BBQ smoker door latch question

admin

I have a 20" smoker i finished building and the doors on th bottom dont close all the way they kind of flared out. I am looking for a latch that i can build or buy. Please help. I know the pic doesnt help because i put the lip around the doors but i will take some pics if you need to see it.
Reply:why don't you just make a latch like fireplace doors use?  its a longer side with a handle, then a perpendicular piece that goes through a bushing or hole in the door, then a short 'nub' that's parallel to the first, 'handle' piece...  By slanting the nub slightly away from the handle, you can cause it to  catch the main part of the smoker, and draw the door tightly against the smoker as the handle is rotated... Attached ImagesLast edited by LMSyrus; 12-13-2010 at 09:11 AM.Reason: added pic
Reply:I've even seen some with a little adjustment screw going through the nub, so that you can make sure the thing closes very tightly.
Reply:I like the dog handle but i wonder if i go throught the 1/8" lip if it will hold i have 1" on the lid and 1" over lap and use a screw on the back
Reply:just pad the lip with a small strip of thicker metal, and put the bushing through the lid and the pad.  As long as you don't put too much heat into it when you weld them together, nothing will warp, and it'll hold the handle fine.Weld well; grind less.
Reply:http://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-...amp-96238.html
Reply:Wouldn't that melt?Weld well; grind less.
Reply:why not use appropriate methods to modify the curvature of the door to  fit they way you intended?
Reply:I got this link from a BBQ forum.  They make all types of clamps.http://www.toggleclamps.biz/tg431-la...gle-cl431.html