How to enlarge a deadbolt hole or a door knob hole in a door - no measuring or marking required

[@Punchanello]

I know this is 5 years old at this point but, Man, Thank you! This is exactly the problem I have and definitely a fix I'm more comfortable with. You have my gratitude

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome, my oldest, best and at the same time worst video on my channel. Had no idea how to film back then, but it worked out ok. Glad I could help

[@cabforwardooo9983]

Excellent! This is exactly what I needed to see! I was getting ready to enlarge the hole by using a combination of small drill holes, hand cutting, filing, and possibly dynamite. This probably saved me from buying a new door! Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

Well now I don’t know, this method works, but now I’m thinking a small amount of dynamite in a contained blast may be much more fun. Next time I’m trying that. Hey, glad I could help save you from buying a new door! Thanks for watching.

[@lliew7827]

I tried to install the new smart door lock today and it was found that the deadbolt was too small to fix. Thank you for the instruction that I need to enlarge the deadbolt hole so that my new smart lock can be installed.

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome

[@whittierstSD]

Before I saw this video I had gone to Home Depot and the guy in hardware said "Good luck with that" and sold me a rasp to use on my drill to try to enlarge the hole. I thought "There's got to be a better way." Your tutorial was absolutely spot on and now I have a nice new Baldwin Touchscreen Z Wave deadbolt on my back door! Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

Right on man! Glad I could help. I do love Home Depot, and Lowe’s and all those stores but that is the problem I see there too, only a handful of people that work at those places have any knowledge or experience with any of this type of work. But KZbin to the rescue. It would be funny for you to back into Home Depot, and show that employee that told you “good luck” and show him this video. Thanks for watching!

[@rallytay]

This video was perfection. I had no idea things like this were even an issue until I tried to install a new lock on our very old door and discovered it was too small. Went through a few videos until I came to this one. Made sense in my head and made sense in action. Thank you!!!

[@JFKreations]

rallytay you’re welcome. Always good to read that I was able to help someone tackle a home repair project. Thanks for watching.

[@SmokeysTrail]

Thank you, thank you, for your video. I have a front metal door, and I have the same problem with an old small deadbolt. I replace it with a new Kwikset Montara lockset. I watch your video step by step and it work perfectly. Thanks for people like you are willing to help the average guy like me to save hundreds of dollars from buying a new door, and trying to wing it by myself, and end up damaging the metal door like you said.

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome! That’s the idea.

[@Tatman1212]

I just ran into the exact same problem, trying to put a new lock set on my door on a house that I just moved into. It’s like you were waiting for me to open KZbin! Thank you so much.

[@JFKreations]

Glad I could help

[@decyntion]

I'm a mom/housewife that fancies herself to be fairly handy. The many, many, hours it took me to do my project were the result of me, fearfully, avoiding your technique. I finally had to let go of my fear and just go for it. After gathering all of the items (pieces of wood being hardest to find), I had it done in less than an hour. Thanks for a great video!!

[@JFKreations]

Now that’s the kind of comment I like to read! This is exactly why I made this channel, share what I’ve learned and inspire people to get out of their comfort zone and pick up a drill! I’m glad I was able to help. You know I just thought of something. I have a Facebook page for my channel, and I haven’t done much with it. Would have been great to have some before and after pictures. Ah well, next time I suppose.

[@helenedurand1129]

Thanks a bunch. You saved me the heartache of having to shop for a different door knob set from the one I had picked. Thumbs up !

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. Glad I saved you a little

[@southpaw4089]

AWESOME! what an elegant , simple solution to what seemed to be an impossible task without removing door and searching for and purchasing a an expensive, one use only jig! The crazy thing is I did this WITHOUT needing a home depot run--I did have the all that was necessary. 5 stars my friend!

[@JFKreations]

Robert N. Glazer, M.D. well thank you very much, I definitely appreciate the feedback and it’s always great to hear that someone was able to put one of my videos to use.

[@KathleenBounds]

Hey, I just wanted to say "Thank you!" You're video instructions were wonderful and made it possible for us to replace my mom's door locks ourselves!!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. Glad to hear you used this to do a nice thing for you Ma.

