what an idiot I am!! - do you think this can be fixed? (pic)

[Doris]

Hi all,
after spending good money getting my sliding door handle rechromed,I needed to take it out while stripping Doris for resto.
Now then, because the chrome plating has added a minute amount of metal to the handle,the sqaure shaft that goes through the door catch mechanism is ever so slighty bigger - therefore I couldn't just undo the inner handle and slide it off. SO.... numpty here gets a small socket extension and hammers the the thing out BUT when I've come to put the inner handle back on,the screw (under the cap) won't take to the thread as my bashing it has 'rolled' the metal slightly over the hole and damaged the begining of the screw thread!

I also have a spare handle with crap chrome if there is a way of using that!?

So now I have a beautifully rechromed, same key slider handle that I can't fit! I know the handles are made of quite soft alloy (is it 'mazik' or something?) so I'll probably only get one chance to get it fixed right, so - The big Question is....WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? can it be re threadded,if so how?

 

[Loxy]

Get a metric tap & die set - then run the screw through the dies until you find the right size then tap the hole in the handle with the appropriate size tap

 

[noddy]

Halfords sell a cheep set of taps and dies, just check the thread pitch against the screw ie put the screw and the tap side by side they should fit together. I have made the mistake of recutting a thread that was a 1.5 pitch with a standard pitch in the past.

Or bring you handle over and I will recut the thread for you, or lend you the tap set.

 

[Doris]

OK guys, thanks for your advice - I done what you said,tap & die worked great so I'm a happy chappie now!
Thanks very much for replying

Noddy - PM'd!

Cheers - Rob & Doris