door handle mystery

The Cat

So the landlord replaced a few of our internal door handles (finally, since they were falling to bits). They're non-lockable, and I want to change mine to a lockable one I own. This should be easy, but damned if I can figure out how to take the new door handle to pieces properly. Its one of those ones with no screws going into the wood; all the bits just sort of lock into each other through the hole in the door. I can get the outer handles off, but I can't figure out how to detach the inner mechanism. Has anyone dealt with that kind of handle before?

Uncle Long

Are you able to remove the plate where the latch comes out?
If you can then you may be able to wedge a screwdriver in there and pop it apart.

The Cat

hmmm. not sure (not at my house right now). I'll give it a shot though. Wish I'd watched the dude installing it more closely...

Filler Inc.

You don't happen to know the brand or anything do you?

ViolentChemistry

Show me what it looks like.

The Cat

yeah, i'll post photos this afternoon.

Ruckus

Ha ha ha, it's tomorrow there.

Also look at both sides, I used to have some that had a single screw on one side that held the two sides together, and it went straight through the core of the shaft.

vytrox

Is this the type you mean?

There should be a notch on the trim on one side.

http://www.dominomag.com/howtos/diy/2006/12/doorknobs?slide=1

The Cat

no, that's what the old and busted one used to look like.

Pics:

side view

Front, handle off

back, handle off

there's little holes in the side of the casing there where you push in with a screwdriver to move that little brackety thing inside and release the handle bits, but I can't see how to make the rest come out. there's no screws on it at all. I'm wondering if one or the other handle needs to stay on or something... also, ignore the rectangle bits to the side, they're from the old handle. It had this weird separate locking mechanism that was busted.

Raneados

looks like you can pop it off with a flathead screwdriver

Fizban140

I have no idea how to take that off, but you can't fail if you take off every screw and pry off every piece that you can. Also, hitting or shaking stuff until it comes out is always a winning tactic. Seriously, it works on nearly everything.

The Cat

the whole thing's steel though, I'm more worried about the door itself :P

vytrox

You need to pry the rosette (trim, whatever) off, just like the picture I posted. It should have an indent, but sometimes they don't. Those are a real pain in the ass.

Here is a guide with pictures: http://www.factsfacts.com/MyHomeRepair/doorknobs.htm

This piece is most relevant:

" Some trim rings don't have a notch. In these cases you should still try to slip/work the screwdriver (or a table knife) under the ring at the bottom as shown. You may mar/scar the door with the tool while prying the cover off -- by working at the very bottom of the cover the scar is less likely to be noticeable/visible."

Use a knife or putty knife instead of a screwdriver. Something thin. If you use a knife, don't use a nice one.

The Cat

ah, i see. That worked, but there weren't little snap things holding the door together on mine - turns out I only had to lever it a little way, then unscrew the base plates, giving me this:

it was also a total bitch to get the mechanism out once those screws were gone, the front handle actually had to be on to do it. Took a minute to figure that out :P anyway, new lock is on, I am happy. Solved, and thanks very much