15-03-2025, 04:01 AM
BUDGET LOCKS.
As part of the door assemblies John Heath included Budget Locks and handles that are to be installed in the wooden door frames. The handles are sand cast brass and require finishing which is no problem. On the other hand the locks are a problem. The springs in the lock are so strong that it takes both thumbs to depressed the latch when held in ones hands. This would destroy the B pillar where they are supposed to latch on to because you'd have to really slam the door hard to get the latches to work. I suppose one could always close the door and twist the handle while doing so but it just doesn't seem to be the way I think things are supposed to work.
So I took one of the locks apart and examined the mechanism. All very simple but the springs are WAY to stiff and strong for the purpose.
The basic mechanism is very simple and should work well for its intended purpose. You can see the very stiff springs to the right of the lock.
I decided that I needed to find some soft springs to replace the stiff ones and found four of them in a selection of springs I had on hand. They are very soft and allow the latch to move with little resistance. I have laid them out side by side here for comparison.
I will have to machine a depression in the latch to locate the springs and keep them in position which won't require much work.
I tested the latch with these soft springs and was very pleased with the way that it worked. Very little pressure is required to make the latch move into the housing which was the aim of this exercise.
I can only imagine how much damage would be caused to the wooden B pillar and frame if I used them as made.
Cheers,
Stephen
As part of the door assemblies John Heath included Budget Locks and handles that are to be installed in the wooden door frames. The handles are sand cast brass and require finishing which is no problem. On the other hand the locks are a problem. The springs in the lock are so strong that it takes both thumbs to depressed the latch when held in ones hands. This would destroy the B pillar where they are supposed to latch on to because you'd have to really slam the door hard to get the latches to work. I suppose one could always close the door and twist the handle while doing so but it just doesn't seem to be the way I think things are supposed to work.
So I took one of the locks apart and examined the mechanism. All very simple but the springs are WAY to stiff and strong for the purpose.
The basic mechanism is very simple and should work well for its intended purpose. You can see the very stiff springs to the right of the lock.
I decided that I needed to find some soft springs to replace the stiff ones and found four of them in a selection of springs I had on hand. They are very soft and allow the latch to move with little resistance. I have laid them out side by side here for comparison.
I will have to machine a depression in the latch to locate the springs and keep them in position which won't require much work.
I tested the latch with these soft springs and was very pleased with the way that it worked. Very little pressure is required to make the latch move into the housing which was the aim of this exercise.
I can only imagine how much damage would be caused to the wooden B pillar and frame if I used them as made.
Cheers,
Stephen