What's the deal with Kawneer's Husky shotgun closer?

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Got a call about a door closer arm that came off the door. Easy enough. It's a Kawneer Husky shotgun (overhead concealed) and the arm came off at the closer's spindle. Reset the arm, tightened down as best as possible. I mean I really torqued it down. Two days later, it came off again. I tightened it down as best as possible again and played around with it. After opening and closing many times I realized it had enough play in it to conceivably fall off again.

I ordered a brand new arm and hardware today but is there anything special about these arms? I'm tightening it down in the closed position. My only guess is that the current screws/hardware has worn to the point that it's not holding anymore?

Here's a picture of it:

[GWiens2001]

Have you tried using Locktite?

Gordon

[DOORDOCTOR]

I think it has alot to do with the design of the securing method of the arm to the closer shaft, personally if I was faced with this, I would re-index the closer shaft to be square instead of like a diamond and use a forged steel arm with a better clamping method to hold arm to closer,

note: the re-indexing of the closer spindle you may end up losing the hold open function due to where the hold open part is on the shaft near the pinion teeth.

hope the locktite method works, something so you don't have to keep tightening the arm all the time.

[cledry]

It is just something that happens with the Husky. The replacements are even worse, on those we have had the screws break while we are tightening them.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

It is just something that happens with the Husky. The replacements are even worse, on those we have had the screws break while we are tightening them.

Pieces of junk. If the replacements don't work I'll just disconnect and throw on some surface mount closers.

Have you tried using Locktite?

The screws aren't coming loose. They are tightened all the way down but it's still not enough to bind the spindle completely. It's to the point where I've stripped the hex holes. For the time being, I stuck a screw in between the arm and the spindle - this allowed me to take up some of that slack but I'm not convinced it will hold.

Glad it ain't just me.

[cledry]

Surface mount closers are much nicer if the customer allows it. I am fighting with Barnes & Noble right now trying to convince them that a concealed closer won't work with a Roton hinge. They can be a pain to retrofit because usually you have to reinforce the header to take the strain of a surface mount closer but much easier to service in the future.

[DOORDOCTOR]

Surface mount closers are much nicer if the customer allows it. I am fighting with Barnes & Noble right now trying to convince them that a concealed closer won't work with a Roton hinge. They can be a pain to retrofit because usually you have to reinforce the header to take the strain of a surface mount closer but much easier to service in the future.

I remember a question with same issue last year (was around thanksgiving, may been you or another lock/door guy here) I think the closer was a Jackson.... good luck with getting Barnes & Noble to allow you to work on the door or least take your advice that a Roton geared hinge will not play nicely with the concealed closer without modifying anything (as you will lose the maximum opening angle) this is because of the dynamic pivoting of the geared hinge compared to a standard pivot.

again, good luck with B & N,

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Well after a very busy weekend, the arm is still in place. The screw allowed enough binding to hold, even with probably thousands of cycles this weekend. Parts should be in Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Heh, supplier I ordered the parts from surprised me. Never sent me a tracking number but the parts did show up today. Going to continue updating this thread for anyone in the future that might be searching and/or interested. Also going to turn this into a Keynotes article because I have learned a bit more about the proper way to "seat them". I thought you just fit it around the spindle and tightened but that's not the case.

The replacement parts are identical to what's sold with the Husky closer - I presume it's OEM but who knows. FYI, the arms are non-handed. The clamping block can be removed and installed on the reverse side depending on the handing.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Here's my attempt to rig the arm while the parts were being shipped. Screw caused plenty of binding. Held very well.



Here's the replacement transom arm.



And here's the new clamp block and arm. The instructions tell you to completely tighten down one screw before moving on to the other. This causes the screws to bind at angles slightly different from each other. In other words, both want to pull the clamp block a different direction, thus further binding. It's not like an overhead Jackson or Dorma closer where you take turns tightening both hex screws around the spindle.



Still a terrible design.

[2octops]

Still a terrible design.

If you are still having issues with this, go up to Door Devices in Marietta and pick up a new closer and arm and install it. They rebuild the closers there and have a huge inventory of NOS parts in stock. They can also offer up some technical guidance if purchasing hardware from them, but don't bother asking unless you buy it there.

Stay with the OEM stuff instead of the off shore and you will have zero issues with these.

[cledry]

Still a terrible design.

If you are still having issues with this, go up to Door Devices in Marietta and pick up a new closer and arm and install it. They rebuild the closers there and have a huge inventory of NOS parts in stock. They can also offer up some technical guidance if purchasing hardware from them, but don't bother asking unless you buy it there.

Stay with the OEM stuff instead of the off shore and you will have zero issues with these.

That's not true, we have been breaking the screw heads off when tightening them down. These weren't imports.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Still a terrible design.

If you are still having issues with this, go up to Door Devices in Marietta and pick up a new closer and arm and install it. They rebuild the closers there and have a huge inventory of NOS parts in stock. They can also offer up some technical guidance if purchasing hardware from them, but don't bother asking unless you buy it there.

I've been to Door Devices before; a lot of knowledge in that converted house.

I've been checking on it every day and it's still holding as it was the day I installed it. No doubt in my mind that the old arm was simply worn. I guess I could have mic'd it to check but I was ready to be done with that door.

Stay with the OEM stuff instead of the off shore and you will have zero issues with these.

The kits I bought were manufactured by Kawneer.

[cledry]

I thought Kawneer gave up on the Husky years ago and sold the tooling to someone.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I thought Kawneer gave up on the Husky years ago and sold the tooling to someone.

Maybe? The instructions with the kit had the Alcoa logo on it.