front door won`t unlock anymore.

[Mason121]

Hello, you put the key in and turn it like normal but the door won`t "click" unlock. The house is a raised ranch w/ an attached garage. The door to the garage is right next to the main front door and has the same type of lock so I just swapped out the two. I didn`t measure the hole where the knob set goes into. Went to the local hardware store and bought two new keyed entry knob sets. Had them re-keyed so they could both use the same key. Talked to a guy at the hardware store about all the knob sets being standard......asked if these would fit in my door and he said yes. Went home to put the new door knob sets in and they won`t fit. The existing holes in my doors are too small in dia. The new ones need a 2 1/8" hole. How can I drill a bigger hole in the same place as the holes I have. I mean it would be easy to drill a hole in a door that has no hole. Just use a hole saw......but how to center the 2 1/8" hole saw in a hole with no center point. I know you might say .....take them back and buy the ones that fit my door hole. I can`t find any that will fit. The house was made back in 1963. Buy new doors and drill them......not an option at this time for me. TIA.............for any ideas. Dan.

[DanG]

Take an oversized piece of plywood. Drill the 2 1/8 hole in the board. clamp or tack the template to the door and drill away with the hole saw.

Make sure that the new hole will accommodate the backset requirements of the strike.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

won`t "click"

type of lock so I

knob set goes

knob sets.

to a guy at the

knob sets in and

same place as

door that has

hole saw in a

back and buy

option at this

[Phisherman]

You need a hole saw set (about $12). First cut a plug, use carpenter's glue and plug the hole. After allowing the glue to cure (1 day), cut a new hole being careful about the 90-degree angle. Avoid cutting all the way through--drill from the other side half way through. The plug idea works well, I've used it many times.

[Mason121]

That sounds do-able to me. The plug will fit in the existing hole with a hole in the center of it. Gluing it in will secure the plug. Then I just have to drill the new

2 1/8 th. hole. Thanks alot. Dan. .