This is the main diagram to measure off the drill and tap points on the frame header and the door. Being a diagram and not a template, it is not expected to be at 1:1 scale. However, a quick look will find measurements which are not even in proportion. For instance, compare the line for 4 1/8 (105) to that for 4 15/16 (125) to that for 11 3/8 (289). For the best contrast, there are two places labelled 4 (102) and they are not even close to the same.
Another problem is that of reference. A door closer swings a door and for this mechanical reason, the centre line of the hinge is the natural reference point. Every measurement should be from it. This is a counter example for the engineering drawing class I once took on positioning dimension lines. At site, it also drives you to either add up the numbers or serially measure. Either method introduces errors. The five mounting holes never repeat spacing and they really could.
Am I done commenting on the instuctions from the box. Not even close.
- The fastener hardware supplied posed a few mysteries. There are clearly items to be used. Some are for applications I can tell are not needed here. And then there are other screws.
- The cover is held by 3 screws when 5 holes are available. The cover sits square if you put the top screws in and would be less subject to vandals taking the two lower bolts or them being lost from vibration. Yet, without the screws in the bottom, it looks unfinished.
- The arm is put on with a big bolt over a washer. Two with the right threading are provided and yet the diagram shows a third type and a very clearly different washer.
- Like many closers, this has a closing force adjustment nut on the end of the barrel. The instructions say it is shipped at a middle setting of the power range. There is no table given for turns should you have a wider or heavier door.
- You have to dismount the closer from the mounting plate to get access to one of the screws. This step is never said.
- They claim to provide hex keys to adjust two different items. Only one was there. However, if planned better, both could have been that one size. The needed hex wrenches were side by side on my tool kit.
- The instructions given refer you to do the wiring as per another document which was not in the box.
Some will read this and think the locksmith is grumbling again. If that were all it was, I should not be writing. Poor quality instructions slowed me down. You recheck measurements. You ponder over which bolt to use where. You test out the mounting locations with the hardware as template before you drill. One thing I learned is that I should be careful turning this item over to a less experienced coworker.
Another thought also came back to me. Ease of installation affects product sales at times. If two competing products step into the marketplace and one takes more time to install, that can quickly eat up the price difference. I am reminded of some of the stand-alone push button locks which had multiple wires running thru the door so were hard to install and hard to service. Human hands had to hold peices on both sides of the door at once as you found where the bolts connected them and you could never see then if you were pinching a wire. When one company found a way to do this without wires, it came in at a higher price and still sold well.
Some products will not sell if the right person does not name them to the client. If you knew how hard some piece of hardware was to install and how much reading between the lines you had to do, you skip it. Very few products can not be substituted by other makers.
I am pushing a phrase from computers at this point. User interface. The instructions are the user interface for the product. Are the instructions as carefully planned as the product?
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Laux Myth ... Thoughts From a Locksmith
By MartinB, Found @ http://lauxmyth.blogspot.com/
Hello Martin, Door closer Doctor here again,
ReplyDeletei cannot see the diagram (i know its old) but from the discription i have a feeling i know what brand this may be, i once tried to contact the (unnamed) brand on youtube, twitter as well as through an AHC who specifies their hardware) about my findings about the missing info about the valve on the back of the (unnammed brand) closer, the comment was made about a year ago, no response from the company yet about my finding and them to edit their directions for the (unnammed brand) closer.
i have a feeling they left out the instruction on the "mystery valve" to draw people to calling customer support to ask what does it do and how is it set when used on push or pull side of the door,
as a rule, if the instructions are not clearly written (broken english, missing words) then you most likely have a product that was made overseas in a country that does not speak english.
-Jess the door closer doctor