Need a replacement spring for a mortise lock

[MiamiCuse]

I have a mortise lock and recently the dead bolt part will slide out without turning the cylinder lock. This will cause the bolt to be stucked on the dummy side of the double door and the door won't open.

I took it apart and found the problem. There is a spring/hinge thingie that is broken...here is a picture of where it should be:

If you look at the full size image I have drawn a red line where the hinge used to be connected and now it is broken. I then took the hinge apart and this is what it looks like:

Is there a replacement part for this? Is this a genetic part I can order? I put everything back then took the entire mortise to a local locksmith and described the problem to him and he said I need to replace the entire mortise which will be a special order and $135.00. I said it is only a hinge and he told me the mortise lock are made to be replaced in whole and not in part and I should not even try to fix it if I take it apart I will just "hurt" the internal mechanism. Really?

MC

[Joseph Meehan]

I would take it to a good local locksmith.

[RicodJour]

And I would call around first. Start the conversation like this.

I need a ten cent spring and I'm willing to pay $20 for it. I just need the spring - I'll replace it myself. Can you help me out?

I'm sure you could track one down on the internet, but it'd be tough to know you're getting exactly (or close-enoughly) the spring you need without comparing them side by side.

You could also try making one yourself. Take a suitably sized spring and heat it up (anneal it) so you can work it. Form it into the shape you need, heat it back up and quench it to temper it. It's a bastardized technique, but it should work and it's easier than starting from scratch. Here's the correct way:

a Google search: R

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I can get you one for $135.

I believe that is a form of a torsion spring. You may find something similar in a good hardware store, or a similar sized one someplace. I've seen springs of that style, but right now I can't recall where. You can also buy something called "music wire" at a hobby shop and form your own.

[DanG]

The locksmith is right. Very few people will work on old mortise locks. There are no parts available, manufacturers have changed their mechanisms, and if someone spends much time on one, the cost quickly exceeds a new one.

We have several hundred Corbin "green case" locksets. No parts available. Over $150 per unit.. Falcon here we come.

If you truly want to salvage your lock, go to a local gunsmith. He will be much more prepared to make an odd spring. ___________________________ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

[RicodJour]

I hope that advice doesn't backfire on him. ;)

R

[John Gilmer]

The previous advice was sound: TAKE the lock out of the door and bring it to a good locksmith. I have often taken locks into a locksmith (one I took an old trunk to have the lock picked). If it's a larger operation, you will have an owner who has "done everything" and usually hangs out in the office until there is a lot of outside business or to help out a new guy.

[John JJ]

[architecturalrealms]

"old mortise lock spring"

The one I see in the picture looks as if you could get a spring set from Home Quarters, or look in an older hardware store. Now the older mortise lock set springs (100 years or older), have a flat spring, that looks like an L, for these I would go to a lawn mower shop and ask for a broken or new recoil lawnmower starter spring, and try to match yours, you can grind these to size!

MJ

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[aemeijers]

This issue has come up before- I Googled myself (hairy palms be damned), and of the several thousand hits to my name, well over half were AHR posts that had been mirrored to 'forums' on various web sites. Us regulars and semi-regulars are in effect providing free content to these sites, and making them look a lot more active than they really are. I'd not be surprised if they cook their books to make each harvested AHR message look like a page hit, to pump up their ad rates.

Anybody have any ideas how to counteract this? Maybe a standard tag line above the sig delimiter saying 'This post was made to the actual Usenet, not to a stinkin' web forum! If you are reading this on a web site, don't assume I have anything to do with this company or these people'. Or is their harvesting software smart enough to strip off stuff like that?

Too bad you can't copyright Usenet posts....

[Fake ID]

Why not? That's contrary to everything I understand about copyright where everything you write is automatically copyrighted for time immortal (assuming Disney et al keep buying legislaton so their copyrights never expire). Just because the entire basis of USENET is replicating copies all over the place doesn't preclude the author owning the copyright. In fact, you should have legal standing to file DMCA take-down notices against those moocher sites.

(c) 2010 m

[jamesgangnc]

When you post something to a public forum like this you do not retain a copyright.

[Colbyt]

Some sites leave your sig line as posted and others strip out as much or as little as they please. The stripping part is fairly simple if you know a little PHP language.

The homeowners flub is one of the ones that strips. Google Groups is one that does not.

Frankly, I don't mind the republication provided my sig line is left intact as I post it. The strippers do bother me.

To fully understand copyright and the difficulties of enforcing it read this article:

Should any of you wish to publish a real article of 400 words or more and not have a site, I will consider publishing it with your byline on my site. It is always an open offer for the regulars of this group. One member of this group has published.

[Oren]

The cows are out of the gate. Web based sites that have ported to NNTP servers are here to stay (Google, Sucko Company, others and the one you mention). A couple of users here posts disclaimers about how a poster should find out how to get to USENET in the traditional way. It will not work in the long run...

"...counteract this?" Only thing I can think of is _not_ to reply to postings that are from web-based sites. That requires looking a each header and not responding. Even that won't work as they have the NNTP servers ported and get all the threads, anyway.

'This post was made to the actual Usenet, not to a stinkin' web forum! If you are reading this on a web site, don't assume I have anything to do with this company or these people'.

Oren

[DerbyDad03]

re: "Frankly, I don't mind the republication provided my sig line is left intact as I post it. The strippers do bother me. "

Now, me I'm the complete opposite.

Strippers don't bother me but the republicans do. ;-)

[Colbyt]

left intact as I post it. The strippers do bother me. "

Nice comeback.

Colbyt

[RicodJour]

Publish a real article...? Do we get paid real money?

R

[dpb]

...

Simple. If you don't want usenet posts scraped, don't post to usenet. Other than that, you're relieving yourself in the proverbial direction with regards the selfsame piece of flexible fiber...

--

[Fake ID]

Someone else posted a link to a page about copyright myths. Its companion page offers a different take:

"Anything you write and post to USENET is almost certainly a creative, copyrightable work."

Not a legal opinion, of course, but far more consistent with my understanding of copyright.

Copyright 2010 m

[thgirrm]

That wasn't a very good locksmith then. Try one that has more experience. These are meant to be repaired.