Thanks Osip. I should have added, but you already gathered from my post, that I cannot slam the door shut. I have to turn the knob to depress the latch.
I have some bike lube at home and just lubed the hell out of the latch and keyhole. The strike plate is hitting the latch at the curve, but is not causing the latch to depress.
I’ll wait until tomorrow and see if the lube takes. I had previously WD-40’d the hell out of it. But I’ll see if the bike lube does it.
The smaller protrusion completely extends.
If no luck, I guess I’d just have to replace the lock. Again.
If you continue to have problems You can buy a new latch. no reason to replace the whole lock. The problem in absolutely in the latch. Check your hardware stores or a local locksmith about purchasing a new latch MUCH less expensive than replacing a good quality lockset.
Mr. Osip, you hit the nail on the head with the hammer. The lube didn’t work, but the hammer did. (I didn’t use the chisel, as I thought that was not necessary, and it wasn’t.) The short stub which I said was completely extended was not. I thought that was as far as it goes, but I see it goes the same length as the latch, and that was apparently why the latch didn’t slide shut.
Thanks again, Mr. Osip. I got the right and straight dope from you. Can you explain something else? How does the short projection allow the latch to depress? That appears to be the only function of that projection, and an important one it is.
Well, It is a common function in many knobs and the design is slightly different in each case but with the same results. The small projection (SP) is as I think I stated earlier (damned if I am going to reread my long windbag posts) There to help prevent the infamous Credit Card opening technique. When it is fully extended the Main latch will move in freely. When it is slightly depressed (as it should when installed properly) on a closed door. It moves a piece to block the latch from being pushed in. When the handle or key is turned in the lockset it retracts two seperate Pieces in the latch. One which pulls the blocking piece of the SP and also pulls back the main latch as well.
It was designed as an improvement for security reasons and works really well. They do glitch up mainly on “adjustable” latches. These are the latches that can be centered for either 2 and 3/8 or 2 and 3/4 backsets (the two most common measurements for a lockset)
Thanks for the complement and glad I could help out
Damn, now my ego has swelled so I doubt I can get out the door. Thank goodness I am home for the evening
Well, I changed the first two (of five) locks tonight.
It wasn’t so hard, but it wasn’t easy either.
The main problem was that the new knob had a metal sleeve that fits right inside the round hole. The old lock didn’t, and the round hole wasn’t quite large enough.
So I filed it a little (no doubt exposing myself to dangerous airborne particles) to get the hole to a proper size.
A residential lockset with a sleeve?
Is is a) kwikset titan
b) Weiser “brilliance” brand
c) something I am forgetting
Anyway, If the lockset has a sleeve or collar as you described more often than not, it is one of the better grade locksets. Sure the collar is annoying when the hole is not the correct size. But hey the collar does actually serve a purpose.
Back in the mid 80’s a scam artist sold a “tool” for $80 that would open most locksets. Come to find out, it was a simple Ice pick sent with instructions on how drill or dig out a hole then manipulate the latch.
Many manufactures then redesigned their latch. Some manufactures redesigned the latch AND added the sleeve to prevent this form of attack.
Oh and the air borne particles? Mostly sawdust and maybe some paint flakes. If it worries you a dust mask would be more than enough to keep you from inhaling them.
Well, somebody had nailed a piece of sheetrock or something to the door! Paranoid that I am, I imagined that it contained asbestos.
Anyway, I made sure that the area was well-ventilated.
In any event, I just changed the last lock - thanks so much for your tips everyone, especially Osip.
The locksmith would have charged me about $400 (!) for parts + labor + service call. I ended up spending about $100.
There’s one last little nasty: The new cylinder for my mortice lock was a touch longer than the old one, so now the metal plate that rests between the door and the lip of the cylinder is a little loose. Should I get a thicker plate? Another cylinder?
How bad is it loose? Is it so loose that it flops around and looks less than stellar?
They make spacers and springs of various sizes. I had a bunch at the shop. I would think any locksmith would.
The only thing would be finding one in brass. Most are a satin crome color. Good news is they (the spacers) are reasonably cheap.
I can go into detail as to why that spacer is kinda important. But, I have to run off to the salt mines and put in my day’s worth of labor.
