Door knob removal

[Roger H]

Hi all.

I am installing replacement salvaged rim locks to my interior doors. I’m now scraping the bottom of the barrel in my set of parts. I’ve several round brass door knobs that are seized onto slightly deformed spindles (rods?). Probably deformed by previous efforts to remove them. They don’t have any visible fixing method i.e. grub screws. The other ends of the rods are designed for knobs with grub screws, having rebates in the rod.

Can anyone advise how the seized ones might come off? I’ve oiled the joint but it would be useful to know if they are originally designed to be forced on, welded on or screwed on. I could buy some more of course, but would first like to try and reclaim these.

 

[parkview094]

I have exactly the same problem. Have you tried heating the handle with a blow-torch or similar? That was going to be my next move. Failing that - the blacksmith i used to restore the ones I could get off advised me to hacksaw through the spindle (I can't get my rim-lock off the door as the handle is seemingly 'welded' on) and then they would sort out the necessary repairs.. might still be cheaper than buying new?

 

[Roger H]

Thanks - yes, these are already seperated from the lock however - just fused onto the spindle.

Heat is an idea. I tried tapping one of them while the rod was in a vice, without much luck.

 

[88v8]

Might be riveted on with a pin through the shank, possible to drill out.

Often, only one knob of a pair was designed to come off.

Plenty of knob sets on eBay.

Ivor

 

[Nigel Watts]

I don't understand the problem. If you have a rim lock one of the handles must be permanently fixed to the shank otherwise it will wobble or fall off. The shank is usually threaded and held in place by a threaded plate screwed to the other side of the door. The other door handle is then fitted to the end of the shank or to the door.

 

[parkview094]

Here you can see the 2 handles associated with one of our Rim locks. One is correctly permanently affixed to the spindle. The other is a snug fit, held in place with a grub screw. I have 2 doors where the handle with the grub screw (which is missing) seems to be permanently affixed to the spindle. With regards to the original post, I guess it's a fair observation to check whether the handle /should/ be removable from the spindle

 

[Roger H]

A useful post Parkview. I think my round 'fixed knobs', as it were, are either fused to the spindle during manufacture - and designed to be imovable - or possibly as Ivor says, maybe riveted through the spindle, though if this is the case the rivet is very well smoothed off as it seems seamless.

I'll get some heat on them and give them a few good whacks! The spindles are deformed so nothing to lose.

 

[plasticpigeon]

I have rim locks where both knobs are fixed to the shaft with grub screws or screws that go all the way through. The ones that go all the way through have a smaller diameter non threaded section at the start which goes through a small hole in the collar of the knob. It isn't a great system as there are fixed positions for the knob so they need packing out with shims or tiny spring washes to get them tight. I've tried all sorts to get fused brass knobs od but haven't been successful yet. let me know the outcome please.

 

[Roger H]

Ok, well that didn't work out too well.

See fused on knob held firmly in vice. The washer was just to defend the brass from deforming when hit. It refused to budge. There was no evidence of any filed-off fixing and I assume it was fitted to the spindle by pressing - fixing it immovably.

Result of repeated efforts was sphere falling off, while shank of handle remained immovably fixed to spindle. Oh well.

 

[timinder]

Probably soldered or brazed on then. Couldn't you have just straightened out the shank and used it as it was?

 

[Roger H]

Probably soldered or brazed on then. Couldn't you have just straightened out the shank and used it as it was?

In theory, yes.

It was fairly bent though.

 

[timinder]

It was fairly bent though.

But at least the knob wasn't broken!

Seriously though.. From your photos, I should think that the inner part of the handle was fixed to the shank, then the other part (which fell off yours) fixed on afterwards. Now it's beyond repair, try heating the thing with a blowtorch and see if that frees it. It'll at least give you an idea whether or not the rest of your handles will separate easily or not.

 

[Penners]

If you have a rim lock one of the handles must be permanently fixed to the shank otherwise it will wobble or fall off. The shank is usually threaded and held in place by a threaded plate screwed to the other side of the door. The other door handle is then fitted to the end of the shank or to the door.

I have seen that type of arrangement, Nigel, but I wouldn't agree with "usually". The more usual approach (in my experience) is for the shank to have a knob held on each end by grub screws or - as in Roger's case - for one knob to be permanently attached to the shank and the other to be held on with a grub screw.

Roger - I would give up any attempt to separate knob and shank. They're almost certain to be either brazed or swaged, and you're very unlikely to have any success at damage-free separation (as you have discovered).

If re-use of the knob-and-shank assembly relies only on getting the shank straight, I reckon you're likely to have more success at this through judicious use of the hammer/anvil and vice.