Victorian door handle dilemma

[NotVeryHandyMan]

Can anyone help? I have a number of original Victorian rim locks on the internal doors of my house. Despite 130 years-plus of paint, the spring handles and latches all work fine but I don't have any of the keys to operate the locks which, with the surface paint removed, should work. And I now need them to. My goal: to remove one of the locks, take it to a locksmith and see if I can get a key cut which will work the lock, and then hope that key works on all the other bedroom doors (or repeat the process for each lock). My dilemma: using paint stripper I've identified all the old screws on the painted over lock, scored out the old paint and successfully removed them. The lock is now loose and ready to be separated from the door but will not come away completely as it is IMPOSSIBLE (so far) to remove either of the two handles (one old and Victorian; the other 'new' -- ie probably added sometime in the 1980s) which remain stubbornly attached to the spindle and are so keeping the whole apparatus attached to the door. Nowhere on either handle can I find anything resembling a grub screw to undo and so release them. This is driving me nuts! Am I missing something obvious?! The three other similar locks on the bedroom doors in the house which have Victorian handles do have obvious grub screws, but the one I've stripped all the paint from seems fixed to the spindle as if by some... magic! It's doing my head in! Any help or advice much appreciated.

[T i m]

Is it possible the knob domes come out, revealing a retaining screw?

Cheers, T i m

[ss]

If it were me I would get the one key made and if it doesnt fit all locks then try and get blanks (ebay?) and cut your own, its a case of carefully filing the blanks but not too difficult if you have the locks out.

[tabbypurr]

Internal Victorian locks are typically only 2 lever and the parts on the la rge side. Cutting a blank to fit is easy. You don't even need a blank that fits well as the tolerances they allowed were so slack. They're useful and nice but don't expect serious levels of security, they're just handy to loc k the bedroom. If you want the key to look genuine, wear the sharp corners and add some decorative pseudo-security cutouts, typically at right angles to the real working bits. File the handle a little for added decoration.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

Unfortunately I had something similar where the handle had a kind of sprung ratchet piece that engaged into a slot in the square spindle. However, this was a newish handle set, and if one of the handles is old then I'd have not thought this system was in use. Is there perhaps a cap on one of the handles that when removed has something like a collet type instrument know gripper system? Brian

[GB]

If the OP wants keys with the minimum of fuss, I suggest taking the lock to the local hardware store and asking them to try any ready-made keys. As Tabby says, there's plenty of leeway in these locks and there's a reasonable chance of finding a key that works - particularly amongst other rim lock keys.

[tabbypurr]

e large side. Cutting a blank to fit is easy. You don't even need a blank t hat fits well as the tolerances they allowed were so slack. They're useful and nice but don't expect serious levels of security, they're just handy to lock the bedroom. If you want the key to look genuine, wear the sharp corn ers and add some decorative pseudo-security cutouts, typically at right ang les to the real working bits. File the handle a little for added decoration .

I think you'd have more chance of that working at a reclaim place. I wouldn 't expect a modern key to be large enough.

NT

[GB]

I was thinking of something like this.

[tabbypurr]

the large side. Cutting a blank to fit is easy. You don't even need a blank that fits well as the tolerances they allowed were so slack. They're usefu l and nice but don't expect serious levels of security, they're just handy to lock the bedroom. If you want the key to look genuine, wear the sharp co rners and add some decorative pseudo-security cutouts, typically at right a ngles to the real working bits. File the handle a little for added decorati on.

uldn't expect a modern key to be large enough.

It'll likely be a rather loose fit. Better off at a reclam place.

NT

[Max Demian]

May be warded so you can make a skeleton.

[Capitol]

I thought this was occasionally ukdiy? Just wax coat a piece of stiff plastic and get filinf. Worked for my garage door key.