Make a Door Handle Set Screw

With old houses, it can be hard to find replacement hardware for doors and windows when a screw goes missing and latches or handles become loose or fall off. Try this trick next time you discover a missing screw in your old house.

Buy a New Brass Screw

Buy a solid brass screw from the plumbing section of your local hardware store. Choose one that's just a bit larger than the screw hole you need to fit.

You may need to borrow a screw from another handle in the house to make the match. Be sure you have a solid brass screw. Brass or aluminum will be soft enough to make this trick work, other metals are too hard.

Cut New Threads

Turn the screw into the hole you are fitting. Work slowly and keep the screw going straight. Turn the screw all the way into the hole and out again.

Install the New Screw

As the brass turns against the threads in the hole, new threads will be cut in the screw to match the old hardware. This will work for low stress hardware like door handles and cabinet latches but not for load-bearing situations.