Spring Clip

[lotus 30]

Good morning all
I want to have a go at making this door catch anyone any idea how i go about it. Can i use spring steel and heat it to bend or will that take the spring out of the material. Any advice will be helpful. I have looked on the Net for a off the shelf but failed at that. Its for my lotus eleven i am restoring these catches were used so it has to be as close as i can make it, they have all been lost to time this picture is from a car in Denmark Its the only one io have ever seen in 35 years of lotus eleven ownership.
Andy

 

[droopsnoot]

Seems to be a problem with the picture not showing up.

 

[Shox Dr]

That looks like a catch you would find in a kitchen cupboard. Or camper vans to hold doors shut.

 

[hotponyshoes]

You can use spring steel, a plasterers spready thing would be a good source.
You will have to heat treat it after forming but that should be easy on a item that size

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Could a spring tool clip be modified to suit in some way?

 

[Agroshield]

The way it operates, the flexing will be in line with the upper right black bolt/rivet retaining it.

For the curved bits, make a male and female and squish cold in a vise.

The sharp bend between the two 'legs' and the base will be the difficulty with spring steel, not so much annealing it as stopping it cracking. It is at that bend where local heating will help. Very fine tip O/A (lead burning torch) would be better than a giant weedburner. If you trap the curved bits in your male and female formers, and keep them cool, they will act as heat sinks. Shape the edge of them so they can be the anvil for the heated bend.

 

[lotus 30]

You can use spring steel, a plasterers spready thing would be a good source.
You will have to heat treat it after forming but that should be easy on a item that size

Thank you for the replies people tried bending some cold snapped heated and bent ok. I have spent a long time looking for something already made on the net but failed at that.
So do i heat treat it after bending yes get it hot Lol but how hot is it just a heat and let cool ?

 

[Shox Dr]

First sreach and they came up

 

[lotus 30]

Top man i looked for hours thanks a lot i shall order some.First sreach and they came up

View attachment 281515

 

[Shox Dr]

Pleased I could be of help

 

[lotus 30]

Pleased I could be of help

Can i find one with a UK supplier nope spent an hour on it fed up now LOL. Walmart in the USA out of stock starting to bug me now off to the workshop now

 

[hotponyshoes]

For a bit of unknown spreader,
Form it at bright red. When finished reheat to bright red and cool slowly (in the forge if possible)
Heat to non-magnetic, hold temp for 30 seconds or so, quench in oil.
Sand it up shiney, heat to dark blue, let it air cool.
Do a test run on a bit first!

If it's something you want to last for years or plan to sell, buy a known grade of spring steel and find out the proper process for it.

Should be easy to make, I would get a bit of flat bar to sit inside, tack a couple of bits of round rod/old drill bit on the sides, heat it and push form it into place with some mole grips if I didn't have any tongs

 

[Shox Dr]

Can i find one with a UK supplier nope spent an hour on it fed up now LOL. Walmart in the USA out of stock starting to bug me now off to the workshop now

Your local DIY store will have them

 

[Bullet2012]

Any good ?

Brass-plated Cabinet catch (W)17mm, Pack of 2

Use these carbon steel gripper catches to securely fasten your cupboards. For easy installation, fixings are supplied.

www.diy.com

Essentials Roller Cabinet Catches Zinc-Plated 32mm x 25mm 10 Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Steel construction. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

 

[lotus 30]

Any good ?

Brass-plated Cabinet catch (W)17mm, Pack of 2

Use these carbon steel gripper catches to securely fasten your cupboards. For easy installation, fixings are supplied.

www.diy.com

Essentials Roller Cabinet Catches Zinc-Plated 32mm x 25mm 10 Pack - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.com. Steel construction. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.com

Fussy bugger me got to be the same type i just love challenges

 

[Agroshield]

Fussy bugger me got to be the same type i just love challenges

How do you know the one you show in the photo is original Lotus?

It would be a vanishingly small coincidence if Lotus fitted an identical catch to a modern piece of cheap hardware available only on the US market.

 

[lotus 30]

very true cannot argue with that it just looks similar thanks for the input
Andy

 

[zx9]

I was thinking modify a Terry clip ?

 

[keithski122]

Knowing lotus if it wasn't borrowed from another car it was bought from B and Q.