[@irisrobinson2520]

Thanks!! We had the same issue for upgrading a door lever, and my husband was trying to figure out how to do this. After he procrastinated on finishing the project, I consulted Google and found this video...worked great, and our new lever is finally installed!

[@JFKreations]

Nice! Glad I could help.

[@JohnPhilpott-b4c]

Great video. Clear directions with no BS. Awesome. Thanks so much.

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. Thanks for watching

[@waynemeredith2725]

Thanks so much. This is exactly what I needed when I changed to an electric lock. The whole process was quicker than I expected.

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@Infectd]

I see this is a few years old, but still just saved me a ton of headache. Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome, how to tip videos are evergreen! They never go out of style. Glad it helped you out

[@Kaptain.Obvious]

Genius! Dude you saved me so much aggravation. I’m been trying to figure out how to enlarge holes in 3 old doors for a few weeks. New sub. Thank you.

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome, glad I saved you from continued agita. Little known fact, old doors are the #1 source of agita world wide. And I’d like to officially welcome you to the team, definitely appreciate every subscriber!

[@benjaminyoder4426]

Thanks for this video! Deadbolt turned out perfectly thanks to your instructions.

[@JFKreations]

You got it! Glad you found the video helpful

[@PatriotWoman]

Thank you! May I also suggest a couple of good, heavy, rubber door stoppers wedged under both sides during this project? They're cheap and would immobilize the door or prevent you from having to use your foot.

[@JFKreations]

That’s perfect advice for anyone out there doing a repair like this. My problem at the time was more trying to figure out how to film myself doing this. Think it was my first video and you should have seen the contraption I had rigged up for the camera. Got so focused on that I missed taking care of the the small stuff like securing the door. Making videos is more challenging than I realized at the time.

[@WCYL1761]

I compared it with other ways on KZbin. This is much better since it will not go wrong. I did it exactly as this video and it worked perfectly. One thing to remember is that your power drill has to have enough power. Initially, I used a regular home cordless power drill, it almost hurt my fingers since the wood is hard and kicked back. Later, I used a more powerful corded power drill, making the work easier and smoother.

[@JFKreations]

Yeah, you have to be careful when drilling especially with large drill bits, or in this case, a hole saw. There’s a lot of torque there, and if they catch, it will twist right up on you. There are a couple things you can do to prevent that. If your drill came with a side handle, those work great. If not you can wrap your forearm around the body of the drill and hold it snugly pressed against your arm, with your arm on the side of the drill that it would twist if it did catch. Then if it does catch, it’s not a big deal, your arm will prevent it from twisting in your hand. You can do the same thing with the drill pressed against your leg to prevent that twisting.

[@Dartheomus]

Ok, I didn't expect to learn much here, and I have to say I am so glad I watched this video. Your approach is fantastic and so smart. Nice job. Thank you.

[@JFKreations]

Dartheomus right on! I’m glad you liked it and maybe were able to take something away from it to use in your projects. Always good to have a few extra tricks. Thanks for stopping by!

[@Dartheomus]

@@JFKreations Yep, I went ahead and did the job yesterday. Turned out great. I'm glad I didn't try to drill all the way through from one side! I'm sure I would have made that mistake. Oh... and btw, you don't actually have to do all the juggling! You can start on one side, and drill half way through. Then relocate your wood to the other side, and use the newly drilled hole as your guide to drill the new center hole. Then come back from the other side! :)

[@JFKreations]

Dartheomus even better if you found a way to expand on the idea and make it more efficient. Nice work. You have the DIY spirit!

[@ABSbondking]

Thank you man!!! This worked like a charm... followed each and every step to replace the locks at a condo. Everyone use this if you are in need... great steps and a great result here!

[@JFKreations]

Wow, thank you. Glad you were able to put this to use replacing those locks!

[@michaeleverett2650]

I'm working on the same problem project today, And the way I have it figured, only one side of the hole needs to be enlarged Inward about one quarter to a half inch and that would be the outside face of the door where the keyhole half of the deadbolt has the Indented side that sticks out and would fit right in the new hole.

