Does anyone know an easy way to line up the screws when reinstalling a doorknob like this
You have about a 30 year old Kwikset Bel Air. It's nearly impossible to describe in words, so here's trying.
Put the outside knob on, the two grey shafts go at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. Slip the inside knob on, also screws at 9 and
Put the screw in about half way, and hold the head of the screw. Wiggle the screw around, and you will feel it hit the hollow shaft.
Let your brain chart out the location of the shaft. Pull the screw back a little, and then put the screw about the center of where your brain says the shaft is. Slowly slide screw forward, while turning clockwise.
It's a lot harder than it sounds. I've been fussing with these for 30 years or more.
Insert the half that has the female ends on it through the mechanism. Push all the way to the wood. Put the screws into the other half, and hold in place with fingers. Put the two halves together, but just enough for the screws to touch the receivers. Start only a couple of threads, and sometimes if the two halves are far enough apart, you can see the ends of the screws. Some of the screws have the end tapered so they help find the female part. I guess the biggest part is to try to get the two halves lined up, have the touch to feel when you have the threads, and keep the two halves far enough apart to see the most of what you can. Other than that, it's just feel. Don't worry. After you've done a hundred or so, it gets easier. Or you give up.
Steve
LOL! Get each screw started / aligned before you tighten.
Huh?
(Was the OP saying his wife was also better at screwing than he is?)
Lim Time!
"I'm screwing a doorknob, my dear." These words from his wife he did hear. She finished the job, With a fully tight knob, While Oren was drinking his beer.
Jeff
Wiggling is an important part, like Stormin says.
If the screw can be pushed so far in that its head rests in the depression in the door knob bezel, then you missed the tube it's supposed to screw into. Don't waste your time trying to tighten it. Pull it out a half inch or inch and try to push it in more straightly, more straight-on. If straight on has been tried succesfully, then try for off-center a few times, 3 o'clock, 9 o'clock, 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, hen go back to aiming for the center.
Is the problem that you never hit the tube, or you hit the tube, but can't maneuver the screw to the center of the tube where it will screw in?
(...)
It strikes me that you could slide a short length of heat shrink tubing over each boss to funnel the fastener.
--Winston
Use an ice pick long awl or similar instead of the screw. The should allow you to have the female part out far enough so you can see where to insert the end of the ice pick. Then put the female end in flush with the door with the pick still in. This should help in lining up the screw hole with the receiver. Remove the pick. It then should be easier to line up the screw with the receive. Just start that screw (do not tighten). Use the ice pick to try to find the receiver for a second screw.
Start with a really good flashlight.
Jon
I'm not entirely sure. I think the problem is I hit the tube but fail to maneuver the screw into the tube. But, the tube end's about flush with the latch mechanism, so I'm not sure whether I'm feeling the tube or the latch.
By the way, I again fussed it in again, so I won't have this problem for a while anyway.
That sounds like a good trick to try. Next time I have to do this I'll try it. I have shrink tubing, so it will be easy to try.
The problem with the ice pick idea is that the knob gets in the way.
The manufacturer (Kwikset) has done several things over the years to make this easier. First, they had an under sized boss on the end of the screw that would hold the screw in the tube until you could get the threads started, now they have a nifty setup where you install the screws into the tubes before you insert the outside knob, and the inside knob rose plate has a slotted arraignment that you can twist into place and then tighten the screws. Pretty slick.
replying to Oren, Patricia wrote: Just dont go to Lowes and ask for a long screw!
replying to Jon Danniken, Cindy Nastasuk wrote: Want to do this myself. Been trying to align one screw just won't go in. Any ideas... please
Oren posted for all of us...
She's screwed, blued and tattooed.
Stormin Mormon replied to her post.
He has a computer in Heaven? Neat!
replying to Marilyn & Bob, Phil Norman wrote: I used wire and got good results. I had been messing with this for about 30 min.
Hi, my issue is same area but the way my Baldwin knob is made I cant insert screws into the the plate of the knob. Thry literally rub up against the door knob not allowing me to insert. So imagine me holding interior know in my hand and not being able to put in the right and left starter screws that eventually will be connected with the front female screw area. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Roger Shoaf, thanks, you just saved me a bunch of time. Kwikset is the way to go!
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.