Steel plated door

[mark davis]

Anyone kown of a tool that can be used to put a mortice into a wooden door with steel plate in the centre?
This door has steel plates on the outside, it's then made of 2 sheets of ply sandwiching a 3mm steel plate and i'm the lucky one who's been asked to put mortice locks into it.

You can not see the centre plate from the edge of the door it starts about 25mm in, so started cutting with Souber mortice jig with 19mm wood bit which sheared off when it met the steel.
I then tried with the Ali cutter which would not touch it
After i stopped crying i packed up my tools and promised to return with a solution.

This door does have a lock box or it used to "not alot left of it" i could of course reinstate the lock box, but if i can i would rather postion the lock elsewhere.

I can't be the first person this has happend to i just basicly need some kind of router which will cut steel?

Any idea's much appreciated

[ponsaloti]

sounds nasty, good luck

[NIC]

I say use a lenox hole saw(if you guys have any over there?) With alot of grease.

[cjames73]

it does sound nasty!

you need to remove the ply from either side of the centre plate.
pack a piece of spare plate either side and clamp/pack these together somehow.
now use a HSS bit to drill through the centre plate using the pieces either side to support the drill bit.
this should remove the centre plate but will take some time.

sorry for the crap pic
what about fitting a surface mounted lock?

[NickBristol]

What condition is the current lock box in? It sounds like it would be easiest to reinstate that. That would preserve the integrity of the steel plate in case someone went at it with a big sledgehammer. If the door failed because of where you'd morticed a lock in you might take all the liability for it failing.

Alternatively, screw on an aluminium hasp and secure it with a small Sterling padlock.

[mark davis]

CJ thats a great picture, but unfortunatley i don't think it will work needs to be some kind of router.
The padlock sounds favorite,why i didn't think of that i'm sure i've got a box of tri circles somewhere.

[Jaakko]

Just out of curiosity, what the door is protecting? The door structure sounds alot like a firedoor, but I think it isn't. In case it is: Don't cut that steel

[cjames73]

Just out of curiosity, what the door is protecting? The door structure sounds alot like a firedoor,

or a drug dealers front door

[Mark A]

You need to use a bi-metal hole saw, sounds like the steel is for security/strength as opposed to being a fire door, but if you fit a CE rated mortice lock you will be covered for fire regs.

Mark

[lunchb0x]

if it was me doing the job i would be putting something else on the door like a rim fitted lock

[Mark A]

The client has probably specified a mortice lock to be fitted, sure its a nasty job, we all get these from time to time.

Fitting a rim lock would be the easy option and a kop out, surely its better to just get the right kit and get the job done.

Mark

[lunchb0x]

having a rim lock would mean that because the cylinder is a 201 instead of a 570 it is harder for someone to tamper with the front of the lock, also if its an outwards opening door with a mortice lock the bolt is exposed unless you put a strike shield on the door, so by the time the customer buys the mortice lock, furniture and strike shield it would be alot cheaper to buy a rim fitted lock, also the time saved in fitting because a rim lock will take 20 - 40 min to fit, they will be saving alot on labour, and it is just as strong as a mortice lock.

im not saying that a rim fitted lock is going to be the best for all applications but as the tradesman dont just do as the customer asks, your the professional, if there is something thats better you should tell them

[Mark A]

In the UK we have a standard called BSEN 3621 2004, this is what insurance companies specify to give cover in most cases.

You can get Rim Nightlatches to this specification but most are far more expensive than the mortice equivilant and require a similar amount of work/drilling to fit, I can understand your thinking if it would save time and money for the client, but in this case it wouldn't.

That is why I said better to get the right kit and get the job done.

Mark

[Mark A]

BTW, If fitting a non BS nightlatch, this would be easier but would not comply to insurance requirements.

Mark

[NickBristol]

Have you tried emailing any steel core security door manufacturers? Perhaps they would be able to tell you what to use.

Like Mark A suggested, there are several bi-metal holesaws around that claim to be able to drill steel. As it's only going to be drilling a fairly small cross-section of steel to cut, it shouldn't be too big a problem.

How is it secured at the moment?