[@JFKreations]

Should be able to use a modified version of this to do that. Let me know how it works out

[@krishokanson1881]

Behold this man's genius. Worked perfectly.

[@JFKreations]

Genius? Wouldn’t go that far, but thanks! Glad I could help!

[@inkbythebarrelandpaperbyth6905]

this was genius. Im not the only one who was having this problem and you solved it. thank you

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. I’m glad that I’ve been able to help people with this fairly common problem. Thanks for checking out the video

[@inkbythebarrelandpaperbyth6905]

@@JFKreations my original deadbolt hole was 1 7/8

[@armadillotoe]

Thank you. I hadn't thought of using a hole saw the size of the existing hole. I was going to attempt measuring and marking the spot for the pilot hole.

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. Glad I could help.

[@seandemers4970]

Just what we needed. Worked like a charm. Thanks!!

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped!

[@jchabalk]

This is a great tutorial for cutting. if you got 2 of those heavy door stoppers from the hardware store you could keep the door still while you're working on it. Unfortunately when you were drilling from the front you used the metal end of the clamp against the wall to secure the door and left a gouge in the wall.

[@JFKreations]

Yeah I know, I was so green at filming then, and I was concentrating on trying to get the shot on camera, I made a lot of mistakes on the project itself. But in this case it didn’t matter, there was a lot destruction on that wall, or the entire house anyway.

[@ShamimAgins]

Brilliant work around. I did buy a ryobi jig but I can't use it because of some decorative moulding so I'm going to try this!

[@JFKreations]

Let me know how it turns out

[@kevinspeer5798]

Timeless! Love Pro Tips. This came in quit handy on a new place I purchased. Respect for skillz!

[@JFKreations]

Sometimes just the tip is all you need

[@laurenashley1932]

Thank you so much! We are amateurs and this video helped us complete this task perfectly.

[@JFKreations]

You are so welcome! Glad you found the video helpful, you’re pros now!

[@pclermon]

Tried this and it worked like a charm. Awesome, awesome video.

[@JFKreations]

Peter Clermont thanks Peter. I appreciate the compliment and I’m glad the video helped you out. And you’re too kind, this was one of my first videos, and every KZbin creator knows the first videos are the worst videos. Sometimes wish I could re-film this one, my video production skills have improved a little since then. Ah well, at least the method of this technique and message of the video comes across ok. Thanks for watching!

[@oldschoolsmart]

This is sooo needed. All my doors are older, and I've done two of them so far, painfully. This looks much easier and faster.

[@JFKreations]

Yep, easy peezy. I’ve used this method on other non-door related holes too. One situation I couldn’t get clamps on, so I just used my 23 gauge pin nailer to “clamp” the scrap plywood pieces in place. Worked like a charm there too. I appreciate all the feedback from you on my videos!

[@nadkram1]

Damn... I was just about to go buy a centering tool... Thx, you just saved me $50!!

[@JFKreations]

Nice! Glad I could save you a few dollars!

[@LaineAlexander]

Great way to fix this. Thanks for the big tip. Solved my problem.

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@brookeb6770]

Thank you, your technique was gold! Worked out perfectly

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped!

[@drj3611]

OMG you saved me. My wife wanted to change al the door handles in the house to lever. I had 10 doors that need drilled out. I used this video and it went off without a hitch. I did how ever take them off the hinge though. Mess outside and easer with door on sawhorses. Anyway Thank you very much.

[@JFKreations]

drj3611 you’re welcome, glad I could help point you in the right direction. Smart move pulling the doors and doing this on sawhorses, that definitely can make things a bit easier, especially drilling that many doors, and is usually a good option whenever possible on just about any type of project. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

[@jimdandy4329]

Great tip, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Ended up using just one piece of scrap wood and eyeballing the center of the hole to drill a pilot since I didn’t have a saw that would fit the old hole. Still worked out and customer was happy. Thank you again for sharing this!

[@JFKreations]

Hey no problem. That’s even better, taking my idea and modifying it to fit your needs and what you have available. Glad I was able to help. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@baldypalmsrailroad]

Great demonstration on how to drill out the small bore. Exactly what I needed to see. I’m off the replace the deadbolt.👏🙂

[@JFKreations]

Right on!

