We have undertaken numerous lock replacements in the past years but today we undertook a multiple mortice lock change with a difference for our customers Devon & Cornwall Housing.
We attended a property in St Austell to undertake a mortice lock change with a difference.
These lock cases were old euro cases and the cylinders were of the split cam type. I don’t think in all the years I have been a locksmith I have ever come across these before. Indeed at first I was not sure how to remove the actual cylinder, normally you remove the retaining screw, line up the cam and then in theory they should just slide out, but these would not.
But these twin cylinders are different as to get them out you still remove the screw but you cannot line the cam up in the normal manner, we found a small pin that you have to push in and then move the cam into the correct position, then you can withdraw the cylinder.
Unlike other types of twin cams, these were narrow at the base where the pins are housed, this means you cannot readily change over the cylinders without having to change everything even including the handles and the actual lock cases are considerably smaller so we had to undertake some remedial woodwork to make the others fit.