Tap the other end of the nail set with a hammer to get the cylinder moving - it may be stubborn at first, but once you get it moving, it will be much easier. Option 2.) Use a hammer and a nail set, by seating the tip of the nail set into just one of the notches at an angle that will move the ball catch in the desired direction. If it is as firm or stubborn as the ones that we have worked on, a quarter will not provide as much leverage or turning ability as a chisel. This may work if the inner cylinder turns easily, but it often does not. NOTE: We have read an article online suggesting that you use a quarter to do this method. Once seated within the notches, turn the inner cylinder clockwise to lower the ball catch, or counterclockwise to raise the ball catch. However, with a little patience and perseverance, you will see that it can be done. This can also get a little tricky because your chisel will want to slip off the steel ball. A 3/4" chisel may be a little wider than the distance between these notches, but it will still do the job. Option 1.) Use a 3/4" chisel, and press downwards directly on the steel ball until your 3/4" chisel is inside the two notches. Take special note of the two grooves, or "notches", on the inside ball catch cylinder. Here are the two best ways to adjust your door ball catch:įirst, get yourself up on a stepladder or sturdy chair, and take a look at your ball catch. What he was left with was a deep 270-degree circular cut on his thumb, and a ball catch that was in no way adjusted. The author of this article learned the hard way when reaching up on top of the door and blinding pressing his thumb down on top of the ball catch to try and rotate it. That may occasionally be the case, but only if you are lucky and the inside cylinder is very loose within the outside cylinder (and it usually isn't).įurthermore, you should use caution even attempting to do that. We have read in other places online, and even seen YouTube videos stating that you can do this by hand. When you turn the inside cylinder counterclockwise, it will go up, or rise. When you turn the inside cylinder clockwise within the larger outside cylinder, it will go down, or recess. That cylinder is seated inside a second, larger cylinder which also has threading. That ball and spring are encased in a cylinder, and on the outside of that cylinder it is threaded (like a large screw). A ball catch is a metal ball sitting on top of a spring. Next, let us explain exactly how a ball catch works. The process of adjusting the ball catch is identical regardless of which type you have. The good news is - for the purposes of this article - it does not matter. Quite frankly, unless you have ever stood on a chair and looked on the top of your door slab, you probably did not know which type you have. There are generally two types of ball catches:Ī drive-in ball catch does not have a plate, and is inserted directly into the top of your door.Ī mortise strike plate ball catch incorporates a plate that is mortised into the top of your door. The ball catch is a steel ball with a spring underneath which, when the door is closed, "catches" (hence, the name) into a small indent on the ball catch strike plate. Ball catches are typically used on doors that do not have a standard door knob with a latch and strike plate, such as double-closet doors that have dummy door knobs. A ball catch is a small piece of hardware that is inserted into the top of an interior door. One of the questions that we are asked most often is: "How do I adjust a ball catch"?įirst, let us explain what a door ball catch is, and what it does.
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