[@dbobrec5678]

Thank you, your video was very helpful! Unrelated to the video 👉 I didn’t use a metal hole saw at first, took me a few seconds to realize it was a steel door lol…Went just fine after I picked up a multi material hole saw.

[@JFKreations]

No problem glad I could help

[@lauralivl]

This is great! No cost works the first time. You just saved me a ton. Thank you so much

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome and thanks for letting me know you found this helpful. I always enjoy hearing (or actually reading) that my video helped someone save a few dollars!

[@pauleiler5648]

Thank you a million tomes for this, what a great solution!!!

[@JFKreations]

You're welcome!

[@marcnantel9720]

Fantastic method, worked like a charm, thanks!

[@JFKreations]

You got it, glad I could help. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@johnbugly]

great solution, and I enjoyed the video, but it's way more complicated than it needs to be. Just drill the correct size hole (2-1/8 inch) in a piece of plywood, line it up around the smaller hole using your eyes, clamp it down, drill halfway, repeat on other side. You can even offset your new hole to adjust the setback if needed (some older doors had shallow setback). It's pretty easy to line up a larger circle around a smaller circle using just your eyes.

[@JFKreations]

I suppose that would work if close enough is what you’re going for. But if you want precision and accuracy, eyeballing a thing won’t always cut it

[@kateb-z9l]

Great video thanks. I have a problem in that the offset for the new knob is bigger than the offset for the old. So I can’t use the ‘old’ size hole saw. I’m thinking if I clamp plywood both sides, measure the offset I need, then just use an ordinary drill bit at that midpoint to make my pilot holes before using the new larger size hole saw. What do you think?

[@JFKreations]

Most new locks have adjustable offsets. Have you checked if it’s retracted to the shortest setting

[@dumeril7]

Right on. I ran into this problem when trying to install an electronic deadbolt. I was wondering how I was going to get the new hole drilled without making a huge mess of it, which seemed likely if I tried to "freehand" with a hole saw bit. This is a very elegant solution. Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

dumeril7 you’re welcome, glad I could help point you in the right direction for your project

[@mojamski]

Excellent video. Question, would a third clamp had made it easier n less likely to inadvertently moved hole center?

[@JFKreations]

Excellent question. But I don’t know. Never tried it with 3. I don’t think it’s necessary, I’ve never had a problem with keeping center with the 2 clamps. If you have a hole to drill and you give it a go, report back let everyone know there’s an even better way to do this. Thanks for watching!

[@grantkeith5834]

You answered every single question I had. Thank you sir!

[@JFKreations]

Glad to help!

[@josephgardner895]

Thanks for the video. I had a third clamp so didn’t have to fumble around with the other two.

[@JFKreations]

Awesome. Take a good idea and make it better

[@markkratzer2540]

Genius. I had the same problem and you solved it for me. Greatly appreciate it.

[@JFKreations]

No problem Mark, glad you found the video useful

[@SCORPO07]

Thanks so much for the video! It helped tremendously!!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome!

[@CoreyHoy]

Just used this….worked out great. Thanks for the video. 👍👍👍

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@deanbacsi]

Thank You! I needed to do this exact same cut. This worked perfectly.

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome

[@BRZBigInJapan]

Perfect video, helped me fix the issu, thank you so much. God bless.

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome my friend! God bless you too!

[@grandmasterbash]

Just did this using your guide. Worked perfectly, thanks heaps mate!

[@JFKreations]

You got it, mate! Glad I could help.

[@nigelhutchinson5332]

This was super helpful thank you. Just got my Yale x Nest installed, I had no idea it would be a larger hole. Them damn Milwaukee hole saws are pricceeey though; but, only tool for the job. Thanks for the great video, described step by step superbly.

[@JFKreations]

Nigel Hutchinson Nigel Hutchinson right on! I’m glad I could help. You’re right Milwaukee is proud of their tools, it shows in the prices they sell them at. And thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment. Enjoy your new lock.

[@PaulTraverse]

This is the video I was hoping to find, thank you!

