Removing an APG door & lock (bottom rail)

[LockSafe]

Hi folks,

I hope it is OK to post here regarding some tips for installing a British made lock.

I've got a job to replace a bronze Union 21077 KYY lock in the bottom rail of an armour plated glass door. Haven't done one of these for a couple of decades and wondered if anyone had any tips regarding removing and reinstalling the door. I know it is a two man job. Lovely locks these, but a wopping £91.30 + VAT wholesale!

[mhole]

With a bit of luck, you can remove the stop from the frame or ground, and swing the door out the opposite way, so that you get enough clearance to remove the lock without unhanging the door. Most of these doors are in entrances, with a step before them, so swinging them outwards instead of in gives you ample room. Sometimes you can't get away with this, but a set of right angle screw drivers can make all the difference.

If you have to unhang the doors, be extremely careful of the edges - they are very, very, brittle, and even a tiny bump against a hard edge can flake off a big, unsightly chip. If in doubt wrap the edges with cardboard and gaffa tape before you start unhanging them.

Hang onto the old locks - they are all brass/bronze, and can be reconditioned like new with a little elbow grease - saving you the best part of £100 the next time you need to swap one.

[LockSafe]

With a bit of luck, you can remove the stop from the frame or ground, and swing the door out the opposite way, so that you get enough clearance to remove the lock without unhanging the door. Most of these doors are in entrances, with a step before them, so swinging them outwards instead of in gives you ample room. Sometimes you can't get away with this, but a set of right angle screw drivers can make all the difference.

If you have to unhang the doors, be extremely careful of the edges - they are very, very, brittle, and even a tiny bump against a hard edge can flake off a big, unsightly chip. If in doubt wrap the edges with cardboard and gaffa tape before you start unhanging them.

Hang onto the old locks - they are all brass/bronze, and can be reconditioned like new with a little elbow grease - saving you the best part of £100 the next time you need to swap one.

Hi, thanks, so good points there. In this case though there is no step, so the door will have to be removed. A great tip about the cardboard, I'll definately do that, maybe some bubble liner too. When I quoted I priced for two men as the doors are so heavy but still a bit of a daunting task. Looking forward to it though. Thanks again,

Phil.

[Rickthepick]

just out of interest why are they bronze. never even seen one of these out of the door. got any pics?

[LockSafe]

just out of interest why are they bronze. never even seen one of these out of the door. got any pics?

Hi Rick,

I believe they were originally specified by AGP door manufacturers circa 1960's onwards to offer efficient resistance to rusting and wear, coupled with their high level of security and reliability. The heavy lockcase is bronze, levers are brass, the only steel in them is the lever springs and hardened steel pins in the bolt. 5 lever mechanism, they go on for years. Newer APG doors seem to favour europrofile lockcases it seems.



Phil.

[EmCee]

[StoopidQuestionAlert]
I've seen images of the lock but I haven't seen one up close and personal, and I can't find any instructions on fitting.

Are the tenons/lugs top and bottom used for fixing the lock in the door? If so, what do they locate into?

Cheers....

[LockSafe]

[StoopidQuestionAlert]
I've seen images of the lock but I haven't seen one up close and personal, and I can't find any instructions on fitting.

Are the tenons/lugs top and bottom used for fixing the lock in the door? If so, what do they locate into?

Cheers....

Yep, the lugs at the top and bottom of the lock are for fixing the lock in place. The lock is attatched with bolts through the lugs to stainless steel mountings inside the rails at the top and bottom of the door.

Phil.

[EmCee]

Hi Phil - many thanks. I didn't notice the bolt holes on the side of the lugs.

Out of interest, I was looking at an ali door on a shop yesterday. All it has is a euro cylinder fitted into a euro shaped hole in the style, which operates a multi-wafer hook that is sited above the euro. It's not an MPL. Just a pull handle on the door.

Looking at the closing edge, there was no screw holding in the euro like you see on uPVC doors, nor, indeed, any sign of any fixing on the edge, although there were two strips of that narrow fibrous weather stripping running down the inner and outer edge (which I suppose might be concealing something).

