So, the advantages are:
It's simple to install
It's lockable
It's relatively light
It's secure
It has a pretty low profile
The disadvantages are:
It requires a key to operate
It's heavier than some other options
It requires some other parts to be installed
First thing I had to do was make a stiffener for the rear of the door. This actually accomplished two things, to stiffen the door so it won't flex in the vertical axis and provide a little more material thickness for the lock to attach to. A primary concern with stiffeners in general is how to attach them to the door? I really was wanting to avoid using any rivets and thus preferred using Hysol. The stiffeners are not a structural component so Hysol alone will be sufficient.
At first, I was thinking of using L bracket material for this but decided against it because of the added weight. It absolutely would be great for stiffening the door but would add too much weight. Instead, I decided to use .020 aluminum sheet and bend up my own L bracket. This would provide plenty of stiffness while keeping the weight to a minimum. I measured and cut a piece to test it out. Seemed to work perfect so I proceeded to Hysol it in place after deburring, sanding and cleaning the areas to be Hysol'd.
After it cured, I measured and marked where to drill a starter hole for the lock. The lock requires a 3/4" hole so I used a step drill to slowly work my way up to the correct sized hole. Once drilled, I installed the lock to check fit. Worked as it should however, the steel lockbar was operating against a soft aluminum tube. This would require installing some sort of protector striker material.
Initially I thought of a piece of steel or sacrificial aluminum plate, and also considered anti-chafe tape but wanted something a bit more robust. Then I came across some leftover delrin seat track material. This would provide a nice slick, quiet, durable, replaceable striker surface but it is a little thick. Maybe the same material in 1/16"? Maybe I can sand down the delrin I have to the correct thickness? I'll have to try this.
Next, I started looking at how I would mount the delrin. Hysol came to mind but it wouldn't allow easy replacement. Then I looked at rivets. This is when it occurred to me that the fabric wraps around and covers the area where the lockbar will go. This will requre a slot for the lockbar to operate. I can't just cut a slit in the fabric for the lockbar. I would need an actual slot which means I would need a fabric plate to be installed to give the fabric a place to attach around the slot for the lockbar. So, I fabbed up a fabric plate with a slot for the door opening and Hysol'd it into place. This plate will allow the fabric to attach around the slot so I can cut the slot out for the lockbar in a nice neat fashion.
