Cam lock installation in drawers.

[Raymond]

I am having to install cam locks in several drawers. The location and appearance is dependant on other drawers on which the cam locks were factory installed. Putting the lock on is simple and straight forward. But.... The space the drawers fit into are only about 6-8 inches high. My drill wont fit and a Dremel only fits at a shallow angle.

I am wondering how everyone else cuts the slot for the cam to lock into. I need a 4" tall router. Any ideas?

[2octops]

Biscuit cutter.

I never cut those slots. I just use a Timberline C100 or C101 strike plate.

[hjlocks]

I never cut those slots. I just use a Timberline C100 or C101 strike plate.

I've also used small angle brackets from the hardware store on occasion. You might need to grind them down a bit, but they're more sturdy than the plastic bumpers most drawer locks come with.

[Sinifar]

You did not say what you are locking to - is it another drawer, the top of something, a shelf, or what?

Mostly drawer locks will clear the board right above them, then just lock to that. IF NOT - then I use a piece of carbon paper to transfer the location of the bolt to the surface I am locking to. Using a Dremel then to make the pocket.

There are locks like a Comp X Timberline C186 CB which locks a double door nicely. OR a C250CB which does the same job but in a more solid fashion. Another solution for a thick panel or drawer would be a C170B Thick panel lock. This has a longer body which comes up behind the locking back and grabs from behind, no mortise needed. To see more get a Comp X Timberline Stock Locks catalog from them. OR just stop in at the next trade show in your area, and pick one up.

You should have all of the Comp X catalogs in your files anyway - Chicago, Fort, National, and Timberline. This gives you the widest selection of locks to choose from and the pix of what they look like.

Another one would be to have on hand is Olympus Lock. This is another good line to know about, many door hardware and IC cores can be stuffed into these cabinet locks.

Being a security professional means lots of things. One of them is finding creative solutions to problems which the public is not aware of. YOU become aware of them by going to the trade shows, attending classes offered by your local suppliers, and reading about the things thru the catalogs.

BUY some samples and experiment with them. Learn how to properly install them. Learn how to service them. There are now many "key removable" cores including Timberline, National and ESP. Find out which master key blank fits the removal side of the lock, and get some made up. Sometimes cores come out in the field and they can be a nightmare to reinstall without the control key. ASK and I can give you some of the more common ones. You will have to have the stuff to make them up on your own.

Sinifar

[billdeserthills]

I have a dremel-type wood saw it is about 1 1/4" in diameter, maybe even 1 1/2". It can take awhile to cut using a dremel tool, so I usually just chuck it up in my drill.
Also you can make a strike using the other cam in the cam lock kit, by straightening it out on the vise and making a 90 degree bend and then screwing it inside the drawer
Before I put locks on drawers I like to make sure to do the top drawer first, otherwise many times removing the top drawer will allow access into the lower drawers

Many times I just use a push-type lock and install it on the side of the drawer

[Raymond]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I have solved the install problem on my own using a dremel type saw. This is probably the same one billdeserthills was referring to. I forgot I had one until I was looking in my drill drawer. I simply made three deep cuts and used a small screwdriver to push out the thin strips left. Very quick and easy. Much better than the Dremel and a router bit.

This drawer had a solid top section that was too close to use any kind of metal strike, so, the slot had to be cut in. Since this was a third-party service provider type of job, I had to use what they sent. The Timberline plugs matched the rest of the office system.

When normally installing drawer locks I do prefer using the Hudson push locks on the side of the drawer. I usually put a 1/8 or 3/16 spacer under the lock so the pin coming through the cabinet side will be completely into the drawer.

[billdeserthills]

Timberline makes a push lock also, I have a bunch of their locks and they sure look like cheap plastic crap, some of them anyhow.
I caught a facility maintenance guy using the Timberline core key as a rekey tool on the timberline locker locks the other day. He
had a bag of timberline plugs, all keyed alike and he was just pulling out the master-keyed locker locks that they had lost the keys
to and swapping them all with the same key# plugs! I told him he shouldn't be doing that, as the master key no longer will open those
lockers, to say nothing of the loss of security, by using the same key # for multiple lockers...and besides that it was cutting me out of the money!

[hag3l3]

Hope this helps.
small wood chisels
there are flat, v-shaped, fluted, half round.
make sure they are very sharp. You should have no tr ouble at all. It may seem old school, but it works.

[Raymond]

Just an interesting thought on your technique with chisels. Are you pushing them only or striking with a hammer. This job would be difficult either way as there is only a 6" vertical space. I can barely get my big hands in much less try to strike a tool. The substance to be removed is particle board covered with paint. The hole had to go in about 1/2" deep and be 1/4" wide and 1.5" long. I considered making a chisel that I could hold with vicegrips and hit the vicegrip with the hammer. But, I was very worried that I could not maintain a smooth, straight front edge.

The Dremel and saw was a very satisfactory solution. It is almost exactly the same as a large diameter biscuit cutter would do.