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Hi, I'm looking for advice regarding my external door handle on my bifold door. Recently I noticed one of the screws attaching the plate was loose but no matter what I did it wouldn't grip when I tried to screw it back in. Now the other screw has come loose, and therefore the plate with attached handle has come off . There's nothing wrong with the screw and the corresponding bit that it's supposed to screw into. In fact I've take both the back and front plates off the door and tested it and the screws screw in fine. My problem is is when I'm attaching it back on the door I can't get the screws to line up to grip/attach. Sometimes I get one screw in but but never both at the same time.. Is there a trick to lining up the screws? I really don't want to pay a couple of hundred dollars to get a locksmith out just to screw in two screws. Any advice out there would be greatly appreciated....any suggestions?
I think we're on the same page - but then again, I'm not a sharp man. ☹️
To me, you soft clamped the handles and are attempting to enter the bolt into one side - maintain the horizontal aspect - and ideally enter the threaded hole on the other side. Gravity is killing us most likely because the bolt is heading in a direction lower than required, and of course we can't see what's happening.
And that's why I was thinking of ways of maintaining that horizontal aspect rigidly - as you work your way to the threaded side. It seems to me we would have a better chance then.
Incidentally - when you were playing with this handle - how much (mm) distance does the bolt enter the threaded side...?
This is the screwdriver I was thinking of yesterday, that will hold the bolt in position as you enter and help maintain horizontal attitude and ideally find the threaded side.
The problem is - with the bolt positioned on the screwdriver end - we lose length. Hence my question above.
Cheers.
Two more thoughts @marieneedshelp
😁
Look at different M5 bolt heads. This is a magnetic Wild Boar bit holder (Bunnings) with the appropriate allen bit. They're a strong magnet, so the magnetism 'flows' through the bit into the bolt - but with a little piece of micropore wrapped around the bit - the fit is incredibly tight and secure. I think even by hand you could enter one side and locate the threaded side - with ease (or so he thinks!).
Drastic second thought now.
Drill completely thorough the alloy head with the thread.
Tap the entire cast with a M5 tap.
Purchase longer bolts.
The bolt position would now be visible.
The exposed ends could have 'decorative nuts' applied - or the ends marked - removed and cut to length.
Not pretty, but....?
Cheers!
Oh, to the contrary I think you're very sharp. Maybe I'm not the sharp one and therefore couldn't quite understand your solutions. When I screw the original bolt into the handle, when of course it's not on the door, it only goes in only by a couple of mms or three rotations. I went and purchased a 50 mm length bolt and I managed to grasp the thread easily because at 50 mm it just pokes out the other side of the door by 1 or 2 mm which is enough for me to align it. I think the original bolt is 45 mm and therefore doesn't poke out but drops within the door frame cavity. But with the 50 mm screw the plates didn't sit flush against the door.
Unfortunately I don't actually own a drill. I'm trying to do this with just a normal screwdriver. Your diagram was spot on by the way
I think this weekend I might go searching for that magnetic wild boar bit holder and see how that goes.
Something must be really getting in the way of the screw to prevent it from threading in all the way and pulling the assembly together. If it still looks like it will not screw in properly, I propose engaging the services of a locksmith to fix it for you.
However, if you wish to continue trying, my next suggestion is to use an even longer screw. By joining the two face plates on the door the long screws will reveal if one of them is on an angle.
If you need further assistance, please let me know.
Eric
I did it. I did it. I finally got the screws to attach.
The only thing I did different this time is when I got one of the screws to attach and the other didn’t I didn’t remove the whole handle and start from scratch again. Since Friday I have managed to get one of the screws to attach about three times (during the course of I’d say 24 hours total) but when the other screw wasn’t latching on I would remove the entire handle and start again. I don’t have a magnet at home or a magnetised screwdriver to remove the screw that wasn’t going in so that was my reason for having to take the whole door handle off.
I managed to get the bottom screw in tonight using a paper straw to guide it in. Then I took the top screw out by using a paper clip. I tried about a dozen times but I still couldn’t get the top screw to latch. It was getting dark and I thought I’m not going to remove the bottom screw so I’ll just get one of the 50 mm screws that I bought at Bunnings and temporarily just use that for the top screw. Well, lo and behold the 50 mm screw actually went in all the way this time for the top screw. It has always easily attached but it was too long. However, I now remember thinking when I was testing the screws out on the handle, when it wasn’t attached to the door, that one screw seemed to go in further than the other and luckily it was the top screw one. Victory at last.
Thank you for the time youve taken to try to solve this for me. I am so grateful. I'm so happy you'd think I'd won a lottery!!!!
That's wonderful news! I'm glad you finally got your door handle attached. I suggest checking its tightness every six months just to make sure it's not working its way loose.
Eric
