| Author |
Message |
    
jasper
Citizen
Username: Jasper
Post Number: 380
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 10:44 pm: | 
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Does anyone know if it's possible to find or have made a key that will work in the old locks on the bedroom doors in our house?
I have one room that I'd like to keep our cats out of, but despite much effort to get the door latch to hold tight, the cats are able to push the door open from the bottom, where they have more leverage. I'm thinking that if I can lock the door, then they won't be able to push it open. Of course, that assumes that the lock will still line up.
These old houses... |
Arjay
Citizen
Username: Arjay
Post Number: 8
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:12 pm: |
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We bought skeleton keys at Home Depot. We bought 2 different sizes and turns out both fit and both work. My recollection were they were less than $2 each. |
jasper
Citizen
Username: Jasper
Post Number: 383
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 18, 2006 - 11:28 pm: |
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Thanks Arjay. If I go into Home Depot and ask for a "skeleton" key, will they know what I'm talking about? I guess that's the term for those old fashioned "key to the city" type keys, no? |
Arjay
Citizen
Username: Arjay
Post Number: 9
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, January 20, 2006 - 10:41 pm: |
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The clerk in Home Depot did understand "skeleton" key. If not, check with a local locksmith. Try Harder Locksmith in South Orange town (on S.O. Ave)- very nice and very helpful. |
extuscan
Citizen
Username: Extuscan
Post Number: 583
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 8:43 am: |
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Whats really cool is there are only two or three cuts that could open pretty much any door in Maplewood, including classrooms at Tuscan. We played a little prank on Mrs. Smith more than once  I don't know if they still use skeleton keys there, this was back when the desk still had inkwells (seriously...) Just don't buy the aluminum keys, our fun ended when the head broke off the key in the lock. Stiff old mechanisms!
When I went to Cambridge as an exchange student, aside from having my name hand painted on the door jam which was pretty neat, they gave me the key to my dorm room, which was the big thick brass skeleton key. It was almost like a movie prop, but the whole town was too. The dormitory was 600 or 700 years old so none of the locks matched, but British cars are like this. There were just 12 patterns of keys that would start pretty much any 50s and 60s British car from Mini to Jaguar. I misplaced the key to my 59 MG Magnette Sedan, and my uncle asked me the number stamped on the barrel... and sure enough it matched another British car he had. Mailed up the key and it worked perfect!
-John |
Joan
Supporter
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 6933
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 - 9:52 am: |
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Worst comes to worst, you could probably have the lock in the door changed to a more modern one. If there is a problem with the way in which the door is lining up, you can consider removing the hinges and re-alligning the door.
This would be a good question to post in Home Fixit. Someone there might even have one or more skeleton keys you could try to see if that solution would work.
Good luck. |
jasper
Citizen
Username: Jasper
Post Number: 387
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, January 22, 2006 - 1:37 am: |
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Thanks, all. I haven't made it over to Home Depot yet, but I'll see what I find there, or I'll try Harder Locksmith if that doesn't work out. |
weekends
Citizen
Username: Weekends
Post Number: 97
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 9:00 am: |
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I think you'll find that Harder Locksmith will not help you on this. I asked him the same thing and he refused to help find a skeleton key for my old interior locks. He said that the locks were so old that they would break, probably in the locked position; he would have nothing to do with it.
I think that he's wrong though. Since then I've pulled apart one of the locks. It turns out to be so incredibly simple that I don't think it will ever break. It has very few moving parts. Still haven't found a key for it though. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10371
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 9:17 am: |
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They do break. The case and most of the parts are cast iron and they do crack. Take it from someone who knows.
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jasper
Citizen
Username: Jasper
Post Number: 388
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 9:30 am: |
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What's strange to me is that nobody got the keys that came with the house when they bought it. Clearly, people took them out of the doors to keep kids from locking themselves or others in, but you'd think they'd have stashed them away and saved them for the next owners. We have at least 10 doors in our house with these locks on them, and no keys.
Weekends, did you check Home Depot? I wonder if an antiques place that specializes in old house hardware would have anything.
On the other hand, if there really is a chance of the lock breaking in the locked position, that would be a major nuisance. I suppose I could just get a hook and eye contraption and put that on the door to keep the cats out, but aesthetically it's a big step down. |
weekends
Citizen
Username: Weekends
Post Number: 98
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 4:06 pm: |
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Bob K., Sorry you had trouble with your interior locks. Anything can break.
Jasper, no never tried Home Depot but it sounds like something to try.
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Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1606
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006 - 5:42 pm: |
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Jasper,
There's a really good hardware store in West Orange on Main St. - Schneider Hardware. They have tons of decades-ago discontinued doo-dads for old houses - check them out.
I had some shelf holders that were probably original to our 1912 house that I wanted to match and sure enough they had a dusty box of them squirreled away.
If you decide to replace your locks, Rejuvnation Hardware in Seattle has lots of new door sets that look "old."
Good luck! |
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