Alucab Latch Drill Jig

I've always had a fear of only having a single exit from my ModCAP when it's closed up, so I decided to do something about it.

I've seen some clever aftermarket electric solenoid release mods offered online, but they require the locking mechanism to be unlocked— I knew I would never remember to do that every night before closing up, so it didn't seem like the solution for me.

So I designed a 3D printed jig that allows you to drill out the internal catch tab so you can replace it with a removable pin. The nice thing about this solution is that as long as you have access to pull the pin you can open the latch regardless of whether or not the lock is engaged.

See a video of the part at https://www.youtube.com/watch/R3BSGUtwR_Y

Instructions for use

1. Remove the latch.

2. Hold the jig tightly to the back of the latch and put on its side in a drill press.

3. Use a 3MM or 7/16" drill and drill through the hole on each side. IMPORTANT: make sure the latch is in the closed position when you do this, because the metal latch will help guide the drill bit straight. If you don't have it closed, the drill bit may wander as it drills out the interior tab. Note that if the jig is properly aligned it should drill directly through the metal latch without much interference, but you may notice a small amount of rubbing on the metal latch.

4. Use a utility knife or exacto blade to remove any excess portion of the plastic tab that is still left inside, until the metal latch no longer remains in the closed position when pressed shut.

5. Insert a 3MM or 7/16" rod through the holes you just drilled to act as the new tab. A hair/cotter pin works well for this.

NOTE: the latch surround (the thing that clamps it to the hatch) may also need to be drilled out depending on the thickness of the metal. You can also use the jig for this, but sometimes it barely needs to be trimmed and it's difficult to get the drill bit to catch like this on the edge. In this case, a dremel tool can be used to etch a groove into it where it's needed in order for the pin to clear it.

DISCLAIMER: This modification will make irreversible changes to your latching mechanism and if not done properly, could cause the latch to cease to function. Use at your own risk! While this modification should theoretically not affect the performance of the locking mechanism against theft, no guarantees are made.