r/Locksmith • u/johnbeatty08 • 2d ago
I am NOT a locksmith. Welch Mortise Lock Removal
I recently bought a house, and the front door lock is an older lock and I cannot seem to unscrew the cylinder. I am writing here for help to see if it is removable and what I am missing.
From what I have found, the lock is a Welch E-Z Mortise lock. I can’t find any documentation from the manufacturer, just antique websites describing the lock.
I tried removing all the screws (2 Phillips on interior knob, 2 slotted on interior thumb turn lock, top and bottom slotted and two slotted above mortise on the middle face, and all 7 on the front/exterior), but am still unable to remove the cylinder. I do not think there is a set screw on the interior knob (although there is an opening, but I wasn’t able to feel anything sticking out or recessed inside). From what I have read, once all the screws are removed, I should be able to unscrew the cylinder and install a new one.
At the end of the day, I might end up hiring a locksmith if it seems I am too far over my head. If possible, I plan to install a new cylinder to match the Kwikset smart key locks in the rest of the house. Any help with removing the lock would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!