Doorknob repair

luv2sipt · 10-12-2008, 11:46 PM

I wasn't sure where to post this, but we have some interior doors (6 panel), where the glass doorknobs have come out of what holds them in place on the door. The mechanism is intact and it appears the doorknob could be 'glued' back into place. What would be the best material to use to fix this? Elmers just doesn't work!

Also, some of our interior doorknobs have come loose, and over time, have actually fallen out of the doors....(my dear husband and his elderly dad installed them years ago, and neither of them were very mechanically inclined). The locking mechanisms never worked, either.

Any suggestions on the easiest way to reinstall and/or repair our glass doorknobs?

Feeling a breeze,
Debbie

Maintenance 6 · 10-13-2008, 12:57 PM

If you mean that the glass portion of the knob has separated and come out of the metal part, the best repair is a two part epoxy. Don't get the epoxy into the threads on the ferrule of the knob, or you won't be able to get the knobs threaded back on. Also be sure that the square spindle where they thread onto is not so long that it pushes on the glass when the knob is installed. (I'm assuming that these are threaded spindles) If it is too long, you can: 1) try threading it farther into the opposing knob, 2) Purchase a shorter spindle from a locksmith or restoration supply house (make sure you get the correct thread, size), 3) hacksaw the existing spindle shorter. Make sure that the set screw in the side of the knob tightens down against the flat side of the spindle after you have the knob threaded into place. There are a lot of reasons why your locksets may not work. We'd need more specifics to give you advice.

hellothere123 · 10-13-2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luv2sipt

I wasn't sure where to post this, but we have some interior doors (6 panel), where the glass doorknobs have come out of what holds them in place on the door. The mechanism is intact and it appears the doorknob could be 'glued' back into place. What would be the best material to use to fix this? Elmers just doesn't work!

Also, some of our interior doorknobs have come loose, and over time, have actually fallen out of the doors....(my dear husband and his elderly dad installed them years ago, and neither of them were very mechanically inclined). The locking mechanisms never worked, either.

Any suggestions on the easiest way to reinstall and/or repair our glass doorknobs?

Feeling a breeze,
Debbie

I had the same problem...I just use silicon..Dow Corning 732...but I'm sure most silicon and caulking will work.

luv2sipt · 10-13-2008, 10:44 PM

Thanks for your quick responses! To 'Maintenance 6': Re: "If you mean that the glass portion of the knob has separated and come out of the metal part, the best repair is a two part epoxy." That is exactly what happened. I'll try the epoxy and see if that helps. Also Re: "There are a lot of reasons why your locksets may not work. We'd need more specifics to give you advice." To lock the door, you pushed up or down a little lever that was on the metal base of the doorknob. However, it never locked the door...you could still turn the doorknob and it would open.

And thank you 'Hellothere123' - I'll keep the silicon in mind as well!

Where would I find instructions (pictures would also be good!) for reinstalling doorknobs?
In 'The House of Open Doors',
Debbie

Maintenance 6 · 10-14-2008, 07:29 AM

I am familiar with the style locksets you have. They are probably 1930's-1950's vintage. Unfortunately the mechanism that locks the knobs is in the latchbolt unit and is probably broken. Being that old they are long obsolete. You could try to remove the latch from the edge of the door while you have the knobs off and see if the latch can be lubricated, just in case the parts inside are not broken. Some of the latchbolt units could be taken apart and springs replaced, which may fix them. Others were made of white metal and riveted together, so nothing could be done with them. Fortunately, these did not require any large or special holes through the door, so redrilling the doors for new style locksets is an option.

luv2sipt · 10-14-2008, 11:14 PM

The doorknobs are actually "pseudo-vintage" doorknobs, as my husband and his dad bought them about 15 yrs ago from the hardware store. It may be that something was damaged when being installed, as the doors would never lock. Your advice is appreciated, however, as we need to get this taken care of soon! The Holidays are approaching and company will be coming!

Thanks again,
Debbie

Maintenance 6 · 10-15-2008, 07:21 AM

If you look at the edge of the door, is there a name on the face plate where the latch bolt protrudes? Also, do the knobs thread on to a square shaft?

skymaster · 10-15-2008, 05:36 PM

try this if all else fails; WWW.VANDYKES.COM Tons of restoration hardware

luv2sipt · 10-17-2008, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maintenance 6

If you look at the edge of the door, is there a name on the face plate where the latch bolt protrudes? Also, do the knobs thread on to a square shaft?

Yes, but I had to remove the faceplate to see the name, which was on the inside: "Gainsborough Hardware IND" and on the opposite end: " Ltd Australia".

And yes, the knobs do thread onto a square shaft.

luv2sipt · 10-17-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skymaster

try this if all else fails; WWW.VANDYKES.COM Tons of restoration hardware

This looks like a great resource! I will definitely check this out!

Thanks!!
Debbie