I have an older deadbolt lock set that need new door knobs. The deadbolt in a wrought iron gate that my in laws have built over thirty years ago. It was made by a local dealer in Davenport Iowa.
The only name visible on the face plate is "Watch." My searches have not produced any satisfactory results. The lock has a toggle switch that enables or disables the outside door knob from opening the door. It also has a keyed lock. The items that I need are the door knobs but they must have a square shaft that is 5/16" x 5/16" x 1-1/4" long.
I have uploaded a couple pictures that provide a little more description. If anyone has an idea where I should may have a chance to replace the parts I would be most grateful. [IMG]
I would talk to some of the well established locksmiths in your area. They would probably know what happened to the company that made the lock and if replacement parts are still available.
Also, where I live, locksmiths will keep old locks they remove for customers so that they can be used for parts. It's very possible that some of the locksmiths in your area will have the parts you need.
You call it a deadbolt lock SET. which is correct, but four times or more you use the term deadbolt. FTR, the deadbolt is the part that is locked with the key. It's rectangular and not triangular.
The part that uses the doorknobs is not a deadbolt. Maybe it's called a latch. We also called it a slam-lock, but in this case, it's not a lock. (except that toggle you mention would make it a lock)
I don't want you to emphasize deadbolt so much that people say, "I don't have one" when they really do.
(In 1967, I had '50 Oldsmobile and I needed a part, from the front suspension. The moment I told the parts guy 1950, he said, "I don't have it." Finally one guy had it and it was only a dollar. Turns out they had used the same part from 1930 and were still using it 37 years later. Called a stabilizer link. They might still use them, though probably not of the exact same dimensions, like they did for 30 yeasrs)
I expect that many locks used t he same knobs and shafts, and it doesn't have to be Watch. .
You say toggle switch and I think an electric switch so you can control this from the inside of the house. How cool. While it might meet the def. of a toggle switch, I would call what you have a button, because the much more common style for this part of a lock is a set of two brass buttons. Even "toggle" would be better than "toggle switch". but there may be a better term than any of these.
Doorknobs and square shafts are separate items. Always, afaik. Do you need doorknobs or do you need a shaft?
*****And what do you think is wrong with them? This is my most important question, because the rest of my post depends on my guessing correctly what the problem is. You don't say.
I think the shafts in your doorknobs either pull out or unscrew out of the knobs. (Perhaps they only pull out when they are the wrong shaft for the knob, or when the threads are worn, but I'm pretty sure in my grandmother's drawer in 1960 were knobs with shafts that pulled out. There were also those which screwed out. ) But I think you have already unscrewed the shafts quite a bit. Maybe you want to screw them back in, so they are not too long and you can put the knob right up agaisnt the door. Aren't the shafts sticking out too much now? Did you or someone unscrew them since you removed them from the door?
The shaft is more than 1 1/4" YOu're just measureing the part that isn't in the doorknob,
Are the holes in the ends of the shafts threaded? Were the two halves of the shaft ever connected to each other? Like with a headless screw? Probably not, but I never got straight how that worked, but some shafts are like that. Not sure what happens when the connection is gone. Does one of your knobs work and not the other? Please tell me what the problem is.
If you get exact replacmenet knobs, you can probably take the current shafts to use in the new knobs.
Is one knob bent? The first picture makes it look like it's sagging. If that is the problem, someone used to bending metal might be able to straighten it without making it worse. Maybe he would just use his hands or maybe he'd make a jig to hold the base down and just use his hands on the knob. If the shaft was too long after this, you could remove the shaft and grind it a little shorter.
Definitely find a store that recycles building supplies. When houses are torn down, people donate (or sell?) a long long list of things that other people need. . There's one in Baltimore called iirc Second Chance, and it has lots of brass doorknobs, probably just what you need. And shafts. If you ever get straight exactly what you need, you might be able to do business remotely. Where do you live?
In NYC, there was one just across the Connecticut border that sold really big things, but it must have sold little things too. (A friend took me there once) You could see it on the right when coming from NY, from the parkway or xway or whatever is closest to Long Island Sound, and if you got off at the next exit, it wasnt' hard to go back to the store. It had loads of stuff outside too, things too big to go inside. Arches and turrets and things that go outside. It's been almost 40 years so it might not be there.
You can also check ebay for vintage door knobs . They don't seem expensive, but most don't look like yours. Antique door knobs may be more expensive.
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