Please help me fix this cabinet door!
April 24, 2021 5:31 AM Subscribe
I bought a spice cabinet off ebay which I love, but the tiny door hook just broke. Can you help suggest a hack that might help keep the door closed? Images inside.
The door is very lightweight, just simple presswood, but I looked everywhere around my kitchen and couldn't find the tiny hook that used to be there. I suspect it slid under the dishwasher. I'm not too concerned about appearances, I just want it to be easy to open and close. The spice rack was cheap, but I'm fond of it. Imgur link here!
The door is very lightweight, just simple presswood, but I looked everywhere around my kitchen and couldn't find the tiny hook that used to be there. I suspect it slid under the dishwasher. I'm not too concerned about appearances, I just want it to be easy to open and close. The spice rack was cheap, but I'm fond of it. Imgur link here!
Best answer: If you are comfortable going to your local hardware store, bring these pics because they certainly have a solution for you, maybe something like this? (I googled "hardware hook and eye tiny", many different varieties popped up).
By the way I LOVE that little cabinet and am totes jelly.
Edited to add: I just found another version of that cabinet on ebay and there is a picture of the original hook you can use.
posted by nkknkk at 5:39 AM on April 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
By the way I LOVE that little cabinet and am totes jelly.
Edited to add: I just found another version of that cabinet on ebay and there is a picture of the original hook you can use.
posted by nkknkk at 5:39 AM on April 24, 2021 [3 favorites]
Bodger me would clip a wire coat-hanger and bend one end into the smallest convenient "circle" and the other end into a larger L for the hook to engage with the wee nail that remains. Fat copper wire is bendier but not so available?
posted by BobTheScientist at 5:45 AM on April 24, 2021
posted by BobTheScientist at 5:45 AM on April 24, 2021
Best answer: I think coat hanger wire would be too thick to bend into something that small, but a very large paper clip would probably be a source of wire of about the right gauge. That plus a pair of needle nosed pliers should get you a hook that works.
posted by flabdablet at 5:53 AM on April 24, 2021
posted by flabdablet at 5:53 AM on April 24, 2021
After looking for hook-and-eye sets in the right size (I swear they exist! but they seem to be tricky to find online) I would suggest just getting something like this for the main connection and just making the hook out of wire with pliers as suggested above. But "hook and eye set" or "jewelry box hook" seem to be viable search terms for the premade hardware piece in question if you prefer that route.
posted by restless_nomad at 6:25 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by restless_nomad at 6:25 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
Magnets would work but you'd want better ones. I'd say four 1/4" rare earth magnets, a brad-point drill bit of the same diameter. Drill a little hole the same depth or slightly less deep than the magnet, pop a little gorrila glue in there.
posted by rhooke at 6:28 AM on April 24, 2021
posted by rhooke at 6:28 AM on April 24, 2021
Best answer: I love those cabinets; they were made in huge quantities, but they nailed the folksiness. I've driven past the large, dilapidated factory where they were made plenty of times.
This is potentially a straight replacement; as others have said, any similarly-sized jewellery box latch should work depending on how confident you are drilling and screwing into the wood. In the meantime, I'd finagle something with a bent paperclip.
posted by holgate at 6:41 AM on April 24, 2021 [5 favorites]
This is potentially a straight replacement; as others have said, any similarly-sized jewellery box latch should work depending on how confident you are drilling and screwing into the wood. In the meantime, I'd finagle something with a bent paperclip.
posted by holgate at 6:41 AM on April 24, 2021 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks to you all! I should definitely be able to work with these ideas, I really appreciate the help. And nkknkk, or anyone else considering a purchase, I definitely didn't pay $99 for mine. You can find a better deal!
posted by backwards compatible at 6:54 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by backwards compatible at 6:54 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
flapdablet: "a very large paper clip would probably be a source of wire of about the right gauge"
Better! Also I'd double back the hooky end which you will approach with your fingers.
In the absence of round-nosed pliers, you could bend the "eye" on the set-screw and trim the excess after.
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:49 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
Better! Also I'd double back the hooky end which you will approach with your fingers.
In the absence of round-nosed pliers, you could bend the "eye" on the set-screw and trim the excess after.
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:49 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
(Just as an epilogue, I stopped by the old factory a couple of hours ago and it is very falling apart.)
posted by holgate at 10:40 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by holgate at 10:40 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by coldhotel at 5:37 AM on April 24, 2021 [1 favorite]