Older Schlage Thumblatch Entry Lockset Disassembly

[Svensontini]

Hi Guys,

I work on locksets a lot in my job, but they are mostly Corbin Russwin mortise and cylindricals, I have little experience with anything else.

Our daughter bought recently bought a house, it was built in 1941. Most of the house has skeleton keys, but the front door has a Schlarge thumblatch entry lockset and a newer Kwikset dead bolt further up the door. They were given a key to the dead bolt, but not to the Schlage lock on the lockset.

I don't know if that Schlage lockset is original, or a later addition.

It looks like the cylinder is a rim cylinder, but I didn't get it too far apart. It has a knob and a cover on the back side. I pushed the rectangular button on the shoulder of the knob with a small screwdriver and got the knob off, and I took the cover off to expose the mounting plate. It appears I can take some screws out to pull that back plate off, but I have no idea how that thumblatch and stuff works, so I haven't went any further...I'm just the type who wants to know what I'm doing before I proceed. That, and I'm low vision, so if pieces go flying I'm not going to see what happened.

I've looked around the net, on the Schlage web site, etc., hoping to find some instructions for this lockset or something similar, but so far no joy.

Has anyone worked on one of these and could share some disassembly tips?




Thanks!

Steve

[Svensontini]

OK, photo posting isn't working, and I'm low vision so not up to figuring it out.

Here's the direct link to a pic of the front of the lockset:
https://i.imgur.com/0PPJY4u.jpg

And one to the back of the lockset with the knob and cover plate removed:
https://i.imgur.com/ZkVKdmL.jpg

[Squelchtone]

OK, photo posting isn't working, and I'm low vision so not up to figuring it out.

Here's the direct link to a pic of the front of the lockset:
https://i.imgur.com/0PPJY4u.jpg

And one to the back of the lockset with the knob and cover plate removed:
https://i.imgur.com/ZkVKdmL.jpg

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figure you'd wanna know why it wasnt working..
Squelchtone

[Svensontini]

It's working now...did you fix something for me?
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Squelchtone...interesting moniker, are you an amateur radio operator too?

[Safecrackin Sammy]

Looks like an old Schlage E series handle set. Hasnt been made in decades. I would suggest calling a locksmith to come out and rekey it on site.

[Svensontini]

Well that's not really in the DIY spirit!
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It does appear to be an E series...an E51D Plymouth specifically...now to find some documentation on it...

[Raymond]

PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE TAIL PIECES AND THE ORIENTATION BY WHICH THEY ARE TURNED WHEN THEY CAME OUT.
You have removed the screws to the lock cylinder and it should just come out the front for re-keying.

[Svensontini]

Nice discussion of this lock, still no instructions yet though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=titvW50zBuY

[Svensontini]

A bit more on them:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-ewgGIQCo0

[Svensontini]

Hi Raymond,

Thanks for the reply!

OK, so I just need to:

*) Take the interior knob off - that's accomplished by pressing a small rectangular button at the base of the knob and pulling outward.

*) Pull the interior escutcheon off. If I recall I just pried it off, but I think in the second video link I gave the guy said there's a spring loaded button on those too, I'll look closer next time. It popped right back on for me.

*) Remove the two screws on either side of the tailshaft bearing in the rear mounting plate. Then the cylinder should just come out the front. I've put two arrows on the pic of the back plate to indicate where these screws are at, hopefully the pic shows up below.



Pic direct link: https://i.imgur.com/oMVsUKs.jpg

*) Immediately take pictures of the tailshaft so that I get it put back together in the correct orientation.

*) With the key lost, but the cylinder out of the lock, I think I'll probably shim it open, though picking or bumping it (last resort) are options. Then I have depth and space keys, so I'd just use them to decode the pinning and then create a new key on the duplicator. That, or I may just re-pin it to a new key as we don't know who has the original keys.

*) Reassembly is just the reverse of disassembly.

Does that look like I'm on the right track?

Thanks again!

Steve

[Squelchtone]

I got ya covered buddy, and while I'm not a HAM, I am a police scanner guy.

Here is the Schlage 1981 Service Manual for every Series

page 77 of the PDF file (page 73 of paper manual):
http://squelchtone.com/lp101/66451_Schlage_1981_Service_Manual_PDF_5MB.pdf

Here's what you'll find at that link




Squelchtone

[Svensontini]

Squelchtone! You da man!!! THANK YOU sooooo much!!!

Always nice to run into a fellow radiohead! I'm an extra class amateur radio operator, first licensed at the ripe 'ole age of 13. I got away from it for a while, but after my vision decreased I had to give up my old hobby (fireworks and high power model rocketry - I was licensed to build both, plus shot public displays) and I took radio back up. I'm mostly an HF DXer, though I make an appearance on the local repeaters occasionally and enjoy echolink too. I'm just now starting to play with the amateur satellites. I'm looking at a software defined radio dongle too.

Oh, I play with locks too...our locksmith at work was retiring so they asked if I wanted to learn. I did, and I went to a five day seminar and stuff, but then my eye problems hit, then some heart problems, etc.. When I got back to work someone else had taken over the lock shop, but now he's retiring, so I've been working in the shop a couple years as needed and have learned a lot, and enjoyed it a lot, but we mostly use Corbin Russwin, so though I know them well, I don't much else. Always nice to learn about new things though! And yeah...I may be legally blind, but I can pull most of this off! Bright lights, magnifying lenses, etc. all help! I'll be taking over the shop in a few weeks, and I've found another coworker interested, so I'll be working with him teaching him what I've learned, and no doubt learning more along with him. I'm doing my best to document everything - I frequently take pictures and write up service procedures so if something happens to me again they won't be left totally in the dark.

Thanks again!

Take care,

Steve, KA0NEB

[Squelchtone]

Happy to help!

I hope to get my HAM license one of these days, it's on the short list of projects to complete. We have a 2 meter machine near me on Mt. Tom at 146.94, all the locals including some rag chewers are on there.

It's great that you are taking over the lock shop, the work can be really rewarding and satisfying. Never boring for sure!

Hope you stick around the forum or stop by here and there. Now we just have to get you to pick some locks!

Have a good week, 73
Squelchtone

[Svensontini]

I've been registered here for a few years - after I took a multi-day seminar on locks. My health and vision issues kind of sidetracked me though.
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I already own a pick set, and I have picked a fair number of locks. If no one is watching, I'm just sitting on the couch watching TV while doing it, I can pick fairly well. Give me an audience, or it needs done asap...then I'm not so good, LOL!
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We have a lot of old cylinders at work, and for some reason the guys never tagged them with their key number, they just tossed them in a bin, so I'm making a project of refurbing those cylinders and getting them into the ready to go inventory. I try the usual suspect keys, and if none of them fit then I just shim them open. i'm very good at shimming now, but it's a tedious task. I pick them occasionally, and I created a bump key the other day and it's actually working. I especially like the Corbin Russwin key in knob / lever cylinders...they have a bible cover that just snaps on, just pop it off dump the pins and springs out and start over!
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Locks are becoming a larger part of my job now, so I'm sure I'll be checking in here more often.
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I enjoy all facets of amateur radio, but HF DXing is my favorite. On 100 watts and a loop of wire thrown over two trees in my front yard coupled with an antenna tuner, I've been able to work the world! Even worked the research station in Antartica! We're in the solar minimum right now though, and I haven't really got an effective low band antenna working in my limited real estate, so I'm looking towards the amateur satellites right now.
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Thanks again for the help - I'm hoping to get over and work on that old Schlarge this weekend.
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Take care,
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Steve