Chisel Door Frame For Lock

Knowing how to cut a mortise is essential for installing a deadbolt lock.

Chisel door frame for lock.

Bang the 25mm chisel into the door just inside the top pencil line and with the flat edge of the chisel facing up. Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds. Close the door and look for where the lock bolt or latch bolt contacts the door jamb. Chisel to remove enough material to allow the faceplate to be flush with the door edge usually about 3 16 in.

Use a combination square to transfer this centre mark across the face of the jamb onto the flat strip between the inside edge of the jamb and the door stop. Chiseling a recess called a mortise for a door lock plate is one of those jobs that s very simple in theory but also very easy to mess up. Then chisel to the same depth every 1 8 inch between the top and bottom of the plate outline. Here i fit one using some basic hand tools and an electric drill.

Use a bevel edge chisel and hammer to square the corners of the mortise if the faceplate has square corners. Using a router attachment remove the wood between the pencil lines drawn on the door edge to create a mortise for the faceplate. This lock installation tool is made to be used on doors 34 mm to 58 mm thick. Now using the same technique for chopping out the hinge remove the timber inside being careful to cut only as deep as the face plate is.

If things don t go well for you the first time your lock will probably work fine after a few adjustments but you ll likely have to view the evidence of sloppy work for the life of the door. Example of how to use a bevel edged chisel to create hinge slots on a beech wood door. Use a sharp 1 in. This is the traditional method of cutting door hinge slots and takes a.

Using a chisel cut along the outline as deep as the plate is thick. The worthless handymen at our apartment never installed a strike plate for our front deadbolt. It s an easy job that only takes a. Trend s lock jig uses a set of interchangeable templates and with a router will cut the mortise and face plate recess for popular door locks.

Mark the precise centre top to bottom of the bolt onto the inside edge of the jamb using a pencil. Chisel a recess for the faceplate. Turn the chisel bevel side down and remove the waste working from the middle out. Chisel out the recess for the rectangular faceplate by inserting the bolt latch set into the door and marking the profile of the faceplate onto the door edge.

The lock jig also suits face plates on a 1 inch mortice latch. The plate should be flush with the door edge when inserted into the finished mortise.