Construction question (entry door)

[Richard]

I/we replaced our front entry doors. Wife decided she didn't like the steel double doors with large glass....sooooooooooo, she went out and bought wooden doors (identical to the painted steel) with large glass.... just so she could have painted wooden doors instead of painted steel.

I digress.... the deed is done BUT...this new door has holes cut on both halves for handles. The dummy door handle is supposed to screw onto the door slab. I have a hole there.

On another door in the house, I had to swap hinge/handle sides so moved the hinges and cut a new hole for the handle. I then used that plug to replace the original hole. Worked like a charm BUT...this (first) door doesn't have anyone pulling on that glued in slug. It's under zero pressure.

With this door, I don't have that luxury of cutting a hole and moving the slug. This door is 1 3/4" thick. If I cut a slug using a 2x4 then the slug is 1 1/2" thick and I have a 1/4" shortfall on both sides of the door.

This is so far the best way I've come up with filling/attaching this hardware. I might add that the stock holes are so near the edge the screws split the slug so I've had to drill more holes further in so the screws would be in the meat of the slug.

I still dont' like this idea since this door will at times, have pressure applied to the handle. Given that reality, would you go with this idea and if so, would you glue/PL it into place? I was thinking on doing it that way while also drilling & adding a screw from the jamb side to act as an anchor.
I'd be most happy to hear any thoughts/ideas.

This shows how the dummy handle mounts to the door. You can see that virtually all of the pressure will be on this slug. You can also see where I drilled new holes to grab more meat of the plug.

I did not center this in the door so it's sticking out a bit. If I center it then it will be about 1/4" shy of being flush on both sides.
I'm wondering how to mount the slug firmly and allow for the tugging/pushing/pulling that will happen over time.

I might add... I have to fix both of these holes.

 

[ray66v]

There are probably dozens of way you can do this.

My first thought is to cut a slug and glue it in with construction adhesive.

You can run a long screw from the side of the door, through the plug to hold it in place while the glue dries.

That will never pull out, once it dries completely.

 

[/pine]

If no hardware is needed in these holes...
They can be filled with body filler (automotive) and using some screws set inside the holes to give the filler something to bond to...apply the filler in several applications until it sticks out just beyond the finish surface of the door...then using a "sure-form" rasp remove the excess filler (just before it sets hard) until it is flush with the finish surface...then use sanding blocks from 100 grit to 220...
After it is painted you won't even know the holes were there...

 

[Richard]

There are probably dozens of way you can do this.

My first thought is to cut a slug and glue it in with construction adhesive.

You can run a long screw from the side of the door, through the plug to hold it in place while the glue dries.

That will never pull out, once it dries completely.

Thus far, that is my thinking as well. I don't want to pull the teastrical off (or what ever the center piece is called/spelled :laughing

So in that regard, I'm being lazy. It is however, the only idea I've come up with.

 

[Yandaddy1110]

I believe they make metal plugs/slugs to fill in the 2-1/8 '' bore. They bolt through the center of the plug on both sides, then attach the hardware to that.
Or , bore out a 2 1/8'' plug using a 2 1/4 hole saw out of a scrap piece of 1- 3/4'' paralam or microlam, or build up a piece in the garage with whatever you got clamp and glue it. Fasten it in the bore hore with some good polyurethane type glue and for added strength, bore a maybe 3/8'' hole through the edge of the door, through the plug and insert a 3/8'' piece of dowel rod. Do not hit the glass while boring the hole,been there myself. Perhaps bore the hole @ an angle so that you will stay plenty clear of the glass. Also check online for precut wood door plugs.

 

[Richard]

If no hardware is needed in these holes...
They can be filled with body filler (automotive) and using some screws set inside the holes to give the filler something to bond to...apply the filler in several applications until it sticks out just beyond the finish surface of the door...then using a "sure-form" rasp remove the excess filler (just before it sets hard) until it is flush with the finish surface...then use sanding blocks from 100 grit to 220...
After it is painted you won't even know the holes were there...

Did you miss the hardware in the picture that is attached to the slug showing how the dummy door handles attach?

These will be "load bearing" for lack of better word. From time to time the dummy doors will be used and the handles will be pushed/pulled. This is why I'm trying to find better way than the one I came up with (similar to above idea.... glue and set a long screw perpendicular to it through the slug into the door)

 

[Richard]

check online for precut wood door plugs.

That sir, has never crossed my mind! brilliant! :thumbsup:

 

[/pine]

Sorry I misunderstood the dilemma...
another suggestion...
...If the harware flanges (that hold the dummy knobs etc) are larger diameter than the holes in the door...you can get what are called "sex screws" they look the same on the finish ends but one is male and threads into the other which is female...which would allow the flanges on either side if the door to act as clamp...

"sex" bolts/screws are commonly used in commercial door hardware...they are available from locksmith shops etc...

 

[Richard]

Unfortunatley the mounting hardware is a smaller diamater than the hole in the door. The hardware will slide right through.

Right now, I'm thinking on taking another 2x4 and cutting two more slugs. (the last time I did it, I cut them a little on the diagonal so the slugs are not straight)

Anyways, mount the hardware as seen. Remove the teastrical thing on the center of the door. Mount the slug with construction glue slathered all around it. Take a center screw from the center of the door into (through?) the slug. Once dry, maybe apply something like bondo to fill in the 1/4" shortfall. Once cured, sand flush, paint and mount hardware as needed.

At least that is my current thought, absent another solution.

 

[/pine]

you might check with a lock shop or commercial door supplier for "sizing rings"...sometimes they are included with retail lock sets but are more common for dead bolts than dummy knobs...also for sizing rings to work the trim caps would have to be large enough (dia.) to cover...

good luck...