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I'd like to ask for suggestions of materials. I have a metal door, painted in white. A bigger lock (jimmy-proof lock) was replaced with a smaller lock (regular deadbolt) but ended up leaving several marks and uneven finish. I already tried to plaster and paint but doesn't look good enough. Questions:

  • I assume I did not dedicate good effort to do a good plastering and painting. Would you consider that insisting with plaster would be able to achieve a good result? It seems to me I won't be able to get the plaster to be levelled with the rest of the door (there are hole from the jimmy-proof lock too), plus I don't have the exact color anymore, so even if I plaster correctly, the color will look weird unless I paint the whole door and frame again.
  • I'm thinking of putting a square-sized material underneath the new lock, so it covers the surroundings where the defects are. This will end up serving as a base for the new smaller lock, hiding the imperfections on the door. It might look good actually, it will create a second perfect layer for the new lock and I see some locks even come with a bigger base with this same effect. What materials, in white, opaque, do you recommend that I can cut to the square-shaped size I need including drilling a hole so the new lock can pass through? Acrylic sheet comes to my mind, but I'd like to hear suggestions!

Thank you!

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metal door != plaster

Plaster (or I suspect, drywall patching compound) is for drywall. Would work somewhat on wood. Metal? Not so much.

I wouldn't use a white cover - it won't be exactly the same white, unless you paint it too. I'd recommend a metal cover in the same (or similar) finish as the lock. Something like this plate goes around the front back and side of the door:

enter image description here

or something like this circle to cover up just the area around the lock: enter image description here

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  • Thanks! In fact the patching held well, it was just not enough to create a smooth surface (I ran out of it) so it is not even. The round metal is interesting, but it seems it won't cover the whole area needed. I wouldn't mind a different tone of white as long as it is smooth and you can see it's a different surface (would create a pleasant aesthetics). My doubt was really about what materials I could consider. Acrylic is one option.
    – igorjrr
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 17:16
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    Any kind of patching compound is not likely going to survive the jarring forces of a door closing for very long. The plate shown above is commonly called an "escutcheon" and is the go-to solution for situations like this. Most hardware stores or locksmiths sell them.
    – JRaef
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 18:40
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    Auto body filler would probably hold up well if bonded to bare metal.
    – isherwood
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 20:05
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Try caulking Just put it in the holes ect. and smooth it out smooth so you don't have to sand it. Because if you have to sand it will roll up and, completely come out. Just make sure when it put it on it's flush. It'll dry very hard and, should last forever!

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  • sand caulk? Yeah, that's a really bad idea. Also, caulk drying hard? No, it does exactly the opposite - it's supposed to stay soft and flexible. Maybe it's a translation thing and you don't mean "caulk" like we mean it in the USA...
    – FreeMan
    Commented Feb 16 at 20:02

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