Searching for a National Lock Co.'s 'Cylinder Ejector Key'

[Squelchtone]

Greetings lock experts. I'm new to the forum here, so let me extend my thanks in advance to anyone who can provide insight or advice on how best to proceed.

What I need is a so-called 'Cylinder Ejector Key' for a National Lock Company's full-mortise chest lid lock. Specifically, their lock Model # 4321. Or, failing that, some advice on how one might go about non-destructively removing said lock from a cedar chest. Details follow about how I got to this point ...

I'm in the process of trying to restore a Cedar Hope Chest that was once owned by my wife's Grandmother. Based on her Grandmother's birth year, we figure the chest was built in the 1915 - to - 1928 time frame. It's a no-name brand, and I've not been able to locate another one like it in any online searches. Her Grandmother is no longer with us (nor is Grandpa), so any historical information about the chest is notably absent.

Here are a couple of pics of the chest ...

First, an overall view ...

https://ibb.co/MZjgqfT

https://i.ibb.co/XjdWmDB/IMG-1656.jpg


Second, a close-up of the lid lock's "bolt" as viewed from the upper edge of the front panel of the chest. Note that the "bolt" appears to be of a 3-piece design. And note that the two screws that hold the lock body in place have been removed (by me). That was because I was trying to pull the lock body out of the chest so I could give it a good soak in some sort of solvent / parts cleaner.

https://ibb.co/gvFDwfL

The chest's lid lock is currently inoperable / frozen. Fortunately, it's frozen in the unlocked position, but I would really like to get it back to its fully functional state.

The chest came to our household with a single flat bronze/copper? key. It fits into the key hole, but it doesn't rotate around. And I don't want to force it for fear of damaging the key or any of the lock's internal mechanisms. That single key offered the only solid clue as to what I might be dealing with. It's pictured below - and clearly shows it to be a product from the National Lock Co. out of Rockford Illinois (USA).

https://ibb.co/qCxs9jW

Knowing the probable source of the lock, I started looking online for information about National's chest lid locks. I was very fortunate to locate an online copy of a catalog from National Lock Co. dating from 1926. The Canadian Centre for Architecture had uploaded this digitized catalog to the Internet Archive site in 2013.

Here are a few pics showing the first couple of title pages from the catalog ...

https://ibb.co/yY7nSNP

https://ibb.co/VSmQN6n

One particular lock shown in the catalog immediately got my attention (mostly because of its 3-element "bolt"). Also the fact it was a full-mortise style lock, and because it was billed as a 'chest lock'.

It's National's old Model #4321 ...

https://ibb.co/xzDgjDq

The thing I most liked about it is the claim that the Cylinder is "Brass, buffed, and removable". The most important thing being removable. Because it is the presence of the cylinder that is preventing me from physically removing the lock body from the mortise.

Elsewhere in the catalog is the Holy Grail - that is, how to remove the cylinder. They offered a so-called 'Cylinder Ejector Key'. Unfortunately, there is no part/model number associated with said device. Here's the page from the catalog showing the device as well as instructions for its use ...

https://ibb.co/yP3MpXb

https://i.ibb.co/ZXZwSVk/Screenshot-2023-08-02-195256.png


I'd love to get my hands on one of these 'Cylinder Ejector Keys'. Dealing with local locksmiths in my small town have been dead-ends. Perhaps I should be hitting up the antique stores instead of locksmiths?

In the absence of an original real 'Cylinder Ejector Key' for a 4321 chest lock, are there any other options for removal of this lock body?

Thanks in advance.

DCR

[Squelchtone]

Howdy,

Aside from getting really lucky and finding that Ejector Key on ebay by searching for "flat key" or "trunk key" or "antique key" and sorting through thousands of keys, I would recommend calling up this shop up in Minneapolis https://www.minneapolislockandkey.com/ (they're been in business since 1915 so probably have all manner of old keys and tools) and asking them about it or bringing the trunk to them and they could have a go at it in their spare time. If they don't have the correct key, they could probably pick the lock, turn it, and insert something that would mimic what the ejector key's tip does inside the lock to release the core. Leaving trunk with them will hopefully reduce the price of having them come out or doing it on the spot for you.

If you reach out to that shop, share that catalog page with them showing the cylinders at the top of the page and the unique ejector key, it may give them ideas on how to remove the core, or jog their memories in case they haven't worked on that kind of lock core in a while.

Good luck!
Squelchtone

[Cedar_Chest_Repair]

Thanks for the reply!

Not only far quicker than expected, but also chock full of great advice.

I’ll let this forum thread simmer another week or two for stragglers to weigh in, then head on up to the Twin Cities to the outfit you suggested. Just looking at their website - where they explicitly mention they service *antique* door locks - gives me some hope they have the expertise to get my frozen chest lid lock physically removed. Even if it can’t be fixed, it would be nice to get it (as well as all other hardware) out of the chest prior to my attempting to refinish the wood.

Thanks again.
DCR

[billdeserthills]

Free replacement lock for Lane cedar hope chest

https://patch.com/massachusetts/medfiel ... k_d56907fd