I'm getting together all the bits for my 1969 mini for rechroming, do I need to remove the lock from the drivers side door handle before it can be rechromed?

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Yes it makes easier when they do the finishing polish

Thanks, how do you get the locks out?

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Have you looked at the "how to" section?

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=69906
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=60640

Thanks for the links. They will come in handy when reassembling the doors. But the links don't describe how to remove the lock barrel from the drivers side door handle of early wind up window doors.

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

There is a pin in there, punch it out, note the lock must be in the `unlocked' position to remove it.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks, I'll have another go at it this week. I'll post photos if I'm successful.

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Ok, I have managed to get the lock pin out. How do you get the lock plunger out to separate the handle from the escutcheon?

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

It should pull out with the key, in the unlocked position.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

There can be a total of 3 Pins, Or 2 pins and a split Pin
The split Pin Holds the escutcheon to the handle, This sometimes
can be a pin, 2 this Pin holds the square steel section to the Die cast handle,
There is no need to remove this, the third pin a small brass pin holds
the barrel in the Handle, Once You have removed this Pin Spray some WD40
or something similar around the barrel section, Then as previously said,
use Your key to pull the barrel out, Sometimes You may have to tap the handle
on a hard surface like a piece of wood with some cloth covering the wood

Note do not have Your handle Plated with the barrel in place, no matter what anyone says

_________________
" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

Thanks Tim and John. I've got the barrel out, it looks like just the lock plunger (square piece of metal the lock moves to stop the handle turning in the escutcheon ) is stopping the handle from being removed from the escutcheon. I'll have another go tomorrow night and take a photo.

_________________
Lindsay Palmer
06 Mazda SP23
80 Alfa GTV (weekend toy)
86 626 Turbo (daily drive, now stolen)
71 cooper s replica
69 cooper replica
76 clubman
62 english 850
68 Mini Auto

Err, sorry, its been a while, I thought it came out sideways after you pull the barrel out, but you'd have to move escutcheon down to get to it.

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

What Tim is telling You is spot on, Move the square metal section
so that it is the middle not poking out either side then move the escutcheon down
then slide the square metal piece out altogether.

_________________
" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"

That's it I remember now.

John, how do they come up after rechroming? Is the alloy that they are made out of usually OK, or does it end up with pits in it?

Tim

_________________
1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

Tim,
It is one of the worst metals to Re Chrome, It depends on the plater and the customer
How good they come up, The plater will have to put a lot of time into polishing it before
plating, He can only go so far with the polishing process, and if it is still pitted then he will have to put
a very thick coat of copper on it, This hopefully will give him enough depth so that he can try polishing
the copper Smooth, if this does not work he will have to put another coat of copper and polish it again
once it is smooth he will then put a good coat of Nickel and then Chrome Plate,
Why I say it depends on the Plater and the customer is
It depends on the plater if he willing to spend the time if he has to plate then polish then plate again
It depend on the customer if he is willing to pay for so many processes
this is why You will often see pits in re plated die cast, also there are some areas that cannot be polished
well enough To remove the pits

With modern Plating solutions it is sometimes possible to put one very thick coat of copper,
because the Plating solutions have better levelling properties than they did years ago,
But it is still an expensive process

_________________
" A Hundred Years From Now It will not Matter what my Bank Acount Was,
The Sort Of House I Lived in, Or The Kind Of Car I drove ... But The World May Be A Better Place
Because I was Once Important In The Life Of A Child"