Well it’s not much of a mystery really, it’s just frustrating me. I’ve got one of these:
It’s an antique entryway set that has been on the front door a few years, and always worked fine.
Then, for no apparent reason, the door handle stops working this morning. The knob only works one direction, and sometimes the latch doesn’t spring back. The spring in the latch is fine, something in the mechanism itself seems to have gone kablooie.
There’s nothing to replace the latch locally, and most online sources don’t have enough photos to ID a replacement latch. The unique thing is featured below- it’s a little plate that retracts the knob, because the thumb-action handle on the outside of the door makes a lever go back and forth, instead of rotating something like the knob. The latch says “Weiser” and has no other identifiers on it. Can anyone help me find a replacement, before I cut open the whole thing and attempt open heart surgery?
zak
“so it goes”
Replies
What's the age of the house?
I've probably got something like it in a bucket in the attic, unless I wisely took all that #### to the metal eater.
Weiser's been gobbled up. You have an "family" locksmith-old guy- in your town?
I don't think there'd be an ext. door set up there in the bucket, but probably some interiors. How does it lock? something in the shaft vs. the latch?
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
No old family locksmith around here, unfortunately.
The latch isn't original to the house, but I think it's 80-ish years old. Most of the houses around here that aren't postwar are from that era.
There isn't any lock in the latch, the lock operates on the mechanism inside the exterior handle. But I don't think most passage set latches would work, because of that thing on the exterior in photo #2- there's a tab of metal that goes right behind the plate, so the exterior handle can pull the latch open.
I'm not sure that makes any sense, but hopefully someone here will recognize it. .
zak
"so it goes"
30's is the vintage I'm thinking. I'll stick a postit note on the thermos to go up and look tomorrow. What's the backset?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
2 3/8". Thanks a bunch. I am forever indebted, sir.
I doused the thing with a cup or two of some expensive teflon stuff, no change.
zak
"so it goes"
OK, take a good sized rock, wrap it in a rag. Put that in a drywall bucket (edit: throw the latch in the bucket too) and stick the lid on.
Roll the bucket down a good sized hill.
Guaranteed.
I emailed blodgett, he's close to you and might have something like that stashed.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Edited 7/14/2006 9:03 pm ET by calvin
Did you spray a bunch of freeing up lubricant in there?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Ok, I fixed the latch. only took 45 minutes or so with a dremel and a welder, and it works like new.
Here's the old latch mechanism- one tab is worn down to nothing from use:
View Image
Here's the fixed mechanism, after I welded on a new blob of metal and filed it down to match the existing:
View Image
Case welded back together (I had to grind off the little ears holding it together):
View Image
Handle back in door:
View Imagezak
"so it goes"
Nicely done!A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
you remind me of my grand-Dad, he had eyeglasses he repaired the frames of a dozen times with solder, glue, and whatever...;)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
I once found a pair of eyeglasses that happened to be my prescription. When I found them (hiking in the backcountry), they only had one earpiece. I kept them around for a few years until I lost my main pair of glasses. I figured that was the right time to start working my found pair.
I made 2 new earpieces from some bronze brazing rod, heated and pounded and soldered together, carefully filed so the hinges worked right. I think I wore those glasses for about 2 years before the lenses got so scratched they were useless. Then I switched to contacts.
Those were the most comfortable glasses I've ever had, I should get new lenses in them. The earpeices wrapped all the way around my ear and fit just perfectly. They would patina green from my sweat, but that never bothered me too much.
Anyway, I think you pegged me pretty well with that one. Why replace an otherwise working doorhandle (and a more attractive one than most that I've seen) when I just had to replace 0.0625" of metal and put the thing back together?
I'd do well in Cuba.zak
"so it goes"
"I'd do well in Cuba."How do you say LOL in Cuban?
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Hey, that's the exact same handle I have - definately mid-to-late 60's. I applaud your committment to making old junk work. As for me, just yesterday I was thinking about how I'd really like to replace mine with something better built and better looking. Glad you got yours working - guess you won't need a spare in student housing or I'd send you mine :-)
Y'know, I kind of like the look of mine. Those vertical lines seem cool to me, and it's just enough of the craftsman rectalinearness, while still being an ergonomic handle. Plus, I like the patina of age. Looking at all those new handles just turns me off- it seems like they're either all slippery and lacquered looking or they're an artificially patinaed copper made to look like it was hammered out at the village smithy.
