How To Chisel Door Lock

To allow proper clearance for the lock to operate most strike plates are recessed into the door frame.

How to chisel door lock.

The strike will hold the bolt in place keeping the door locked until the bolt is retracted using a key or thumb turn. Mark the precise centre top to bottom of the bolt onto the inside edge of the jamb using a pencil. Cut a latchbolt mortise in the edge of the door. To fix this add a custom cut plate or a door reinforcer.

Using a router attachment remove the wood between the pencil lines drawn on the door edge to create a mortise for the faceplate. Close the door and look for where the lock bolt or latch bolt contacts the door jamb. Choose a position on the door for the lock. Outline the rectangular latch plate onto the door edge with a utility knife then remove the assembly.

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. Fit the latch and faceplate into the door. Select a lock with the same setback. Then chisel to the same depth every 1 8 inch between the top and bottom of the plate outline.

The strike is installed on the door frame and contains a hole that catches the latch or bolt that extends from the lock. 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. Use a sharp 1 inch chisel and a hammer to.

Many new lock sets allow you to adjust the latch to either distance. Using a chisel cut along the outline as deep as the plate is thick. Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds. 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.

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. The handedness of most locksets can be changed by using an included tool. Step 7 cut the latch photo by david carmack. Use a bevel edge chisel and hammer to square the corners of the mortise if the faceplate has square corners.