From that description, do you know how the lock would be removed? Would the door have a trim strip around the edges that would have to be removed? I couldn't see any fixings for such a trim, but I couldn't see the top edge.

Cheers...

[LockSafe]

Hi Phil - many thanks. I didn't notice the bolt holes on the side of the lugs.

Out of interest, I was looking at an ali door on a shop yesterday. All it has is a euro cylinder fitted into a euro shaped hole in the style, which operates a multi-wafer hook that is sited above the euro. It's not an MPL. Just a pull handle on the door.

Looking at the closing edge, there was no screw holding in the euro like you see on uPVC doors, nor, indeed, any sign of any fixing on the edge, although there were two strips of that narrow fibrous weather stripping running down the inner and outer edge (which I suppose might be concealing something).

From that description, do you know how the lock would be removed? Would the door have a trim strip around the edges that would have to be removed? I couldn't see any fixings for such a trim, but I couldn't see the top edge.

Cheers...

From that description it sounds like an Adams Rite MS2200 hookbolt euro lockcase. If it is, there will be a screw to hold the euro cylinder in place, in the usual position. This will be covered by an aluminium faceplate and will be hidden from immediate view. The faceplate can normally be removed by unscrewing three smaller screws that hold it in place. If these screws cannot be seen it may be that the door manufacture has a face trim design of their own. You will be able to release it in some way though. The MS2200 is also available with rivnut fixings. If it was a job, a good look around should reveal how to get at the euro cylinder fixing screw.

Phil.

[Rickthepick]

All euros are held in by a screw as stated above its an adams rite with a faceplate covering the lock edge.
The only euro removal that ever stumped me was on a yale multipoint lock where its held in by a hidden grub screw instead.

How are the euros in APG doors to change if theres no way of getting to the screws under the door? Door off job i bet

[EmCee]

Thanks Phil, that looks like the lockcase - fitted with a hookbolt rather than a deadbolt.

It wasn't a job, just the usual inability to pass a door with a lock in it without having a gander. But I couldn't look too hard as I didn't want anyone to start worrying what I was doing, and I was in a hurry. However, there were certainly no fixings on the edge trim - the trim looked as though it was one piece (hence me not being sure it even was a trim) going around the corners top and bottom so I guess it was a custom design. Maybe the fixing screws are just around the corner top and bottom (as I said I didn't want to cause concern and asking to borrow a chair or having a 'feel' over the top edge might not have been too subtle).

As you say, if it was a job there'd be no need for clandestine approaches and a good look around would show the way in.

Last week I visited my daughter at uni and walked to meet some of her friends at their rented student digs. uPVC front door. Far be it from me to suggest that the greatest care had not been taken in measuring and installing the correct euro cylinder, but the door was right on the street and I suggested they might hang some bunting off the cylinder so that passersby didn't walk into it.

@Rick..Yale multipoint..grub screw...noted, ta.

Hmm...on looking at Yale I found a PDF on how to measure and install a euro cylinder. It goes on to say:

Care of your cylinder
Never take the cylinder apart. Never oil or paint the cylinder. To lubricate, use WD40 or similar.

Cheers...

[mhole]

If you're faced with an aluminium door with no visible screw for the euro, check the brush strip/rubber gasket. The manufacturors like to hide the euro screw under a full width end cap, which runs the entire length of the door. Sometimes this is jsut a press fit, but more often it's held by small screws concealed in the brusgh strip, or under the rubber seal.

I have seen a few doors where the lock case is installed at the factory, and you have to drop it out of the bottom of the door, then reinsert it at the top, catch it with a finger through the euro keyhole, and then massage it back into place without dropping it, whilst you line the screws to refix it - nightmare!

[EmCee]

Hi mhole

Yes, the door had two brush strips, one each side of the edge, so perhaps the trim fixings were concealed under that.

The drop n' catch lockcase replacement sounds like a barrel of laughs. I suppose the case could get jammed on the way down too, making it even more fun.

Cheers...