Maybe if I actually searched a bit I'd find something that I liked for this house.
If you're really anxious to get rid of your door handle, I know a few people who would like one.
The curse of enjoying the revitalization of old junk is that there is always more old junk around than I can work on, and I'm compelled to save the old junk for the time when I can work on it. I should sell my house and buy 40 acres with a barn.zak
"so it goes"
"I should sell my house and buy 40 acres with a barn."
BTDT - 60 ac in TN. It's absolutely frightening how quickly the stash grows - LOL!
I think I'll keep the handle for now; I agree there is an element of Deco/craftsman to it that is appealing.
I doubt that this is an old lock, 1960's or at the earliest, '50's. When you get a key made for it, what kind of blank do they use? Perhaps a Kwikset? The bolt assembly looks like early Kwikset, or a Kwikset clone. But then again, it might not be the original bolt for this lock. They made these square holers to work with old mortise parts.
If you want something really nice, try to find a pre-WWII P&F Corbin. Their cylinders with the ball bearings between the pins and the key are pretty much impossible to pick. Wrecking companies, aka architectural salvage, are a good source.
-- J.S.
Yeah, the handle is not original to the house, I bought it used. The deadbolt on the door is a new schlage, so I don't use the lock on the handle, I've never had it keyed. It does look like there has been a new lock cylinder put in at some point, but I've never looked into it.
I'll keep an eye out for those corbins, but I think this one will work for another few years now- It doesn't have to do much, just open the latch, no locking or anything.zak
"so it goes"
Try your Schlage key in the hole, and try somebody's Kwikset key in the hole. If neither one goes in, you have eliminated today's two most widely used blanks, and there's a better chance that this is an old lock. (If the Schlage "C" blank fits, you could even get it keyed to match your deadbolt.)
-- J.S.
Wesier Lock is still in business.
http://www.weiserlock.com/Default.aspx?area=customerservice
Aslso you might try Van Dykes or Restoration Hardware.
I'll give weiser a call on monday if I don't have anything else worked out before then. I'm not real hopeful about them servicing stuff of this age, but you never know.
I looked at van dykes, restoration hardware, rejuvenation, and auberchon hardware- nothing so far. Maybe this weekend I'll grind off the peened over tabs holding the thing together and take a look inside.zak
"so it goes"
Just my 2¢, but Weisers are the worst of all the worst kind of locks I've used...half the time they don't work right out of the box without a severe beating...so, I think you're beating a truely dead horse... Now, with that said, I may also have one of those pos latches in a hardware bucket...lemme know how you make out<G> I need a dump truck, baby, to unload my head
I've got to agree with Snort. Weisers were never made to last. They have always been for the "economy" minded folks.
I'm also pretty sure you have a 50's or 60's vintage lockset there--not 20's or 30's as has been suggested.
Soak it in some kind of solvent--NOT WD40--and give it a thorough cleaning. You're probably going to clean out the years of WD40 that have built up and caused the problem. Ask any locksmith when it's appropriate to use WD40 to lubricate a lock and he'll probably say "never."
As far as just turning in one direction, some of those were designed like that."Kinky for Gov. of Texas"
Smack the bolt HARD with a hammer when it is drawn in and relocate the bastid. Really. If that don't get the jam outta it, it is TU and ya lost nothing.
Often the crud inside wont budge by knob pressuer only and gets wadded/hardened in the sweet spot. A good over drive with a hammer will dislodge the recalcitrant throw distance.
Or, ...oh well, you know.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
There is no cure for stupid. R. White.
Ya gots two things goin' on.
Wear introducing some slop, and
Grunge in the "Sweet spot."
Can't do anything for the wear, but, soak overnight in WD40 or Marvel Mystery Oil, take it to the carwash, clamped in the biggest set of vicegrips ya got.
Spray detergent in every hole, crack, and crevice there is. Use the entire time sold. Rinse with WD and lube with the expensive teflon stuff.
It is not an antigue by any means, but it is worn out. Weiser has never been a top of the line quality.
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!