How To Cut A Door For A Mortise Lock

Create a series of angled chisel cuts between the outlines.

How to cut a door for a mortise lock.

Here are six things you need to know about mortise locks for residential door security. Use a bevel edge chisel and hammer to square the corners of the mortise if the faceplate has square corners. Then create angled cuts across the grain of the mortise spot by tapping the back of the chisel with your hammer or mallet. 1 the mortise lock defined.

Hold the lock at an angle as you cut through it which will make the cutting process easier. Tap the chisel with a hammer to make a 1 8 inch deep cut again match the hinge leaf thickness. 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 minimum door width is 45mm or 1 75 inches. Starting at the top of the faceplate outline make a series of closely spaced chisel cuts about 1 8 inch deep inside the marks. Test fit the plate as you work to check the mortise depth. Cut through the base of the cuts to empty the mortise of excess wood.

Fit the latch and faceplate into the door. To install a mortise lock into a wood or composite door requires a pocket drilled into the edge of the door with the centerline of the door prep at 39 3 16 above the finished floor. A mortise lock in a very strong special locking system fitted to the inside of a door. Angle your chisel so it sits at about 45 degrees making sure the beveled side faces up.

Make sure to put on gloves and a face shield first since grinders can produce sparks. Hold the chisel vertically about 1 8 inch away from one end of the mortise outline inside the waste area. To cut a lock all you need is a pair of bolt cutters. Tap the chisel at sharp angle to cut through the base of the chisel cuts.

Remove the waste wood with the chisel bevel side down held nearly parallel to the jamb. The brace is a u shaped steel hand tool that has a wood cap on one end and a bit chuck on the other. Fit the latch and faceplate into the door. Move the chisel as needed to cut along the full width of the mortise.

To use a mortise lock your door must be thick enough to accommodate it. Clean out the mortise until its bottom is smooth and flat and at a depth exactly equal to the thickness of the strike plate. Using a router attachment remove the wood between the pencil lines drawn on the door edge to create a mortise for the faceplate.