Questions and Answers for Everbilt Satin Nickel Adjustable Latch Ball Catch

A:  I would imagine a special bit would be nice, but a regular one will work on metal as long as you don't try to force it. Takes a while to get through and pushing it too hard will bend the bit. Let the drill do the work. I'd also use a corded drill in this case. the battery powered ones I own don't really have the kind of power it takes for metal.

A:  bits for metal

A:  You would need a larger bit, but any drill should do.

A:  For installing on a metal gate you need appropriate drillbits for drilling into metal. The drill does not matter, drillbits do. You certainly do not want to use bits designed for drilling into wood. After installation I'd also coat the ball with a splash of WD40 for outdoor use. The screws that come with the item are for wood doors and door frame. I'd use zinc-coated metal screws. Good luck with your project. Have fun doing it.

A:  Stephen, thank you for your recent inquiry with The Home Depot. This item is only sold as a set. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you in the future. Thank you for shopping Home Depot.

A:  Sold as a set, catch and strike plate.

A:  If I understand your question, the strike plate comes as a set with the ball latch & I have never seen the strike plate of this kind sold separately in the stores. Try going to the customer service desk at Home Depot and see if they can be special ordered for you separately. Hope this is helpful.

A:  The catch is included.

A:  The strike plate is included with the ball catch. I don't know if you can buy just the strike plate.

A:  You don't spring loaded.

A:  Yes, you can adjust the ball tension. Threading the ball assembly up and down only allows you to adjust the height of the ball to work with many doors. To adjust the ball spring tension, look at the 360deg picture above and rotate the picture around until you see the white plastic adjuster. Inside, there is a spring. Take a flat screw driver, hold onto the ball unit and turn the white plastic adjuster until desired tension. Mount the ball unit in the top of your door and test for tension to your liking. If it's too tight or not tight enough, you will have to remove the whole ball unit again to make further adjustments. Hope this helps.

A:  The ball tension is fixed within the cylinder of the ball catch. You can adjust the amount of reach into the strike plate by turning the cylinder in the mounting plate. The higher it sits above the mounting plate (to the extent that it clears the door frame) the more tension it takes to engage the strike plate. If it barely hits the strike plate, it will require less pressure to engage the strike plate. Hope this is helpful.

A:  Adjustable height of ball cylinder

A:  Just like a set screw, notice threading on ball cylinder.

A:  you just turn it, it's threaded and has good adjustment levels.

A:  It all depends upon the amount of clearance between the door and the door frame. Also depends upon whether you mortise the mounting plate and the strike plate when installing the ball latch or just surface mount them. That's the beauty of an adjustable ball catch. Mostly you find the optimum position by trial-and-error. When it latches to your satisfaction without too much or too little pressure, then it has the optimum spacing. Hope this is helpful.

A:  There is no rule of thumb for optimum spacing, the ball catch would need to be adjusted for your specific application.

A:  Adjustable height. Screw cylinder up or down.