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome

[@vince.brizzy]

This video saved my life today. Thank you so much 👌

[@JFKreations]

I’m a lifesaver and a heartbreaker. Glad I could help

[@swaina001]

@@JFKreations 3:20 Saved me today, this is the best and easiest solution, worked perfectly. Thank you

[@JoanMelendezteamEHR]

Awesome!!!! Thank you! So much easier and smarter than making a plug, glueing in the plug... I'm ready to work!

[@JFKreations]

Joan Melendez heck yes! Leave the glue and plugs behind . Glad I could help. Thanks for stopping by!

[@JoanMelendezteamEHR]

It was so quick and easy!!!! So glad I found this video! I was regretting the idea of having to drill when I noticed the sizing issue... contemplated hiring someone then I found your video! Brilliant! Thanks again!

[@JFKreations]

Joan Melendez you’re very welcome. Reading comments like this make it all worth it. Thank you and I’m glad I was able to help. Always good to have a few tricks up your sleeve! Keep on drillin’!

[@padraigloughlin9032]

Super helpful and easy. Thank you, saved me quite the headache.

[@JFKreations]

Right on, glad I could help. Better than Aspirin, guaranteed to cure headaches.

[@gordonsong8275]

This is very helpful ! Thanks

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome

[@efilnikufesin3]

Heck yeah this is the solution I needed and I had everything in the tool box thank you! Liked and Subscribed!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome! Awesome screen name too. Do you have a channel or just the best screen name ever?

[@efilnikufesin3]

@JFKreations No channel lol I don't have much for content. It's My gamer tag too and cosplay character lol nerd alert

[@JFKreations]

@@efilnikufesin3 ah, a gamer. Still good stuff. Well if you ever make a channel you’ll rise to the top with that name for sure

[@DevDream1]

Question- Could you just stack the two hole saws together to get the initial bite into the door then just drill through using the bigger size? Did that with some pot lights and seemed to work good to keep the new hole perfectly center but maybe I'm missing something!

[@JFKreations]

Great idea

[@andrewmorin5150]

Dude, you’re awesome! Just saved me a mint on an insulated 1980s era door. BZ.

[@JFKreations]

Glad I could help!

[@RyanNovaktheFirst]

Hey! I just used this video to install a new deadbolt and it really saved my bacon. I am 100% not a DIY guy, but this video made it seem so easy that I made two trips to Home Depot to get everything. Sure enough, I managed it. I had some hiccups, e.g. I didn't realize my door has a thin plate of metal on both sides so I was really concerned when my drill took a long time to punch through, and I also was not prepared for when my drill bit would catch on the wood and then my drill would suddenly spin out of my hands or bash me in the ribs hahaha wheeze hahaha. But! I did it! Mission accomplished! Thank you for the informative and entertaining video! Cheers!

[@JFKreations]

Ryan Novak two trips to Home Depot in one day, that’s what I call a good day! And I feel you on getting smacked by the drill when the bit catches. Doesn’t take too many times before you start to think there has to be a way to keep the drill from twisting in your hands when that happens. And there is! To prevent the drill from punching you in the ribs, and this is especially true when drilling large holes like with a hole saw, use the grab handle, if your drill came with one. Take a look at how my drill is set up in the video to see how I hold the grab handle when drilling these holes. Holding on to the handle with your off hand can really stabilize the drill and allows you to stop the drill from twisting in your hand when the bit catches. If your drill didn’t come with a handle or you don’t have it with you, you can sort of wrap your arm around the drill on the side of the drill in the direction that it would twist if it did catch. Then your forearm will act as a brace to prevent it from twisting in your hand. I’m glad you liked the video and that you were able to tackle this project. Thanks for stopping by!

[@jeffanthony70]

This was a hugely helpful video

[@JFKreations]

Right on. Thanks Jeff glad I could help!

[@shiaochiu]

Think you saved my door. Appreciated

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome, save the doors!

[@ToolDeals]

Sooo. How many of you are here AFTER you've butchered your door? Am I the only one?

