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Fastener advice... (something REALLY clever)
wintermute:
This is a truely horrible drawing, but how about this, going with your detent idea: Make a piece of wood say 4 inches wide extend down from the back edge of your top CP. Cut a groove (a V-groove router bit would work well for this) horizontally along the lower portion of the 4 inches.
Next get an aluminum solid round bar maybe 1/2" in diameter about 7" long (you can get these at home depot in the metal rack. In fact you could probably use a piece of 3/8 copper pipe too). Build a U-shaped enclousure for this bar out of wood (you could probably also use a metal U-channel also). Inside the U channel put springs that will push against the bar. On each end on the U channel, put a 1" wide piece of wood that allows the bar to stick half way out of the U channel. Mount this U channel contraption inside the back of the lower CP.
The front of your upper CP should have an edge or something that slides under the top of the lower CP to hold. The back of the upper CP with the 4" tab will slide down past the bar until the round bar snaps into the V groove. I guess you could mount this the other way too, so the back of the upper CP has a part that sticks under the lower CP top, and the front could have this groove/bar thing.
Hmm maybe this is too complicated. Oh well it's just an idea... ;)
PetitMorte:
how about cam-locks like on the "ikea" computer desks? A tall screw post fits into the edge of the panel, and the cam gets turned and locks it down solid.
http://www.outwaterhardware.com/catalog/form04.asp?page=1
They hold great, and are simple to release. Simple is good.
Lilwolf:
btw, I added two pieces of wood off the end of my control panels that hook under the cabinet. So only the front was an issue.
Then I have two pins that I put in the latch them in.
I always hoped for a mechanical servo type mechanism to do it for me... but I never got it, and I've run out of room.
But I'm happy with the stability of the pins. The big trick is to drill the wholes for the pins in the control panel when its IN the cabinet through the outter holes. So they always match up perfectly.
AlanS17:
Cam locks are a great idea. The only problem that can occur is that they can be loose if the holes aren't drilled properly. If done well, though, it should work like a charm.
Stingray:
Is there a reason why you're not just using panel clamps?
-S