In-Filling Previously Drilled Door

I need to fit a new knob set to an interior door.

The hole for the existing knob set was bored out to 60mm diameter, whereas the new set requires a hole of 32mm with three additional holes of 6mm for fixing. The holes in question are in the face of the door - the hole in the door edge is the correct size.

Obviously, I need to in-fill the existing hole, make good the surface, drill appropriate holes for the new knob set and repaint.

What is the best method for in-filling?

I think my options are:

1: Mortice a square hole with chisel, cut a like piece, glue in with dowels for strength, leaving the original edge intact. Requires high accuracy.

2: As above, but use the router and templates. Needs a new router bit as I don't have one long enough.

3: Make two parallel cuts through the edge of the door, chisel out last edge, cut piece to fit, glue and strengthen with splines. Requires re-drilling the hole in the door edge.

Would appreciate any advice/comments on above or alternative methods.

The door is a standard interior skinned type, corrugated paper core, with wood blocks in the latch area.

Happy New Year to all

John

I think for all the hard work involved in redoing the lock, I would spend the $40 and buy a new door.

Al :)

Oz is on the money there why stuff about with all that for a door that is in fact probably less than $40 to buy new?

Inclined to agree with the above, but a quick thought.

If you go the router method, you could use a straight bit from one face of the door, then a flush trim from the other. Might save buying a long bit.


Cheers..........Sean, long bit :D

have you tried just putting the lock in anyway. sometimes they tell you to drill out 60mm so the entire lock fits in . The 32mm hole plus 2 smaller holes is soeach of the 2 through barrel bolts have their own hole. As long as the entire lock fits inside the 60mm hole it should work.
stef

I had exactly the same problem a few months ago.

I glued in a couple of pine chocks - not quite flush so you don't end up sanding end grain (see attached pic). Then I cut some clear plastic from an overhead transparency, rolled it into a tube and taped in into position. I oiled the plastic and overfilled the gaps with PlastiBond. Twenty minutes later I pulled out the plastic tube and then sanded the faces flush with an orbital sander. PlastiBond ain't cheap, but it is good for stuff like this.

Facing the prospect of doing the same to another seven doors I decided that it would be easier to just get new doors like the guys have already said!

Thanks for the input guys.

Didn't really want to replace the door as I may need to deal with another 4, so needed something easily set up as a production line.

Today, I routed out a nice clean square using a straight bit and a makeshift template , thanks scooter, your tip worked a treat.

I then routed out a 3mm deep rebate around the hole (on each face) to accept a piece of masonite which can be glued in as a new skin.

A few blocks of pine glued inside restores the door to its original condition.

Now back to something more inspiring :D

John

Try using builders bog. It is reasonably cheap and will set within 1 hour and can be drilled, screwed, chiseled, routered etc to your hearts content.

I have fixed two lock blocks with this method and the doors are still going strong.

If "Builders Bog" seems a little expensive

Pop in to Super Cheap Auto and buy some car body filler - works the same but can be cheaper and I reckon that if it will stick to a car body it will stick to anything

not affiliated to SCA etc etc