[@JFKreations]

Bummer, hopefully not butchered beyond repair. Because there is a fix for that too. If you were able to successfully enlarge the hole, you can cover up that ugly mess with one these door plates www.homedepot.com/p/Prime-Line-Lock-and-Door-Reinforcer-2-1-8-in-x-2-3-8-in-x-1-3-4-in-Stainless-Steel-Recessed-MP9551/317641858 hope that helps

[@thelisaluc]

No, you're not the only one, lol! Me (mother)and daughter slightly messed it up, but we've got our now! Should have youtube first, right? 😅

[@fleng]

Me. 😢

[@PaulPetkanas]

Yep

[@erniebusch4384]

You’re not alone.

[@JohnBurns320]

Worked like a champ! Thank you!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome!

[@marcodeluca4068]

Jeremy great solution but I have 1/4” or less that won’t fit in existing hole should I just do your method but for only 1/4 “ then chisel 1/4 “ out?

[@JFKreations]

Marco thanks for checking out the video and I’d like to help you out but I’m not totally clear on what you’re asking. Can you elaborate a little more?

[@marcodeluca4068]

@@JFKreations existing hole is 2" the dead bolt is flush except for one side that has a step out inner circle about 1/4" should I widen the existing 2" to accommodate this step out which is 2 1/8" but only 1/4" deep or find a dead bolt that can fit in 2" ?

[@JFKreations]

@@marcodeluca4068 is this an older deadbolt you’re trying to make work in an existing hole? A newer deadbolt should work with a 2-1/8” hole all the way through the door. But if I’m understanding you right it sounds like you may be wanting to basically create a 1/16” wide 1/4” deep rabbet on one side of the door to increase the 2” diameter hole to 2-1/8” but only 1/4” deep to accommodate this deadbolt. If I were doing that I would use a router with a rabbeting bit. That’s going to give you the cleanest and most accurate results. You could do this with a chisel too, but that could be challenging depending on your skill level with the chisel. Hope that helps give you a possible solution.

[@marcodeluca4068]

@@JFKreations its an old one old hole 2 " I need 2 1/8 " but I dont have a router. But do they sell 2" locks ? Thanks for your help

[@JFKreations]

@@marcodeluca4068 no problem. There are some deadbolts available designed to fit the older style smaller holes but I haven’t seen any affordable resources out there. They are more of a special order item and so it will cost you. Maybe you could find a used one on eBay? Worth looking at. I’m One other option would be to buy a 2-1/8” forstner drill bit to create that rabbet. Should be able to pick one up on Amazon for about $15. You could still use the method in this video to center the forstner bit or set up a jig to center the hole. That’s probably the cheapest option that will give you that clean rabbet and allow you to use that deadbolt. Or buy a new deadbolt and blast a 2-1/8” hole in the door just like I did in the video. You can pick up a decent deadbolt for around $20-$30.

[@naingaung4446]

Very nice sir @JFKreatios I needed it. Thank you so much!!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. Thanks for checking out the channel

[@worldsviewsatwar6823]

Man....... this was so helpful thank you for posting this.

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome, glad I could help

[@stevesartori1061]

Everytime I go looking for this kinda of thing I end up saying.....Well Duh! Why didn't I think of that. GREAT VIDEO!

[@JFKreations]

Steve Sar Thanks Steve, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said the same thing. It’s a great time we live in that we all have access to so much information. I’m glad this helped you out and thanks for watching!

[@rameylewis7730]

Thanks for the video. My dilemma is the bolt hole on my door is 7/8 diameter and the new bolt is 1 inch in diameter. Should I sand around the 7/8 hole to make it a bit larger or drill a larger hole? Or is there another solution? You didn't cover this in your video because your bolt cylinder fit right into the old hole. Thanks I'm talking about the bolt hole on the door, not in the door jam.

[@JFKreations]

Thanks for checking out the video. By bolt, you mean the deadbolt, correct? Do you have access to a plunge router? If so remove the door so you can set it up on the edge with the bolt hole facing up to the sky. Clamp some wide boards on both sides of the door flush with the edge of the door to create a wide enough platform to support the router, then use the plunge router with a bit the size you need to drill the hole larger. If you set everything up nice and straight and line the router up with the hole, you should be able to enlarge that hole and keep it nice and straight.

