Mortice Jig

[Shrub]

Doubtful but possable

[toomush2drink]

The jig is quicker when doing multiple installs as you can set it up then do the lock bodies etc.It also wins on rebated doors, im not doing these with chisels anymore.Overall i prefer the chisels as i find it quicker now but its still worth having one.

[SteveW]

I haven't bought the morticer yet, but i probably will eventually, as Toomush says you cant beat it for rebated doors. Personally though i use Auger bits and the good old chisels.

My advice is to avoid using spade bits, they make a hell of a mess and the cut is never as clean as the Auger's.

If your just starting up there are more important things to spend your money on, the morticer is not an essential purchase by any means

Cheers
Steve

[xlr8ed1]

This might be old but here is my two pence

to but a mortice lock in - nicely i.e. the way the manufactuer would like you to put it in. Should take you minimum of a little over an hour with 'hand' tools. I have seen so many 'half hour' jobs where 24mm speed bore (spade/flat bits) have been used on both the door and frame that has rendered the lock to nothing more than a piece of decoration on the door. 19mm is what most lock instructions ask for - and with good reason. The lock replaces the vast majority of the wood you carve out replacing a bit of the doors strength.
Indeed i have been to jobs where the lock case has fallen loose inside the door and the levers and curtain have all dropped out. shameful

As for a mortiecer - keep in mind it will not do the strike of the lock (unless a french door) and this can be as much work as the lock given that rattley doors are not a good look or sound

[toomush2drink]

I have to agree with you there on chopping out too big a lock body hole ive had to open a lock that did that, fell apart inside the door.Also the keep is definately the slowest bit of the job as it involves more accurate measuring etc and takes longer. To date ive never split a door fitting a lock but i have messed up fitting the keep bu thankfully not for a long time, you soon learn by your mistakes . On another note lock guards can strengthen the door a lot reinforcing around the lock body, the downside is they dont always look that good on certain doors.

[jork45]

I never mentioned in my post that I was a carpenter to trade before I moved into locksmithing and done all my morticing by hand,but I was on a job recently fitting six 3"chubb deadlocks to internal Oak doors and the forend of the lock took up most of the width of the foredge on the door,one chisel slip and it would have cost me a fortune,so decided to invest in the mortice jig for insurance,knowing my luck I wont get a full fit for ages now,You guys probably know this trick but just in case,once you have fitted the lock body and you move on to the striker plate,wet the end of the bolt with your finger and rub coloured chalk on it, I use snooker cue chalk, close the door and throw the bolt with the key a few times and it should leave a nice imprint on the door frame where the lines up,thanks to all who contributed to this post