What’s Inside Door Number 1?
The front door to this house is bold. It was one of the first things I absolutely loved when I walked in. The illusion that it stretches all the way up creates a grand first impression. That said, the knob was clunky and nearly falling off, and the deadbolt was keyed on both sides—making it a safety concern.
Locks are Key…
First things first: I took a deadbolt knob from the coat closet and swapped it in to make the lock a bit safer and easier to operate from the inside.
Then I went to work researching hardware for the front door. I knew I wanted to go smart with the lock—something platform-agnostic that could work with any smart home system. I was thrilled to find the Smart Lock U50, from Aqara— a lock that supports Apple Home Key, so now I can unlock the door with my phone or watch.
Aqara Smart Lock U50
Product link: https://amzn.to/46yzI0S
I specifically chose this lock because I didn’t want a fingerprint sensor. I’m fine with all the other functionality, but the fingerprint reader felt like overkill—and skipping it saved me some money too.
Handling One Small Problem…
Now for the knob… I went down a bit of a rabbit hole. I knew I wanted something different. Large ornate knobs have long fallen out of mainstream style, so unless I went custom or found an artist to make one, I had to get creative. I ended up going with a push/pull-style handle from ULTRALOQ that could be mounted in multiple orientations—inside and out. Its unconventional look mirrored the boldness of the door itself.
ULTRALOQ Handle Push Pull, Black Front Door Handle Set in Matte Black
Product link: https://amzn.to/3H7lsBM
Getting it installed was no easy task. I learned a lot about doorknob hardware. Remember those ornate knobs that went out of fashion? So did the 5-inch backset latches that used to give them breathing room.
At first, I was hopeful I could reuse the existing latch and call it a day.
NOPE 👎
The spindle for my new knob was just a millimeter too thick—and more importantly, the knob only turned the spindle 45º, while the latch required a full 90º to retract.
So I ordered a latch from Amazon with the correct spindle dimensions—
but it still required 90º of rotation.
At this point, I had to find a 5-inch backset latch that would work with only 45º of rotation.
Easier said than done.
Lock parts websites? Not helpful.
Manufacturer support? No dice.
ChatGPT? Still no luck.
So I tried a local locksmith.
They were… not super helpful either, but they did order me a Schlage 5-inch backset. I’d read that commercial applications often require only 45º, so I took a chance.
Unfortunately, that latch also needed 90º—and cost $39. Meanwhile, the Amazon one I already had was less than half that.
BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
(Err… Shapr3D.)
After some thought, I decided to just fabricate a solution instead of continuing to hunt for a unicorn part.
I had two ideas:
Plan A: A spindle with a built-in 45º twist in the center to preload half the rotation and take up some of the slack.
Plan B: A planetary gear system to double the throw from 45º to 90º.
Thankfully, for my non-engineer brain, Plan A worked beautifully. I printed the prototype with solid infill in about 20 minutes. It took a bit of sanding to get it just right. If I make a V2, I’ll adjust the thickness and add a chamfered edge to reduce post-processing.
If the part ever fails, I might reinforce it with a 2mm steel pin through the center. But for now? It works—and it’s “different” in all the right ways.
Final touch: I added my last name to the stair at the front door. Just a small personal detail—made even better because I already had the letters from a past project.
More drastic changes are on the way. I suspect the door will get another round of attention soon, at the very least a fresh coat of paint.