[@BigDaddy-pl7uv]

Use a wood bit to Waller the hole a bit

[@domoneylikeitmakessense5784]

This worked!! So great, so clear!! Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome!

[@baynerobertson4431]

Thanks… this solution worked perfectly 😊

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome

[@rajatchadha1904]

Thanks for posting this video. Cool techniques.

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome my friend! Glad you found it useful

[@loreleipepi3389]

Super helpful and clear! Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

Glad it was helpful!

[@yourmasterrenovator86]

Thanks heaps Jeremy. I learned a lot and I'm grateful 🙏

[@JFKreations]

My pleasure!

[@angf2551]

All I have to say is well done ! 👏👏, and thx

[@JFKreations]

Ang F Wow, thank you. You just made my night. I’m glad you liked the video and thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.

[@wwilliams6344]

Thanks so much for the video. It helped me so much.....

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome. I’m glad this video helped you tackle enlarging a door knob hole. That’s a project that seems simple but can definitely go wrong in a hurry without special tools or techniques. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I think I can speak for most KZbin creators, that when we receive a comment like this thanking us for a video, it really means a lot. A lot of work goes into creating these videos, and knowing that work helped someone out, makes it all worth it.

[@JFKreations]

w Williams You’re welcome. I’m glad this video helped you tackle enlarging a door knob hole. That’s a project that seems simple but can definitely go wrong in a hurry without special tools or techniques. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I think I can speak for most KZbin creators, that when we receive a comment like this thanking us for a video, it really means a lot. A lot of work goes into creating these videos, and knowing that work helped someone out, makes it all worth it.

[@upcamehill2773]

What if you were to put the scraps of plywood to the edge of the door and measure back perpendicular to the edge of the door the distance to the center of the hole and just use the 2-1/8" drill. Then it would save some steps. Would this work?

[@JFKreations]

If I’m following your description, yes. But would require some fairly precise measuring and finding the center of the hole. And that part is key. Keeping the new hole centered with the old hole. One problem with any procedure that requires measuring and marking, is it introduces the possibility for errors that can compound. It may save a few steps, but could go wrong if you’re not careful. The way I show in the video eliminates the possibility of measurement errors

[@upcamehill2773]

@@JFKreations I ended up doing one side of the door at a time using a level to measure back the distance to the center of the hole and drilling the first hole a little more than half way through the solid core door. When I did the 2nd side, it thankfully lined up.

[@JogosMofados]

Awesome, this is really great, faced me a lot of trouble. Thanks!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome good to hear it helped you out

[@rachierachish]

will this approach also work for a metal door? assuming you get a metal hole saw?

[@JFKreations]

Should work the same

[@hvc9]

Genius. Works great

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@Fr1nc3sc41]

Great video. You explain everything super well. Thank you!

[@JFKreations]

You are welcome

[@GeoffArmstrong1]

Worked very well, thanks!

[@JFKreations]

You are very welcome, thanks for checking out the video. Glad to hear it helped you out. Now the challenge is to find other non-door related holes to use this method on!

[@chrishohnbaum5741]

This was great, worked like a charm, thank you for the help!!

[@JFKreations]

No problem. Glad I could help!

[@shawnfinger5287]

Once you drilled through the first piece of wood with just the pilot bit....you could have used the 2-1/8" holesaw, drilled 1/2 way through the door, then unclamped that piece of wood, put your second piece of wood on the other side of door, until the pilot bit just appeared, then drill from the otherside to finish hole (if concerned about tearout, dont let the hole saw go all the way through door, but would probably still be fine since the hole has already been established). This method would avoid the clamp shuffle performed. Either way, you now can finish upgrading your deadbolt. Thanks for the video!

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome, there’s probably dozens of slightly different ways you could do this

[@jaemaz]

Saved. My. A**. Thank you!!!!

[@JFKreations]

You bet your sweet a** I did!

[@uanto]

This is exactly what happens to me. Thanks for the video

[@JFKreations]

Glad it helped

[@Manny-mq8gm]

Beautiful work very nice

[@JFKreations]

Thank you, appreciate that

[@LRJ-tq4oo]

Will this process work on a metal facing wood core door?

