Escutcheon (keyhole plate)

Overview

An escutcheon is a decorative plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder. It also shields the wood from the key, which is why old fronts show a worn ring around an unprotected keyhole. Some are a plain surround, some carry a swivelling cover that closes the keyhole when it is not in use; some are inlaid into the wood and nearly invisible. In furniture it is the finishing detail to a lock, not the lock itself.

Types and sizes

• Surface plate: a thin brass sheet, pinned or screwed on, with a keyhole cut through it. Forms include round, oval, shield and pierced designs.
• Inlaid escutcheon: a small piece of ivory-coloured bone, ebony or contrast wood let into a mortise around the keyhole (Federal and Biedermeier work).
• Swivel cover: a disc on a pin that swings over the keyhole.
• Sizes: surface plates run 25 to 50 mm (1 to 2 in) long; the keyhole is cut to match the key bit.

Where it is used

Biedermeier fronts have escutcheons instead of pulls, usually inlaid and flush; Federal work uses ivory escutcheons on richer pieces; Queen Anne case furniture pairs brass escutcheons with batwing pulls. Craftsman and Pennsylvania German furniture use iron or brass escutcheons with locks on chests and cupboards.

Choosing and sizing

Choose a plate to match the lock and the pull: a brass plate with brass pulls, an inlay with plain wooden pulls. The keyhole in the plate must match the keyhole cut in the front; order the lock first and the escutcheon second. Allow a margin of at least 5 mm (3/16 in) of plate around the keyhole.

Installation

1. Cut the keyhole in the front to the key and lock design.
2. Position the plate and mark through the keyhole with a sharp pencil or a knife to scribe the outline.
3. For a pinned plate, drill 1.2 to 1.5 mm (3/64 to 1/16 in) pilot holes for the pins, tap them home, and file the heads flush.
4. For an inlay, chop or rout a mortise to the exact outline and depth of the piece, glue it, and level with a scraper.
5. Finish the wood before fixing a brass plate so the finish does not stain the metal.

Wood movement and species

An inlaid escutcheon is small and short-grain; align its grain with the front's grain so both move together. A brass plate pinned to oak will tarnish and stain from tannin if the wood is damp; seal the surface with Dewaxed shellac under the plate. A plate on a thin veneered front can chip the veneer at the keyhole; drill from the face with tape across the exit.

Common mistakes

• Plate placed off-centre of the lock.
• Keyhole wider than the key's shoulders; the key rocks.
• Polishing the finish over the plate, which clogs the pierced detail.

Related

• Cabinet and chest lock: the mechanism the escutcheon dresses.
• Bail pull (batwing and forged), Drop pull (teardrop): pulls often paired with an escutcheon.
• Knob: plain pulls that sit beside a key plate.