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Vintage Dial Construction / Assembly

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 3:08 pm
by L4R3L2
I have this nice, old safe deposit door that has a Yale OC-5 lock on it. The dial is missing the "coin" (what is the proper name for this part?).
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I believe this is what the part originally looked like...
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How were these assembled? I see a spline key inside the recess in the dial face. Did the "coin(?)" have a female threaded stud on its back side? Was the spindle threaded through the dial and into the "coin", then the spline key inserted from behind the dial? It looks like the "coin" would index on the four grooves to prevent turning after assembly?

Any idea where I can find the missing part? It's the smaller, .915-ish" diameter "coin" size.

Re: Vintage Dial Construction / Assembly

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 3:20 pm
by Riyame
The coin/badge was usually threaded into the dial knob. I have not taken one apart where it had peened over edges to thread on, the really old S&G I had to take apart was fully threaded. It might have simply been press fit in.

The dial would have been threaded onto the spindle, the spline key put in place and the the badge pushed/threaded into place.

The only place to get a replacement would be from another old dial.

Re: Vintage Dial Construction / Assembly

PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2020 10:20 pm
by mercurial
I think the coin shaped part is called the dial medallion. I’ve seen them turn up on eBay from time to time.

Hope that helps,

...mercurial

Re: Vintage Dial Construction / Assembly

PostPosted: Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:24 pm
by L4R3L2
Thank you. So most can be screwed on/off, but some are press fit?

Re: Vintage Dial Construction / Assembly

PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2020 4:21 am
by Riyame
L4R3L2 wrote:Thank you. So most can be screwed on/off, but some are press fit?


Try pushing the front of the dial into a mousepad or other piece of soft rubber like material and turning it. The pad should grip the medallion enough that you can get a good grip on the rest of the dial face and push and turn to unscrew it.

I should be getting one in fairly soon that I can try out and report back.