Over the years I have amassed a huge box full of vintage door knobs, drawer pulls, door knockers and other hardware. I love vintage door knobs but have never really known what to do with them. Well I finally figured out how to convert them into drawer pulls or wall hooks which will make them way more versatile than just sitting in a box.
Many times old vintage door knobs come with a square peg and a small screw that attaches the knob to the peg.
If you want to repurpose them it is really challenging to figure out how to without trying to cut the square peg and retrofit it or using an expensive die to recut a hole. Here is a simpler way.
Supplies:
Vintage Door Knobs
Hangar Bolts
Two Part Epoxy Resin (I used Envirotex Lite)
Electric Drill and bit
Clear tape
Disposable mixing cups and stir sticks
Locking pliers
1. There is a little hole on the side of your knob. Cover that with some clear tape. Make sure to really burnish it down so the tape sticks well.
2. Mix your two parts of Envirotex Lite following manufacturer’s directions. Next pour the resin into the knob all the way to the top.
3. This is the hardest part: wait a full 24 hours for the resin to cure. Then predrill a hole slight smaller than your hangar bolt into the resin with your cordless drill (I got mine from littlepinktools.com by the way — so cute!).
4. Next with some locking pliers screw your hangar bolt into the resin. Now you can use either side to screw it in. I screwed in the bolt side so that I could use the screw side to drill into a shelf. But if you want to screw in the screw side and use the bolt side for say, a drawer pull with a nut attached you can do that too.
Now your vintage door knobs have purpose again. You can simply screw them into the wall, shelf drawer, cabinet, etc.
Beckie, that is amazing. I’ve been trying to figure out a solution for awhile! Thanks for figuring it out and sharing. Now I’m off to scout out vintage hardware.
Very clever!! Isn’t that resin stuff amazing?? I would not have thought to use it for this kind of project.
great idea that can applied in so many ways! Thanks for sharing this easy fix . . . and I must say, I laughed at how many times you had to say screw in one post . . . I know, mind in the gutter!
-Amanda
This is a great idea & tutorial! So simple, but so creative & useful. Thanks for the information!
Now that’s creative! I’ve been wanting to make a hanger for all my totes from old door knobs. Now I know how…thanks!
Genius! We are getting ready to move so I’ll have to keep this in mind. I love old knobs
How did you drill the hole straight down into the knob? I can totally see the drill slipping and drilling right into my fingers. Eeks! You did a great job though!
What a great idea! I heart resin…
So lovely and creative
) loving your blog and officially following with smiles per blog hop..I’m Marilyn via http://theartsygirlconnection.blogspot.com and I’d love for you to stop in sometime..off to indulge in your posts..:))
i’ve never used resin but i’m ever-so-curious about it! a smaller scale resin project like this is not nearly as intimidating as other resin projects i’ve seen!
Oooo! I’ve seen some great doorknobs that I didn’t buy because I didn’t know what to do with them. You’ve shown me how now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
PS I have a $50 cash giveaway going on at my blog right now! Come by when you get a chance.
Very cool idea! I love to hear about new ways to use old things. Thanks!
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Yessssss!!! I’ve had a pile of knobs just sittin in a basket looking cute waiting to be put to good use. NOW that I’ve learned something new…the possibilities are endless! Thanks!
I really wish that my parents had saved some of the old knobs from their house. They were over 100 years old and just beautiful. When you’re a kid you don’t appreciate those things. My mom does not save much so I know they’ve all been thrown out.
Great idea to use these.
Ruth
OMG! I was just trying to figure this out the other day to make a towel holder with some old knobs. Thank you so much for this tutorial.
I absolutely love this idea! I also love the pink drill – thanks for giving me a source
Great tutorial!
Instead of waiting til the resin dried, then screwing a hole into it, could you just let the screw set in the resin? Pour a little in, put the screw in, fill to top with resin.
You could I was just nervous about not keeping the hangar perfect straight. If you wait until it dries then you are guaranteed straight results.
I’ve been doing this sort of thing for years, but I picked up a new trick or two upon reading your fab tutorial! Thanks !!
Very cool. Wouldn’t it be easier, though, to insert the hanger bolt before the resin hardens? That would ensure a perfect fit, and you wouldn’t have to drill a hold in the resin. All you would have to do would be to figure out a way to keep the bolt centered while the resin dried. A few toothpicks cross hatched across the top once the resin had been poured should work perfectly.
I think it would probably be easier for you to set the screw into the resin while it was still liquid so it would harden in place, then you wouldn’t have to drill it in & it would be ready to go once cured.
just saw that last post said the same thing!!
Very clever! I just came across a bunch of old knobs too in a shop in my town – just might have to go back and get a bunch, thanks for the idea! I have this linked to my knobs and pulls post as well today, for inspiration!
Thank you for this tutorial. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do this!