Locks and Keys

While not usually essential to the functioning of a piece of furniture. A working set of locks and keys does add to the aesthetic quality of an antique.

Subject to the same deterioration that effects the wooden structure,  the metal oxidizes, rusts away or simply wears down from use.

In the case of this pair of locks the bit on the  key supplied with the credenza was too short to through the bolt and one of the locks was missing the bolt entirely.

The locks themselves are from a 20th century reproduction but the mechanics and parts are essentially the same as those in a period mortise lock.

First stop - the metal scrap bin.

I collect bits of useable metal scrap left over from projects or salvaged as I find it.

To make the replacement bolt for the lock I needed some 1/8" thick mild steel.

Having found none in my "collection" I opted to make the missing parts in brass.

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Making the Bolt

The brass stock was heated to remove its temper making it soft(er) and easier to shape. The remaining original bolt was removed and used as a template which I scribed around.




The shape was then cut out with a jewelers saw and finished up with needle files. 






Since the section of the bolt which extends out of the throat to engage the keeper is thicker than the internal plate, I cleaned the surfaces and brazed on enough material to make up the difference.

The finished locks with the parts in place

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The Key
The bit on the supplied key was too short to engage the bolt and was therefore used to pull open the doors without actually locking or unlocking the piece.

As you can see in this photo the bit was short by about 1/8".






In order to correct the problem a small piece of brass was brazed onto the end of the bit and then filed to mate properly with the bolt.

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Additional Information

I found this article explains a lot of the terminology and history
The Keys to Antique Furniture Locks by Fred Taylor

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Additional Photos on Flickr

Bits and Pieces

Completed Repair

This piece came into the studio with several condition problems.

The Chinese silk embroidery panel was distorted because of breaks in the support frame for the embroidery, and the stand itself was missing a carved bracket and several pieces of mother of pearl inlay.

My "impression" is that the silk in the frame is not the original occupant, but a period section of fabric trimmed to fit the original missing artwork.

The embroidery had been lined much like a canvas for a painting and the brown silk border was sewn around the spruce stretcher and then strung taut in a rather "shoe-lace" fashion across the back.

I started out by reinforcing the damaged stretcher support. Pulling back the lining and isolating the material with glassine, I glued the shattered spruce elements and reinforced the breaks with strips of new spruce.

A side note: the clamps are actually older style Intravenous tube clamps that I purchased at American Science and Surplus. The small hemostat clamps came from there as well. A great source for odd and unusual bits and pieces.

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The frame itself was missing one of the carved support brackets so I traced one of the originals and set about carving the replacement.

The original is on the right

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The mother of pearl inlay was an easier task. Again tracing the replacement from an original (in this case a flower) and then engraving the petal detail before resetting it in the groundwork.

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Detail of the embroidery

As usual there are more photos on Flickr

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Lid Repair

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Stand Repair

Before

Turned Profile

Carved

Completed

The Original

The Replacement

Additional Photos on Flickr