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I am looking to replace the knobs on the inside locksets at my house with a lever to facilitate them being operated by someone with a mild handicap. The locks are 80 (approximately) years old and have the 1/4 inch stule speindle that runs through them. The knobs attach with a set screw that goes into threaded holes at either end of the spindles.
Does any one know of a manufacturer/distributor that sells such a replacement item? All the locksmiths in my area have todl me thatt no such things exists but they’d be happy to sell me new lock sets….
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Jim,
Make your own. It's not that difficult.
If you don't want to do that, get the newer handles, sleeve them, and drill and tap them for a set screw.
*Jim, You've got three options that I can see, I can picture what you need, either in brushed aluminum or brass, #1-take Luka's advice. #2-consult a Renovator's magazine or their site, go to http://www.renovators.com or check out the link at the FWW site. #3-go to http://www.historichouseparts.com and check them out. You can email them with your needs and I'm sure you'll find what you need. I have visited their store numerous times and they have more hardware than most hardware stores. Good luck.
*I suggested doing this with one of our local commercial suppliers and he warned me that the old springs would not be able to take the weight of the lever handle. A downward sag would be a relatively quick problem. I never tried it, but I would say it's worth a try with just one lockset to see what happens.
*About sixteen years ago a lady askedme to replace her knobs with these beautiful lever handles she had brought back with her from Germany, I said no problem and got started. Just like Tim says, the weight of the brass let them hang down just enough to keep them from latching because the springs were too light.
*Take them off and remount them, with them pointed downwards. (vertical) It is just as easy to open the door by pushing the handle sideways, as it is pushing it down.However, this does bring up the one point that I thought might be a hangup if this were done on old lock mechanisms. The shaft is much smaller, and easy to get catterwhompus in it's guide. It takes a much more centered turning motion with those old ones, to keep from binding it in it's own hardware. Using a lever on that hardware may well be next to impossible and/or a much greater headache than it's worth.
*I know for looks you won't want to do this, but I have seen a snap on lever (plastic) that goes right over existing (modern) knobs for those folks that cant grasp and turn the knob. Might try the arthritis or perhaps ADA sites for info regarding these. Not much on looks but would keep the current locksets intact in case you could remove the assist.
*Jim - I run into this all the time.I usually use a porcelain/brass combination lever made by Omnia and we have a local locksmith rework the box with stronger springs. FINDING a local guy to do this might take some time.Another problem that we see (beware) is that sometimes the old locksets present a square hole on the flat while the new lever wants to be on the diagonal (or vice-versa, not looking at the moment).In one case where we really wanted to preserve the exterior mortise lock, we had a metal smith remove the cam inside, cut off pieces and re-braze with the new hole orientation. That worked fine but again you need to find patient creative people.Good luck - Jeff
*There are a million options. Biggest problem is how much do you want to spend on the levers? Best bet for the quickest, easiest and least expensive fit is renovators supply. The quality is mediocre, but it will likely be an easy replacement without screwing around with the lock or spring, look halfway decent and certainly be less expensive than all the other alternatives.SHG
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I am looking to replace the knobs on the inside locksets at my house with a lever to facilitate them being operated by someone with a mild handicap. The locks are 80 (approximately) years old and have the 1/4 inch stule speindle that runs through them. The knobs attach with a set screw that goes into threaded holes at either end of the spindles.
Does any one know of a manufacturer/distributor that sells such a replacement item? All the locksmiths in my area have todl me thatt no such things exists but they'd be happy to sell me new lock sets....