Enlarging a hole for a deadbolt

[Joe Fabeitz]

[U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles]

If the new hole is concentric with the old hole, any of the suggestions given will work.

If they are not concentric, fill the old hole with catalyzed body filler, I've done a single pour, but two if you want to sand less.

[Wes Stewart]

|Doug Kanter wrote: | |>OK, wizards - here's a situation I can't find a good solution to. I have a |>Yale deadbolt in my back door, and want to replace with a KwikSet. The |>backset (from edge of door to center of hole) is correct for Kwikset, but |>the hole's size is too small. It's about 1-3/4", and the Kwikset requires |>2-1/8". I've got the right size hole saw, but without solid wood for the |>guide bit, I can't see a way for the saw to work correctly. Using a saber |>saw is a possibility, I guess, but I wonder if there's something more |>elegant, as opposed to turning this into a cob job. |>

|>Anyone got a cool trick? |>

|> |>

|How 'bout get a 3/4" thick piece of scrap. Make hole with the new hole |saw. Clamp scrap into position over where you want bigger hole. Drill |hole.

Exactly!

[Sam Schmenk]

I've also used this method with success. Make a little jig from scrap ply with a stop for correct backset, bore hole in it, and clamp to door. If you're like me, layout a horizontal center on door edge and jig so you can align both sides of the door accurately. AND remember, most lock sets allow some margin of error. You're lucky if you won't have to fool with filling the old lock mortise in. I spent 3 hrs last weekend retrofitting a Schlage unit to a mortised skeleton key setup. It was funny... Prepping the stock, fitting, and gluing up the mortise was easy, but matching the small unfinished areas of a 100 year old oak door took the majority of my time.

[firstjois]

[snip]

[snip]

I found the article, just a snippet, really - "The Family Handyman" October

2004. pp 19. It syas to use two hole saws, the pilot saw the same diameter os the existing hole and the larger hole saw (the correct size) - install both. Go slowly until the pilot saw aligns the larger.

Looks soooo easy,

Josie

[Doug Kanter]

Really makes you want to slap the bejeezus out of whomever designed lock packaging containing the words "Easy Installation!" :-) Nothing in home repair is as quick as we wish it would be.

[Lawrence Wasserman]

Use your 2 1/8" holesaw to drill a hole through a short piece of a 2X6 or similar, then clamp that on the door so the drilled hole lines up with where you need the new hole in the door. The (dare I say it) predrilled 2 1/8" hole will act as a guide for the holesaw.

[chibiabos]

[Upscale]

Using a saber

My hole saw setup lets a person attach two hole saws to one mandrel. In effect there's one hole saw inside a bigger one. Could you do something like that ~ put a hole saw for the existing sized hole inside the bigger one you actually want?

[dadiOH]

Got a router? Got a 3/8 cutter with a 1/4 shank? Extend the bit so it cuts the underside of the hole about 1/2 the thickness of the wood. Use the shank of the bit to run around the top edge of the hole. You have now enlarged the diameter of the bottom half of the hole by 1/8. Turn the door over, set the bit so it cuts what wasn't cut before. Repeat until the enlarged part of the hole is the correct diameter then switch to a 1/4 bit and trim the rest of the hole flush with the enlarged part.

Takes more time to tell than do, makes a nice vertical hole.

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Doug Kanter]

Yet ANOTHER good idea! I don't think about my router at times like this because frankly, I'm not that skilled with it. Out comes the scrap wood for practice purposes.......

[mac davis]

DAMN... i had the same problem a couple of years ago... another, related problem was my the drill hole saw had about 1/2 of actual drill bit sticking out of the bottom.. I bought a longer bit, clamped a piece of scrap plywood on the other side of the door, marked the hole center on it and drilled the new hole.. Not a great way to do it, but it was easy (once i had the longer bit) and worked well for me..

[Doug Kanter]

Ummm.....I'm a civilian. Don't own a lathe. Nice idea, though.

[Eric Ryder]

That would work with the el-cheapo stack holesaw sets, but ain't gonna make it with my Lennox set.

[Andy Dingley]

Well put a flycutter in your mill and do it that way !

[bridger]

or fire up the CNC laser and save some time....

[Andy Dingley]

Bored with that. Want a 3D lithography machine now.

[Jeff Cochran]

Tack a 1/4" piece of plywood across the hole, use a hole saw to drill the new hole. Plywood acts as a guide, pull the tacks and a few tiny holes to putty and repaint.

Jeff

[Clark Griswold]

Just *jam* a piece of wood in the hole. Drill your new hole.

[Dan Lanciani]

| > [snip] | >

| > I found the article, just a snippet, really - "The Family Handyman" | > October | > 2004. pp 19. It syas to use two hole saws, the pilot saw the same | > diameter | > os the existing hole and the larger hole saw (the correct size) - install | > both. Go slowly until the pilot saw aligns the larger. | >

| > Looks soooo easy, | >

| > Josie | >

| >

| >

| >

| | That would work with the el-cheapo stack holesaw sets, but ain't gonna make | it with my Lennox set.

The Starrett Oops arbor will fit your Lennox saws (as well as Milwaukee and Blu-Mol). It seems very handy in concept, though I admit that I have not opened it since I bought it...

Dan Lanciani ddl@danlan.*com