How To Chisel Door Lock

Many new lock sets allow you to adjust the latch to either distance.

How to chisel door lock.

Outline the rectangular latch plate onto the door edge with a utility knife then remove the assembly. Close the door and look for where the lock bolt or latch bolt contacts the door jamb. 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. Select a lock with the same setback.

Install the deadbolt lock about 44 inches above the bottom of the door. Then chisel to the same depth every 1 8 inch between the top and bottom of the plate outline. Mark the precise centre top to bottom of the bolt onto the inside edge of the jamb using a pencil. 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.

You ll need to cut a mortise a small shallow recess in the wood of the door and doorjamb for the latchbolt and strike plate to rest. To fix this add a custom cut plate or a door reinforcer. Fit the latch and faceplate into the door. Cut a latchbolt mortise in the edge of the door.

Choose a position on the door for the lock. Step 7 cut the latch photo by david carmack. You ll have to adjust the position a bit if you have a combination storm door so as not to interfere with the storm doorknob or lock. 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. The handedness of most locksets can be changed by using an included tool. Knowing how to cut a mortise is essential for installing a deadbolt lock. 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.

To allow proper clearance for the lock to operate most strike plates are recessed into the door frame. The strike will hold the bolt in place keeping the door locked until the bolt is retracted using a key or thumb turn. And if you want extra added security consider electronic door locks or even smart locks. Use a sharp 1 inch chisel and a hammer to.