# Door knob hole too large



## chronojosh

I am replacing the door knobs on my exterior doors and the old knobs were a smaller diameter than the new ones. While drilling a bigger hole using a jig from Lowes I didn't notice that the jig had moved causing me to drill an irregular shaped hole. Needless to say I eventually fixed it and made a circular hole for the new knob, but the hole is too big now. I installed the new knob and can see daylight through it! How can I fix this without buying a new door???


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## joecaption

Is the door painted or stained?

If it's painted you could use this product. Any hardware store Lowes or HD will have it.

http://www.waterputty.com/


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## chronojosh

well its stained right now, but I want to sand it down and prime and paint it. I guess I could achieve the same result as that product with the large tub of woodfiller putty that I have.


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## joecaption

Good luck. Wood puttys not going to stay stuck. Wood puttys good for little more then filling a finish nail hole, even then it tends to dry out and shrink or fall out.
The stuff I suggested is really cheap, can be molded, sanded, and is as hard or harder then most wood and is really cheap to buy.
Is this just a cheap hollow core flat panel door? If so you can by a whole new door for about $25.00.


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## PaliBob

chronojosh said:


> .......the old knobs were a smaller diameter than the new ones.......


Too late now, Could have been a job for the Starrett "OOPS" Arbor
http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/oops-arbor/30886.html


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## chronojosh

I wish the door was a cheap one, I would just replace it, but it is solid wood. I assume it was the original one from the 57 when the house was built. I will look picking up some of the waterputty. Do they carry it a Lowes or HD? The oops arbor would have been nice....ah hindsight....


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## Joe Carola

chronojosh said:


> I. I will look picking up some of the waterputty. Do they carry it a Lowes or HD?


Joe's first post told you that it does.


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## COLDIRON

They make blank plates that cover the deadbolt hole if you don't use it you can buy two of these and drill the center out so that your knob will fit through the plate just right. clean and paint I don't think it would look bad. Better than replacing the door. The hardest part is making the hole in the plates. Or think of anything larger than the hole to make a filler plate with.


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## rjniles

PaliBob said:


> Too late now, Could have been a job for the Starrett "OOPS" Arbor
> http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/oops-arbor/30886.html


Bob,

Too late for this poster but I have done this by putting 2 hole saws on the same arbor. You have to crank the lock nut down hard but it works.


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## Duckweather

The old way is to put in a "Dutchman". Cut a snug fitting circular plug thicker than the door, (even two tapered slightly to the inside), like big cork stoppers. glue with polyurethane wood glue, (dampen both door and plugs), tap in,wide side out, trim and sand. Then re drill new hole with holesaw of proper size.


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## woodworkbykirk

if filling the hole isnt going to work its quite common in commercial spaces to simply put a stainless steel plate one the door.. works like a charm


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## BigJim

Go to a builders hardware supply and ask for a escutcheon plate for your hardware, you will probably have to take your door knob with you. Here is a link to see if you can see your hardware there.

http://www.handlesets.com/escutcheon-plates/c4281

I hope this helps.


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## woodworkbykirk

lol thanks jim.. i can pronounce it but cant spell it.. you knew what i was getting at


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## BigJim

woodworkbykirk said:


> lol thanks jim.. i can pronounce it but cant spell it.. you knew what i was getting at


I couldn't spell it either, my wife had to tell me how.


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## rochelly

The plate you are thinking of is called a scar plate. Menard's should have them.


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## PaliBob

*Wow 26 months later, I hope the door is fixed!*.


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