I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted the new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of imperial V metric thing?

On 05/08/2019 18:38, Murmansk wrote:
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted the new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of imperial V metric thing?


We bought a property with Everest windows and doors. I found that the
front door would not close properly as you could not raise the handle to
drive the bolts home. I took the door and the lock itself to pieces but
did not solve the problem until I used the square metal shaft from the
back door which I noticed had two flats on the square shaft where it
passes through the lock. I filed similar flats on the front door shaft
and the door now locks properly. The previous owner could never have
locked the door properly! The property was built in the 70s. I have not
needed to look at the internal door shafts, but if they are to small for
new handles I would probably attack the latch with my file so I could
use a larger shaft.

--
Michael Chare

On 05/08/2019 18:38, Murmansk wrote:
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted the new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of imperial V metric thing?

I have had the same experience (but have never actually measured or
investigated).

In article ,
Murmansk writes
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless
steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the
new ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular
latches on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts
fitted the new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of
imperial V metric thing?
BQ syndrome. Nothing ever fits even their own originals.
--
bert

I don't know but I have seen square rods with a slightly smaller end on each
end, so this sort of thing has to have happened before. I had the opposite
issue on the kitchen do, ie the old knobs, made of something resembling
bakerlite fitted but the new plates with captive handles meant I needed to
saw down the spindle but then I found they were sloppy as the holes war too
big. I'm afraid I did what every good bodger would. Cut some shims of
plastic and used them to pack out the spaces on two sides., its still OK
after 20 years.
OK won't help you, but it reminded me. No I'm not taking the olive green
handle sets off to look either.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"Murmansk" wrote in message
...
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless
steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new
ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches
on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted the
new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of
imperial V metric thing?

If these handle sets have their own return springs and plates, one other
issue is often the space between the handle spindle and the keyhole. In two
cases I had a lot of work to do to get this sorted by installing a new
loc. However the keys for the old ones were lost so it had to be done.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"newshound" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 05/08/2019 18:38, Murmansk wrote:
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless
steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new
ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches
on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted
the new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of
imperial V metric thing?

I have had the same experience (but have never actually measured or
investigated).

My too large ones were from the now Defunct Transatlantic Plastics store in
Surbiton. I think there are at least two sizes and even two different
threaded hole sizes in some so non captive handles can be used.
Brian

--
----- --
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"bert" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Murmansk writes
I was asked to replace all the door handles in someone's 1970s bungalow.

They had nasty brass lever handles and had bought a load of stainless
steel lever handles from BQ.

I discovered that the square metal shafts linking the handles of the new
ones were a tiny bit bigger than the square holes in the tubular latches
on the doors and had to replace all the latches too. The shafts fitted the
new latches perfectly.

Were latches made with smaller holes in the 70s - is this some kind of
imperial V metric thing?
BQ syndrome. Nothing ever fits even their own originals.
--
bert

On 06/08/2019 14:21, Brian Gaff wrote:
I don't know but I have seen square rods with a slightly smaller end on each
end, so this sort of thing has to have happened before. I had the opposite
issue on the kitchen do, ie the old knobs, made of something resembling
bakerlite fitted but the new plates with captive handles meant I needed to
saw down the spindle but then I found they were sloppy as the holes war too
big. I'm afraid I did what every good bodger would. Cut some shims of
plastic and used them to pack out the spaces on two sides., its still OK
after 20 years.
OK won't help you, but it reminded me. No I'm not taking the olive green
handle sets off to look either.
Brian


Just noticed this thread and checked mine. The square rods from the
original 1976 handles are a tight fit in new euro handles (not
from b&Q) but the main problem is the way the bars were cut
in the 1970's which leaves a burr at each end. Looks like a cold
shear cutter was used.

File off this burr and they do fit, though snugly.

The handles I bought came as a set with screws and bar, and the
new bar has been given rounded corners.

OP here

This job was one of the most unexpectedly-difficult ones I've ever done!

The doors were of the kind made of hardboard filled with carboard "egg box" type stuff with a thin bit of wood around the edges.

The tubular latches all had to be replaced because the shafts of the new handles were a bit too big for them as described above.

I think the tubular latches had been fitted by hammering them into a hole that was too small so to get them out involved a massive amount of tugging and levering, so much so that I nearly damaged the doors and one door started to come loose at the hinges!

The one virtue of the handles was that, rather than having 4 screws to go into the very-insubstantial door, they had bolts going through and linking up a bit like those used to attach Ikea kitchen cupboards together.

The complication was that the square shaft linking the handles had two slits at either end AND, on the other surfaces, grooves into which a tiny allen key headed grub screw in the handle's neck would go - and depending how the variable depth groove happened to line up with where the grub screw was located, you'd end up with the grub screw hardly tightening up at all and so remaining sticking out under the handle!

On 11/08/2019 20:21, Murmansk wrote:
OP here

This job was one of the most unexpectedly-difficult ones I've ever done!

The doors were of the kind made of hardboard filled with carboard "egg box" type stuff with a thin bit of wood around the edges.

The tubular latches all had to be replaced because the shafts of the new handles were a bit too big for them as described above.

I think the tubular latches had been fitted by hammering them into a hole that was too small so to get them out involved a massive amount of tugging and levering, so much so that I nearly damaged the doors and one door started to come loose at the hinges!

The one virtue of the handles was that, rather than having 4 screws to go into the very-insubstantial door, they had bolts going through and linking up a bit like those used to attach Ikea kitchen cupboards together.

The complication was that the square shaft linking the handles had two slits at either end AND, on the other surfaces, grooves into which a tiny allen key headed grub screw in the handle's neck would go - and depending how the variable depth groove happened to line up with where the grub screw was located, you'd end up with the grub screw hardly tightening up at all and so remaining sticking out under the handle!


Been down the same route and also had to trim every single new
door because none of the linings were exactly perpendicular.

The only solution is replace the lot, doors, handles, latches
and hinges. Does look nicer though.

The old sapele doors were easy to deeconstruct into wooden
facing panels which were easy to strip off and break up,
then scoop out the eggbox interior and chuck in the recycling
bin, leaving just the softwood edgeings dumped in the
wood recycling skip.