Temporarily removing faceplate to de-rust

[!lsx!]

Hi

I have a composite door with an ERA 616 multipoint lock that is suffering from rust at the bottom of the faceplate.

So I don't damage the finish of the door slab while removing the rust, I was thinking of taking out the faceplate to work on it away from the door.

In my case the faceplate is just screwed on, there aren't any rivets. I was hoping this means I won't need to take the handles off / remove the spindle to take the faceplate off.

Is this straightforward or are there lots of gotchas do you think?

Thanks

 

[crank39]

If your planning on removing the complete mechanism then you will need to remove the handles and spindle in order to release the gearbox, straightforward and nothings gonna bite you here

 

[!lsx!]

If your planning on removing the complete mechanism then you will need to remove the handles and spindle in order to release the gearbox, straightforward and nothings gonna bite you here

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

So I noticed there are two types of screws on the plate, some torx that look to be for the gearbox / lock mechanism items and some philips that I guessed only secure the faceplate to the slab.

I took out a few of the philips and the faceplate started coming away nicely.

 

[crank39]

The torx will likely hold the gearboxes to the strip and gave a machine thread like a bolt so leave them alone, it the Phillips with a screw thread you need to remove

 

[!lsx!]

The torx will likely hold the gearboxes to the strip and gave a machine thread like a bolt so leave them alone, it the Phillips with a screw thread you need to remove

Yes I left the torx well alone. I only needed to remove the philips.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I don't think the face plate alone comes off on multi-point locks - all the ones I've installed (on timber doors) seem to have had the locking bodies fixed to the back of the face plate with Torx screws

 

[!lsx!]

I don't think the face plate alone comes off on muklti-point locks - all the ones I've installed (on timber doors) seem to have had the locking bodies fixed to the back of the face plate with Torx screws

I would agree, but then my experience is based on just one single ERA multipoint lock unit

So I had a go yesterday... I removed a handful of the philips screws and levered enough of the lower section of the faceplate out to get to the rusty bits.

What I found is that rust has taken hold of the lower hook unit (pitted inside and out) and also got to most of the faceplate from the bottom upto about 6" above the hook unit. That said the lock mechanism works fine at the moment.

I started with 'noddy' attempts at removal - sodium bicarb - but after a couple of hours it did absolutely nothing. So I then tried bicarb + white vinegar but that didn't really touch it either. Random googling suggested anything beyond bicarb, toothpaste etc would remove the zinc patina on the faceplate which I kind of wanted to keep.

I think I now have a couple of options, remove the multipoint lock unit and dip the lower section in rust remover overnight or just bite the bullet and replace the entire lock unit for £80 ish.

Does anyone have any rust remover they've used themselves they'd recommend?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Yes, they aren't cheap. On my last big project I fitted about 70 or so of them, We were told that they were about £200 a pop (stainless steel and German so I can believe it).

Zinc plating by its' nature is meant to be sacrificial, so if you put it near any derusting compounds or try electrolysis i think there is a good chance that you'll either wreck it or at least remove it. On the other hand you can get home plating kits for various metals, including zinc, some of which don't require a plating bath. They are sold for vehicle renovation by firms like Frost. The cheapest approach, though, might be to completely strip it down, clean up the face plate with some emery cloth, then just give it 2 coats of a zinc primer spray (or maybe use one of those brilliant metal sprays that people like Rust-oleum do - try Wilko for them, or even apply a Hammerite metallic colour) with maybe a coat of clear lacquer over the top if needs be, and finally reassemble it. It won't last forever, but it should last a while.