Hidden magnets for cabinet doors.

[Doug71]

I'm making some cabinets for a customer and they want to use hidden magnets to hold the doors closed. The cabinet doors in their utility room have what look like knock in magnets (which are far from hidden!), this is the kind of thing they are after but I'm sure we can do better.

The doors will be painted so the magnets can be set below the surface and filled over or to be honest I think just set flush and painted will be fine.

Anyone got any recommendations on the magnets to use? I was thinking maybe these from Hafele?

https://www.hafele.co.uk/en/product/magnetic-catch-for-screw-fixing-elite/P-00871882/

They say for screw fixing but it does also say the spike is for alignment only and not for fixing........

Not used these before so unsure of the strength needed, some of the doors are about 1600mm high x 600mm wide and glazed, was thinking about a 4kg pull in both the top and bottom on those?

Any advice, opinions, experience appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ChaiLatte]

The strength of a magnetic field drops off very rapidly with distance. Check the 4kg quoted as it may be when the magnet is in contact with its keeper. If the two pieces never touch, the attraction will be very much reduced. What is your standard door gap?

Do they have to be in the top of the door? Would they work in the bottom? Maybe a sticker over the magnet would make it blend in and allow it to be higher than filler.

 

[Sachakins]

Sounds like you need n52 strength magnets, nXX denotes magnet strength for neodymium magnets.
N52 are about the strongest, dearer than n42 but 20% stronger.

 

[Tris]

A call to the people at first4magnets would be my first step. They do a wide range of screw through neodymium magnets which should do the job

 

[Spectric]

Tread carefully, you can put the magnet into a blind hole routed from the backside so not visible from the front and a metal target in the door which you can also hide but use the wrong magnets and you will struggle to open the doors as I found out on a job !

 

[mc281]

I'm making some cabinets for a customer and they want to use hidden magnets to hold the doors closed. The cabinet doors in their utility room have what look like knock in magnets (which are far from hidden!), this is the kind of thing they are after but I'm sure we can do better.

View attachment 178160

The doors will be painted so the magnets can be set below the surface and filled over or to be honest I think just set flush and painted will be fine.

Anyone got any recommendations on the magnets to use? I was thinking maybe these from Hafele?

https://www.hafele.co.uk/en/product/magnetic-catch-for-screw-fixing-elite/P-00871882/

They say for screw fixing but it does also say the spike is for alignment only and not for fixing........

Not used these before so unsure of the strength needed, some of the doors are about 1600mm high x 600mm wide and glazed, was thinking about a 4kg pull in both the top and bottom on those?

Any advice, opinions, experience appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

In my experience you need a magnet in the cabinet and the door. The pull between 2 magnets is much stronger than between just 1 magnet and a metal plate. If you do use 2, then cover one with a smear of silicone sealer, which will absorb the shock of a door being slammed. Neodymium magnets are extremely brittle if hit against another unprotected.

 

[scholar]

This is a good guide



Cheers

 

[Ollie78]

I have bought quite a lot from Amazon and they have been fine.
Agree with above that you need a magnet both sides, makes a much more positive hold.
If the magnets are good and strong you could put a strip of veneer over the entire edge to hide them.