Can anyone identify this tubular latch please?

[miljee]

This was manufactured in 1996, and it has no identifiers on it!

I want to replace 14 of these but I don't want to have to recess 14 oblong face plates, which is all I can find!

The key feature is the oval ends, and the face plate is 72mm long and 22mm wide.

Thanks in advance

 

[miljee]

Should probably haveadded the entire depth is 76mm, and the depth from the middle of the spindle hole to the front of the face plate is 60mm.

Never knew 'door furniture' could be so complicated!

 

[JohnD]

The thing in your pic is not a tubular latch, it is a mortice latch.

There's a fair chance that a Union 2642 or similar would fit, I don't know if they do a round end version. Round ends AFAIK became popular once people started using routers instead of chisels. If you have a chisel you can square off the door for the end plate in less than a minute.

Legge also used to make them

Have a look at prices on lock and Ironmongery suppliers such as IronmongeryDirect, but you may find old clearance stock on ebay.

Why do you want to replace them?

 

[miljee]

Ah, sorry, OK. I'm just using the terminology I found on Screwfix!

 

[JohnD]

I don't want to have to recess 14 oblong face plates, which is all I can find!

Do you mean you want round ends or square ends?

"Tubular" means the latch can be poked into a drilled round hole, for people who haven't got a chisel. Tubular latches are quicker and easier to fit, and are cheaper. Legge and Union are both pretty good. If you see a silver-painted Union it is better than the black one.

Why do you want to replace them?

 

[miljee]

Thanks for the info.

I'm needing to replace several of these because they're knackered! The handles don't spring back up etc and, as you can see on this photo, the bit where the spindle goes through is distorted from 20 years' wear.

 

[miljee]

I'm looking to replace these with identical ones so I don't have to chisel oblongs where currently I have round ends, as in the original picture, if you see what I mean!

 

[miljee]

This is the hole/s in the door.

 

[JohnD]

Rounded faceplates are newer.

I think you should buy a chisel and square off the door edge rebates.

 

[miljee]

Presumably I can put a tubular latch into this hole?

 

[JohnD]

It would be a lot of work. I think you would need to machine a block of wood to fit tightly into the mortice, then drill a hole in it.

Just buy a chisel and square off the rebates.

New Union or Legge latches will last longer than you will.

 

[miljee]

OK, Fair enough! I didn't know if the screws and the spindle would be enough to stabilise a tubular latch is a mortice-sized hole!

 

[miljee]

Never knew this was going to be so complicated ! I had resigned myself to not being able to find identical replacements, that I need to chisel out the radial forend/face-plate and strike-plate recesses to make them oblong.

I now know I need a flat, not tubular mortice.

BUT the hole in the door is 40mm high; all the flat mortices have 50mm+ high cases! I may be handy enough to tackle the recesses but I'm not going to attempt to hollow out a further 10mm from the inside of the door!

I may have to go mad with the WD40 instead...

 

[JohnD]

sorry

keep searching for mortice latches, maybe there is one to fit, somewhere.

 

[Dave54]

A quick Google image search for "mortice latch rounded plate" and I found
http://www.doorhandleparts.com/gridlock-upright-mortice-latches-radius-corners/
and
http://ahbrass.co.uk/index.php?annh...2&catid=296&subcatid=0&subsubcatid=0&pid=2035
There may well be others there ,I didn't look far down the page.

So they are available. Whether those would be a direct replacement is another matter.