Freeing A Stuck Door

[Marcilaw]

I have an early 1920's Cecilian Console Phonograph that I received a few days back. I am attempting to restore it.

In any case, the two cabinet doors on either side of the front of the cabinet are stuck shut. When I pull on the pull knobs, both doors move leading me to believe that it is not wood swelling. (stored in an unheated basement for likely nearly 20 years) I am wondering, did manufacturers use some sort of a metal fixture inside of the cabinet to keep the doors shut?

I am looking for any insight on how I might get these doors open. Thanks!

-Larry Marcille, Martinsburg, West Virginia, USA

[VintageTechnologies]

Bullet catches were commonly used to keep doors shut. Maybe the spring-loaded bullet is frozen? Hopefully someone on this forum will have some ideas how to open the doors -- I hate to force anything.

[Brad]

Agreed, chances are bullet latches are the cause here. They are notorious for this behavior. It could be that they have rusted or are junked up.

There are a few thinks you can try:

1 - If there is room, slide a small putty knife between the door and the frame and slide it to determine where the latch is (Should be on the top near the center of the cabinet). Then use it to push into from the front while wiggling the door. If you can loosen the bullet the door will open. Careful, if there is not enough room for the putty knife to fit between the door and frame, you could damage the wood.

2 - Same as 1, but lie the cabinet on it's back, and spray a little WD40 into the latch. The solvent properties will loosen the bullet.

3 - If there is room, remove the hinge pins and remove the doors. This can be easy or difficult depending on the style of hinge and play between the door and cabinet opening. If there is room, this is a good way, if there is not room (i.e. the hinge buckle is in the way), you can cause damage to the door, cabinet, or both.

I have had luck with all of these approaches, however, the WD40 always worked the best.

Good luck.