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Cabinet Door Pull Screws Are Too Long

Question: The screws that came with my cabinet door pulls are too long. Can I cut them to the correct length?

Answer: You have three options:

  1. Most cabinet door knob and pulls use an 8/32 screw. You can go to a nut and bolt retailer or one of the big box home improvement centers and see if you can obtain the correct size screw.
  2. If the length of the 8/32 screw is less than a 1/16 of an inch too long you can use a washer between the screw head and the door panel, which will have the effect of lengthening the required screw size.
  3. You can cut the screw to length. However, this can prove to be a little more complex than it sounds. When you cut any screw you will damage the threads on the end of the screw and this can make it difficult if not impossible to thread the screw into the door knob or pull.

    4. The best way to cut a screw is to use two nuts with the same thread as the screw. Thread the nuts onto the screw all the way to the head of the screw. Providing the screw is 8/32 or smaller, cut the screw using a pair of side cutters. Make a notch in the screw on two sides with the side cutters, but do not cut the screw all the way through. Turn the screw 90 degrees and cut through the screw with the side cutters.

    If the screw is larger than 8/32 use a hacksaw with a fine blade to cut the screw.

    Back the nuts that you previously threaded onto the screw, off the screw. This should have the effect of cleaning up the threaded area that was damaged when you cut the screw. In other words the nuts will act as a thread die.

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