Installing a new door knob or door lever

Finally, I got a chance to try my new Dewalt DC925. I also figured out about the transmission problem. According to some folks in different forums in which I have absolute confidence (like DEWALTOwnersGroup.Com), this is a known problem of these drills. The new DCD950 with a forward-reverse gear shift (opposed to a left-to-right) does not have that problem. Anyway, I can live with that as long as the drill performs well.

So back to the project, I decided I would try the drill by installing a new door lever. Our choice for all bedrooms in the house has been the Schlage Accent series in Oil-Rubbed Bronze.

The first step is to mark the location where the hole for striker will be drilled. I do this by looking at the striker plate on the door jam. Once the location of the hole is marked, I screw the Door Lock Installation Kit to the door with a couple of small screws.

Door Lock Installation Kit

I bought this kit from Harbor Freight, have used it for installing six doors so far and it has worked great every single time. Once again, thanks HFT!

Once the kit is installed, drilling is what comes next. First I use the big saw and drill a big hole for the lever mechanism. When finished I get the small saw and drill the hole for the strike.

Holes for door lever

While doing this, I like to use a bit of cutting oil otherwise the saws get real hot due to the friction, the drawback to this is the gooey paste that comes out when the oil mixes with the sawdust.
When I was in the middle of the drilling job, I realized the drill bit was wobbling so I took a closer look at it.

Drill Bit included in Door Lock Kit

I guess what happened is that after drilling into six doors, the bit loosened from its base. Fortunately there is an Allen screw that allows for tightening the drill bit, so I used the Allen wrench seen in the picture and let the drill bit perfectly tightened.

After the two holes are done, I remove the kit and clean the area with a cloth. Also notice the marks in the picture below.

Door ready for lever

Now the door is ready to install the door knob, door lever or whatever we want. This is what it looks like after installed:

Door lever installed

 The next step, which will be shown soon, is to paint the door.