Originally shared by iDig 3D printing
We have created a useful 3D printable model of a door latch / door bolt.
Now there is no need to go to the hardware store to buy an overpriced door bolt as you can simply #3Dprint your own and choose to print it in what material you want and what colour.
The files are free to down load so get #3dprinting .
Not very secure though (made from plastic). How’s the chocolate fire guard coming along?
again with the useless 3D prints.
@David_Manjra
we think in PLA it is probably OK for an internal door unless you share your house with particularly hostile and aggressive people.
You can increase the strength of it by printing in Nylon, for example, or you can scale up the size of the print. You could if you had the machine print a bolt 1m in length. That is probable quite secure.
I think I would engineer the knob as an inverted cone rather than a sphere. It would print better and might be a little stronger.
@Neil_Darlow
we did not spend a lot of time on the handle/knob design. An inverted cone is a good idea.
We thought that the knob would be something that would be easily customisable with all manner of designs as it is simply, as it stands a sphere joined to a cylinder.
not everything is ment to be printed. For an outhouse itself overkill and for everything else too fragile. At least when you asking ask your insurance company.
Very nice.
Please visit my G+ account : https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DilipArt
Uh this would have been better sand casted into aluminum.
Plastic is meant for prototyping. 
Reminds me when this was posted to the group:
The members here called that lock to be more of a"useless piece of garbage" than anything else printed before… because just leaning into the door could cause the plastic to pop.
@Francis_Lee
Thanks for the link.
it’s not meant to lock you house up.
One of the differences though is that the bolt is printed on its side so it will be stronger than if it was printed on its end.
If we were going to improve the design as it stands we would make the walls of the housing for the bolt thicker.
That would be a start. Also have a steel core in the bolt, like maybe having a bore to allow an m3 or m4 screwed into it. 
Another idea that hadn’t been done much… how about a cabinet latch instead? Or a cabinet “catch?” That seems like a good use of plastic (elastic) printing and it’s a good test of tolerances.
@Francis_Lee
or buy a laser sintering machine and make it out of metal.
How strong?
@Emanuel_Chester that depends on the material and the quality of the print
CAREFUL!, Slide To Unlock is owned by Apple!
@iDig_3D_printing Well, at that point it wouldn’t be a “cheap alternative” to purchasing a bolt from the local big box store.
I missed your point about printing horizontally. Yes, that would make it stronger than the previous design, where the layers are parallel with the theoretical shearing line.
Another thought… don’t get caught up with modeling after the original piece which was made/cast in steel. What about creating a design that is more oriented towards plastic? A large rectangular “tongue” (think an external deadbolt) instead of a small diameter cylindrical bolt? Or even several tongues that are linked by connecting rods… Beef up the screw holes (as someone else pointed out, they’re a bit too thin and close to the edge) and include more screws between the tongues.
And since you’re allowing for screws to mount your bolt into the wall/door, then you could allow for screws to structurally reinforce your bolt design.
Or… (marketing hint) make a contest for your web site. Encourage people to submit designs to improve on the plastic dead bolt, and include price estimation to compete with the $5 Walmart slide bolt. Prizes… sample rolls of filament, donation to a Kickstarter of their choice, etc etc.
Okay I typed too much today. Time to wait for the caffeine to leave my body…
@Francis_Lee
That’s a lot of ideas. As to design, I think we liked the idea of recreating an object which people are very familiar with rather than breaking the boundaries of door latch design but we take your point and will look at possible amendments to the model. We will wait until we have amassed some feedback and think what to do from there for V2.0.
We like your competition idea.