etc. Our print catalog is about 400 pages with approximately 5 items per page, we are in the process of adding those items to our website. For the time being we've got the "Print Catalog" items listed in a category with very basic descriptions and a price. Little by little, we are editing the descriptions and adding images to each item and moving them from the "print catalog" category to the category that they belong in on the rest of the site. It will take some time, but we'll get it all done eventually. I mentioned the print items in last months post, but thought I should elaborate a bit.

Since I'm on the subject of items that are stocked here, some items that have been added to Thehardwarehut.com are commercial bathroom accessories by Bradley. These are items such as the double toilet paper roll holders, or the wall mounted soap dishes, and the sanitary dispensers for the stalls. These items are all made out of stainless steel which is typical for commercial applications because of it's durability.




Another new collection is the Schaub & Company Vinci line, they've come out with cabinet knobs & pulls as well as appliance handles made out of solid bronze. The great thing about this collection is that they are made from what is typically a rustic material but the style is more modern. My personal favorite is the Polished White Bronze finish, it's very similar in color to what a polished nickel would be but not quite as mirrored and it's got slight imperfections. This collection is very linear and clean, I think square shapes are becoming pretty popular.



And the last thing I'll share for this month is a new "component" by Lewis Dolin. Lewis Dolin has had the Bar Pull series for a number of years, these pulls come in a number of different lengths and a few finish choices. He has come up with a bracket that you can add to any of his bar pulls to make a towel bar out of it. Currently, he does not have any other bath hardware such as robe hooks or toilet paper holders, but I think the towel bar is a good idea for the kitchen. I can see one of these hanging on the end of a counter or on an island and it would be a perfect match to the rest of the pulls.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”

Quirky Is The Word Of The Day

We all have our own quirks and silly things about us, some of the items we carry seem to fit in the "quirky" category. Now, I'm not saying they're weird or that you're weird for buying them (okay, maybe one of them is a little weird... I'll leave you to guess which one.) It's just that they don't fit the bill for being conventional.

Check out these cabinet hardware items below. Starting from the top Left is a pull by Notting Hill Hardware. They have an entire series dedicated to labeled pulls such as forks and spoons, but who ever heard of "pieces of string to short to keep?" We all have one of those junk drawers in the kitchen and what a cute way to call something "junk". The Pipe Smoking Frog by Schaub and Company is just comical. I imagine this in a study or den (or some sort of mancave.) This style frog has been around for a while, I can think of one book from childhood that has a frog who's dressed very similarly. Directly next to the frogs feet is a pewter baby face by Soko.....need I say more? OK, fine. This cherub like baby face is made from solid cast bronze and well, it wouldn't go just anywhere in ones home but I'm sure someone could find a spot for it. Perhaps Tim Burton? To the right of the baby face is a faux antler by Wilderness Treasures. These are actually pretty popular here in the Northwest, the best part about these-they're cruelty free. Wilderness Treasures has done a great job in making resin look like the real thing. The Level pull by Lewis Dolin, this is my favorite. Obviously it looks like a real level and measuring tape, and the cool thing is the measurements are correct and the level works. The not so cool thing is that you've got to have level cabinets or anyone can tell. Again, the right place for these and they'd actually be useful. I'd like to have one of these in my craft room. I wouldn't have to search for my ruler ever again.



Quirky doesn't stop in the kitchen, Anne at Home makes some cute hooks that are shaped like cowboy boots. They've even added an extra quirky twist, the boots come as a front half and as a back half like they're growing right out of the wall. The next time you're in a Levi's store, take a look around-you might see some of these.



Moving on to the outside of the house, some people don't like to get as eccentric outside of their home but just in case you're one of them, there's still some pretty fun stuff for the exterior. House Art has come out with some house numbers that come in colors like Miami Mango and Key Lime, they probably wouldn't be so funky in Miami but in Denver they might. Still, in the right setting they're pretty darn cool.



Also, for the outside of your house there's a palm tree door pull from First Impressions (hey, this wouldn't be bad with the colored numbers!) It comes in a frosted white acrylic, but First Impressions can do custom colors too. The Gecko doorbell button by Waterwood Hardware, they've paid great attention to detail and making this critter look pretty realistic. And, I bet you no one else on your block would have the steer head door knocker by JVJ.



Hardware is definitely not boring, and with any one of these pieces you can express your personality. Have fun with the things in your life, be creative, be quirky! Sometimes, it's just a lot easier to go with the flow rather than keep up with the Jones'.

Erica
“Leave the Details to Us”