Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Did you ever think of a condo they are good for homemoaners

Most carpenters carry a rotary file that fits in a drill. It is
not rare to need one while installing new doors.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing. . . .
DanG


wrote in message
...
Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the
striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved
a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need
to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws
wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the
heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate
for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to
enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 06:03:33 -0600, wrote:
To move the striker plate 1/4 " , trim the end of a small dowel,put
a little glue on it and drive it in the old screw holes. Cut flush
with a wood chisel. Now new holes can be drilled near the old holes as
necessary. Hope this suggestion helps! Works for me all the time.


Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

wrote:

Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.

Absolutely, use a Dremel tool or grinder to enlarge the hole. Re-setting
screws a fraction of an inch off is a major PITA. I've plugged and glued
holes like that, but it always turned out messy. On one occasion when I
called 9out the door installers they ground the hole bigger too. It seems to
be the preferred method.

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.

On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 01:38:33 -0600, "Box134"
wrote:

Absolutely, use a Dremel tool or grinder to enlarge the hole. Re-setting
screws a fraction of an inch off is a major PITA. I've plugged and glued
holes like that, but it always turned out messy. On one occasion when I
called 9out the door installers they ground the hole bigger too. It seems to
be the preferred method.

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message
...

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.


Thanks

I'll do that. I still dont know why they dont just make these plates
with longer slots in the first place though. Kinda dumb....

Harry K wrote:

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message ...
wrote:

Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.

Only someone who has never tried that would say it would only take a
few strokes. Filing 1/8" off a striker plate hole with a file that
will fit is going to take a bit of time even on the bench.

Harry K
Right, 3 minutes. Got a hardened striker hole? I don't, same
material as the track. A 1 inch by 1/8 inch file fits in nicely and
takes about 1/32" off with each stroke of a sharp file. You figure
how many stroke that takes. Of course, I didn't file the whole wide
notch, just looked where the narrow piece goes in the hole, and filed
a notch about the width of the file thickness. I walked away with it
fitting perfectly in about 3 minutes. Oh, sorry, I never did that
just dreamed about it I guess. You ever use hand tools?

Harry K wrote:
"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message ...

wrote:

Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.


Only someone who has never tried that would say it would only take a
few strokes. Filing 1/8" off a striker plate hole with a file that
will fit is going to take a bit of time even on the bench.

Harry K

You may need to buy some new files. It takes longer to remove the
striker plate than to file 1/8" off. Put the plate in your vise, take a
few strokes with the right file and you're done.

RB

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message ...
Harry K wrote:

"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message ...
wrote:

Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.

Only someone who has never tried that would say it would only take a
few strokes. Filing 1/8" off a striker plate hole with a file that
will fit is going to take a bit of time even on the bench.

Harry K
Right, 3 minutes. Got a hardened striker hole? I don't, same
material as the track. A 1 inch by 1/8 inch file fits in nicely and
takes about 1/32" off with each stroke of a sharp file. You figure
how many stroke that takes. Of course, I didn't file the whole wide
notch, just looked where the narrow piece goes in the hole, and filed
a notch about the width of the file thickness. I walked away with it
fitting perfectly in about 3 minutes. Oh, sorry, I never did that
just dreamed about it I guess. You ever use hand tools?

Been there and done that more often than I care to remember. My
objection was to your cavalier 'a few strokes'. 3 minutes time is far
more than a 'few' unless you are only taking one stroke ever 45
seconds.

Harry K

RB wrote in message ...
Harry K wrote:
"George E. Cawthon" wrote in message ...

wrote:

Why do they always make striker plates the same size as the striker.
I put one on my garage last summer, and of course the slab moved a
little in the winter. Now the door wont latch, and I will need to
move the striker plate up about 1/8 inch. Of course, the screws wont
get a decent hole being so close to the old holes. Why in the heck
cant they makes the holes in these plates longer, to compensate for
movement. I guess these engineers went to college for 4 or more
years, but never learned how a door works....

I'm considering a small grinder on the end of my dreml tool to enlarge
the hole, rather than move the plate.

Right, don't move the plate. A small hand file will work just fine to
cut the slot higher with a few strokes. You will likely be doing it
again sometime in the future.


Only someone who has never tried that would say it would only take a
few strokes. Filing 1/8" off a striker plate hole with a file that
will fit is going to take a bit of time even on the bench.

Harry K

You may need to buy some new files. It takes longer to remove the
striker plate than to file 1/8" off. Put the plate in your vise, take a
few strokes with the right file and you're done.

RB

Same answer as above. I don't consider 3 minutes as a major job but
it is far more than a 'few'. If it takes you more than about 10
seconds to remove two short screws (unless the job was done correctly
with at least one -long- screw, there is something wrong with your
tools.

Harry K