How to get a doorknob apart

[David Nebenzahl]

Picked up a lockset today, just a passage set, no locks. It's an older one (ca. 1940s) to match others in the house I'm working on. I want to get it apart to clean it up. So far, I've been able to get one knob and escutcheon off, but I can't figure out how to get the other one off. The escutcheon I got off was held on by a spring and the knob by a tab in a slot; the opposite escutcheon is threaded onto the lock body. And the knob on that side has no tabs, screws or other obvious ways of removing it.

Anyone familiar with these? know how to get the knob off?

Mucho appreciado.

[TD]

David Nebenzahl wrote in news:49892361$0$10538$ [e-mail]:

a Saw.

[Stormin Mormon]

Does it have any brand names? Perhaps you can take some pictures, and upload to a free hosting site, so we can see? At this point, I'm not sure what you're working on.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/4/2009 6:25 AM Stormin Mormon spake thus:

No manufacturer's name, no markings at all (except "PATD SEE WRAPPER" and "M45" stamped on the lock body), and no digicam here. I'll try to describe it.

All exposed metal is lacquered brass. Hollow knobs, fairly heavy-gauge sheet metal. Knobs and escutcheons both have two concentric stepped rings stamped on them. Beneath the one removable escutcheon is an underplate screwed to the lock body with two screws. The door latch slides into the side of the lock body, engaging the two clips that pull in the latch.

It's a very common style made, I'm guessing, from the 1930s to the 50s. The place I bought them (Ohmega Salvage in Berkeley) had a whole drawer full of them.

At this point my only problem is how to get the remaining knob off the body. Then I can clean both knobs and escutcheons.

[mkirsch1]

Usually one knob is permanently fixed to the shaft, and the knob and shaft pull out as a single unit.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/4/2009 10:29 AM [e-mail] spake thus:

Could be, but I still don't see any way to accomplish this.

There's a cotter pin that holds the lock body assembly together. I'd rather not take it out until I know what's inside there, but it may allow me to take the whole thing apart.

It would be nice if someone who actually *knows* how these are made could answer. In the meantime, I'm going to take it to the place where I got it and see if they know.

[Stormin Mormon]

From what you're describing. It's very possible the other knob isn't designed to remove. Often they were held on by pressing a dimple into the side of the knob. Under the escutcheon. So that the knob and the shaft were togther permanantly.

[Dan Espen]

The older hardware I'm familiar with:

One knob held to a square shaft with a set screw. The other knob is permanently part of the shaft and unscrews from the lock by turning it.

[Red Green]

David Nebenzahl wrote in news:49892361$0$10538$ [e-mail]:

On the subject of older door hardware, I'm working on a 30+ yr old HUD wreck. All the door hinges have been painted over and over and over. Look like shit with everything else redone.

Last week I'm in Blue Borg and they have one of their display clearance racks with a few boxes of those econo brand Crackhouse hinges. Priced down to 1.48ea. Not too bad. Guy in dept that always sees me there says you buy a lotta stuff here. You need some of those hinges you can have them for .25 a pop. Deal. Replace all hinges in house for less than 5 bucks. Cheapo hinges but this is a HUD wreck and they look good. That's all that counts.

Anyway, thing is when I take all the old hinges off they are quite heavy compared to the Crackhouse brand. The clencher is they all have Made in U.S.A. stamped on them. Having a hard time tossing them out.

[1D1OT]

I did an interior reno a few years ago, including painting. Before the first brush was wet I removed all door, cabinet, A/C vent and window hardware and put them in a bucket of paint remover. Rinsed everything off, dried well, repainted with a good aerosol brand.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/4/2009 11:23 AM Dan Espen spake thus:

That type of lockset it *much* older than this. Remember, I said this was from to '40s-'50s. You're talking about the older stuff that goes back to Victorian times, with square threaded steel shafts.

[Red Green]

"1D1OT" wrote in news:G0sil.19$ [e-mail]:

Yea, I did that in a couple of others. But at a quarter a hinge, not worth the effort on a place I'm just gonna sell anyway...well, gonna list it anyway.

[Bob]

This sounds like a typical Schlage lockset from that era. Usually the knob and escutcheon on one side are captive, and the only way to get them off is to disassemble the lockset. Can't you clean it up without further disassembly?

[aemeijers]

So don't toss them out. Boil them in a tsp solution or something, and the paint should fall right off. (best to do it outside on the grill or over the brush pile fire, not inside. And in a vessel that will never get used for food, of course. I try to keep a thrift store stock pot around for projects like this.)

And what the heck is Crackhouse brand? M-D with the little picture of the house as the trademark? Actually wanna know.

And BTW, 30-something ain't old for a house. Mid-60s to mid-70s would be my sweet spot when shopping for a house. Semi-modern insulation, easily upgradeable HVAC, No Damn OSB sheathing, usually lotsa hardwood under the cheap carpet, and probably all-copper plumbing. Of course, I am talking a house that was built decently to start with, not some crap cookie cutter tract house.

-- aem sends...

[mm]

Accomplish what? The factory accomplishes implementing the design.

It sure would be. It's already midnight, but I'm going to get the senior staff in here. I don't care how much overtime we have to pay.

OK, I called. Five of them should be here by 2AM, so they should have an answer soon after.

[Senior Staff Number 1]

Don't be a boob, MM. No one "goes" into work anymore, and I never said I was coming in. I looked at the thread from my home, and it's clear the other posters have the situation in hand.

OP, as the other guy said: Just clean it as it is and don't make trouble for yourself trying to take it apart and then stick it together again.

Senior Staff Memeber Number 1. (Billing 3 hours of overtime, because it will take at least that long to get back to sleep.)

[KLS]

Don't throw out those old hinges. Take a pot you don't plan to cook in anymore, and boil water and baking soda in there with the hinges. That'll release the paint and reveal the underlying metal. It may take an hour and a couple changes of water, but this is a good way to clean up good hinges.

[jp]

I think the knob will unscrew counter clockwise. In old homes they use to unscrew. They have a treaded shaft, good luck, henry

[David Nebenzahl]

On 2/5/2009 6:36 AM jp spake thus:

Again, you're thinking of a much older (Victorian) style of lockset. This is a much more newfangled model. Probably a Schlage.

[N8N]

I've even seen some of the older style locksets where one knob was permanently affixed to the shaft. I have those in my house now, actually.

nate