[@JFKreations]

Yes, as long as the hole saw can cut through metal

[@lyonsfamily9502]

Well done, sir. Lots of useful tips, too. 🙂

[@JFKreations]

Why thank you Lyons Family. Appreciate that!

[@richanderson5121]

Great video, very helpful. I think there are specialty, smaller-bore deadbolts on the market, but yeah, this looks doable for a 4-thumbs guy like me even.

[@JFKreations]

Rich Anderson 4-thumbs? Is that like 2 left feet? Because I can relate to that! Thanks for checking out the video!

[@joekind1]

Nice work, I did a thin metal door, my hole saw wouldn't cut it, so I used my tin snips.

[@JFKreations]

More than one way, always. As long as you got it done, that’s a win.

[@kristinem5784]

@@JFKreations I also have . Is there a hole saw that will cut through the metal? I could use my tin snips but thinking I might end up with a mess or a sharp edge.

[@JFKreations]

Kristine M give this one a try homedepot.sjv.io/c/1343238/459920/8154?prodsku=310211321&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.homedepot.com%2Fp%2FMilwaukee-2-1-8-in-Carbide-Hole-Dozer-Saw-49-56-0722%2F310211321&intsrc=PUI1_2950 I’ve had good luck with the Milwaukee Hole Dozers. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@jasonbigelow1403]

Amazing video. Going to try it

[@JFKreations]

Appreciate that. Good luck with your repairs!

[@MegaPhilX]

Very good way of doing this. However I don't have hole saws, clamps or wood scraps thin enough I think... So it comes down to deciding if I should buy a door installation jig which has hole saws and does the clamping job itself. Or buy clamps and hole saws 😅 Anyway, stores are closed now so I actually had to re-install the old lock and knob for now. 😮‍💨

[@JFKreations]

I’ve had this same comment before. And my suggestion then and now still is buy the clamps and hole saw, not the kit. One of these kits is a one trick pony, but the uses for clamps and holes saws is endless! They will come in handy more often then a door prep kit! Thanks for checking out the video, let me know how it turns out!

[@MegaPhilX]

@@JFKreations Update: I'm done! I went to buy some hole saws but the bit I found was too big for my drill. After some more shopping I found something that fits my drill and could get to work. Door installation jigs didn't seem to have the dimensions I needed. I needed 2 1/8 in and 1 1/2 in. For the hole saw for the old small hole, I made the mistake of buying a saw of the exact same diameter as the hole (1 5/8in). When in fact I had to buy a hole saw that was one size smaller than the hole (1 1/2 in). Because the one with the same size wouldn't fit in. So it might be something worth mentioning in the video. But once I had everything, I did everything you said and things went well. It was the first time I used hole saws. I was afraid I'd break the saw or my drill. You really have to learn not to push too hard. I can imagine these things wear off pretty quickly. Anyway thank you for the video! ^_^

[@JFKreations]

You’re welcome, glad you got it all sorted and got the job done. Nice work!

[@JennyMH056]

Will those drill bits cut through a door that has a metal feeling outer layer?

[@JFKreations]

Jenny Houston it depends on which hole saw you buy. A real cheap one may not be able to, but a decent general purpose hole saw that’s designed to work on metal and other materials, like the Milwaukee Hole Dozer I’m using in the video, should blast right through that metal. Hope your project goes well and thanks for stopping by.

[@theageoftheawakening4806]

That saw ain't drilling through metal.you need a bimetal drill bit

[@theageoftheawakening4806]

There's no such thing as an all around all purpose drill bit. Drill bits have specific purposes.

[@JFKreations]

@@theageoftheawakening4806 I have drilled through both metal and wood with the same hole saw, with no problems. Not sure what kind of cheap saws you have been using, maybe try something better.

[@tnsonabudget8026]

This is awesome! We're about to change our locks and this will be super helpful! (It even looks easy enough for me to do myself and I'm not very handy :) )

[@JFKreations]

Taylor's Nanny Services glad I could help!

[@gerrycraswell9351]

Worked perfectly.

[@JFKreations]

Good deal! Glad I could help.