Installing fancy distressed wall hanger knobs

Question

So the other day, I found a wonderful set of large knob-shaped wall hangers from Sheffield home at T.J Maxx, so I bought them all. But when I got home, I realized that there was no hardware included with the knobs and no directions on how to install the hangers. Does anyone out there know how these particular knobs should be installed and the hardware to use?

Update #1

So, I installed using the screw as prescribed by several of the contributors here. Using a ballaster screw, I was able to get the screw into the keyhole but noticed the knob was not quite as tight as I would have liked. So I attempted to push the screw further in and that resulted in a disaster. The Knobhead shattered, leaving me to discover that it, in fact, had a width of about 0.03 inch to work with. One of the thoughts I had was to fill the whole with wood filling. An example of what I started is in the lowest pics.

Did the thing that looks like a hex wrench come with them? I presume not, since you said no hardware inclided... — keshlam, Nov 01 '15 at 23:48
Daniel Baird has the right answer, that's the way these are intended to be attached. — Graphus, Nov 02 '15 at 08:59
So what do you need now, are you looking for a way to re-construct the knob that's broken? — Daniel Baird, Nov 25 '15 at 03:52

score 9 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 02 '15 at 07:03

By to look of the "keyhole" shaped holes in the back of the knobs, you're probably supposed to slide them onto the head of a screw that's attached to the wall.

Here's the keyhole in glorious ASCIIart, with labels, to make this easier to explain:

      +--+
      |  |    <------ thin end
      |  |
    _-'  '-_
   /        \
  |          |  <---- circle end
   \        /
    '--__--'

So you do this:

find a screw the head of which is a little smaller than the circle end
screw that screw into the wall where you want the knob, but not all the way

Like this:

     Side view

/ / / /|      head of screw
WALL / | gap ##
/ / / /|     ###
################ <-- shaft of screw
################
 / / / |     ###
/ / / /|     ##

Then:

push the knob against the wall, with the screw head lined up so that it goes into the circle end
slide the knob down, so the shaft of the screw is in the thin end and the head of the screw is inside the knob

Like this:

    On insertion           After moving knob downward
      +--+                         
      |  |                           
      |  |                           
    _-'  '-_                          +--+    __ these side parts hold the
   / ###### \                        #|##|#  /   knob against the wall.
  | ######## <---- screw head ----> ##|##|##
   \ ###### /                       _#'##'#_
    '--__--'                       /        \
                                  |          |
                                   \        /
                                    '--__--'

If you can't move the knob down, you need to make the gap larger by unscrewing the screw. If the knob is too loose, you need to make the gap smaller by screwing the screw in a bit further.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice but what do I do when I discover that the width of the knob here is about 0.03"? — user272671, Nov 03 '15 at 14:28
That's okay @user272671 -- you just need the screwhead-wall gap to be about that width. It's probably fine to hang coats on, but if the knob material is too soft to hold up your bag or some heavy thing you wanted to hang on it, that's a problem with the knob, and you can't really solve it with mounting technique. — Daniel Baird, Nov 03 '15 at 23:30

ratchet freak · Answer 2 · 2015-11-01T22:37:56.030

3

For solid knobs just a wood screw in the back is all that's needed.

It doesn't need to be centered exactly just however much your OCD requires of you.

Getting it centered will be easier by drilling in a pilot hole first. This will also prevent the knob from cracking.

For your type you should try and find screws with a small enough head to fit in the circle of the keyhole like opening and a shaft able to fit in the little slot. That will be what will take the strain.

The second hole is for a pin/nail to avoid the knob rotating and slipping off the screw.

edited Nov 01 '15 at 22:37

answered Nov 01 '15 at 21:21

ratchet freak

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The knobs are hollow so cracking is top on my mind. Would require a screw at least 4.5" in length. – user272671 Nov 01 '15 at 21:43
Can you add a pic of the backsides then? I assumed they were solid. – ratchet freak Nov 01 '15 at 21:50
I have included some pics of the bottom part of the knobs – user272671 Nov 01 '15 at 22:22
@user272671 ok I got a better idea in the edit I made. – ratchet freak Nov 01 '15 at 22:38
1

When I saw the hole on the back I immediately thought of the second suggesting here. Those knobs are not meant to take a lot of weight and might just be considered decorative or meant to hold small jewelry items. – Matt Nov 02 '15 at 01:08
You are right about that. I did use the methods posted here but turns out the knobs are in fact not meant for weight such as a bag. The weight of the bag caused the first to shatter revealing the very thing width of the knob, about 0.03". – user272671 Nov 03 '15 at 14:26
Using a second nail did not really do much to stabilize the knob as it kept jangling on the main screw. – user272671 Nov 03 '15 at 18:21

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 01 '15 at 21:25

2

You might want to get baluster screws or dowel screws, similar to this kit from Rockler (http://www.rockler.com/rail-bolt-fastener-with-plugs) -- drill the back of the hanger, screw the non-self-tapping side into the hanger, maybe put a little glue in there for good measure, then use the self-tapping side to thread into a drywall anchor or directly into a stud as necessary.

answered Nov 01 '15 at 21:25

Peter Grace

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Awesome. Thanks. I guess I should have also mentioned that the insides of the knobs are hollow. It would take a screw at least 4.5" in length to be able to do much with each. Do I need to fill the knobs up or something? – user272671 Nov 01 '15 at 21:41
I've certainly seen double-ended woodscrew/self-tapping versions of that screw, with a non-threaded part in the middle with spanner flats. Then you could screw into the knob and into whatever you like (plasterboard fixing for light weight, or directly into a stud). – Chris H Nov 02 '15 at 09:42
@user272671 - Are you sure that the knobs are hollow inside? If the stem of the knob is turned wood and the cap is some type of thin metal than I might buy that they are hollow. On the other hand if they are all wood then then what you think as hollow may just be the depth of the hole bored in from the back. – Michael Karas Nov 03 '15 at 10:55
Yes, I'm definitely sure the knobs are hollow with the thin width. – user272671 Nov 03 '15 at 14:27

Installing fancy distressed wall hanger knobs

Update #1

3 Answers3