The only remaining mechanism to be installed is this latch to release the small drawer. Mortised into the main box beneath the small drawer, the task is straightforward, but requires a delicate touch as this area is quite thin and unsupported.

Since the lever profile varies, let’s begin by determining the location for the bolt to protrude. The center should be sufficient for this application. Next, drill and square a hole appropriate to the bolt size. This allows installation of the latch in the correct orientation to define its outline, providing a guide.

From here, it’s simply a matter of outlining the latch, and paring away the material. It is a slow process, but affords control.

From the top-side, the result looks good, even without the latch plate. Once the drawer is installed, the latch will be inconspicuous, just as it should.

I’d like to thank Josh Huether for working with me on the small latch.

I realized that hadn’t posted about the installation of the main box latch plate…

If you recall from the Getty video, this latch is positioned in the floor of the carcass, and releases with a key-turn in the proper left apron.

This requires a (hardened steel) latch plate be mounted to the underside of the main box.

It is partially mortised to allow the latch bolt to have adequate purchase.

Locating it is fairly straightforward, I ran a pencil along the edge of the bolt to deposit graphite onto it. Then, operated it several times (in an attempt) to leave a mark on the bottom panel. Fortunately, working the main box back and forth also left a large scratch.