by Peaky » 2 Dec 2004 9:16
After a good search i thought the most simple of subjects has not been covered in one go so I thought I would post a guide to fitting a lock to a door. If anything is incorrect or a better way is possible im sure someone will correct me.
This guide is more directed to the absolute beginner and is aimed at newbe’s that don’t possess such luxuries as lock fitting jigs and such like.
Mortice lock,
Recommended tools are,
Bradawl,
Stanley Knife,
Masking Tape,
Wood Chisels,
Soft Mallet,
Tape Measure,
Steel Ruler,
Drill,
Drill Bits (to suit the lock to be fitted),
Sharp Pencil,
Square,
Sand Paper,
Thin Flat File,
Small round file.
Firstly unpack your lock and check that all the parts are there and not damaged, read the manufactures recommendations. The lock should be suitable for the use it is intended for i.e. door size (thickness) and security required.
Most if not all locks now come with a paper template, if this brand and model of lock is going to be regularly fitted it is worth transposing this template on to a piece of 1/8” plywood or 1/16” aluminium.
The most important thing to do at this point is to make sure that all your chisels and drills are as sharp as possible as because blunt tools will only get hot, not cut properly splintering the wood and can easily veer off at a tangent making it harder to fit the lock squarely.
Measure twice cut once is the name of the game here.
Place a piece of masking tape along the door edge to be cut and using the paper template or the one you have made, mark out all the holes and cuts.
Starting with the main lock body hole, chain drill a few holes in a vertical plane making sure that the drill and bit is perpendicular to the door in BOTH axis as because you may think the drill is straight whilst looking down on it but from the side you could be drilling up or downwards at an angle, keep checking this all the way down to the depth you require.
Remember to drill these holes deep enough to accommodate the inner and outer forends.
Using the widest chisel you have, carefully square off the sides of the drilled holes making them all join together leaving a neat rectangle shaped slot that the lock fits snugly in but does not need to be hammered in or is to sloppy that it falls out if not held, use a narrower chisel to clean the top and bottom of the hole.
Next fit the lock into the hole with the cover plate attached (outer forend) and draw around it with a sharp pencil. Remove the lock and either by looking at the instructions or by measuring the inner and outer forends together determines the depth you need to cut out to.
The secret here is to not try and take out all the material in one go.
A good tip here is to cut around your pencil line using a Stanley knife and steel ruler so that the wood does not split along the grain, this will give you a much neater recess when finished.
Carefully chisel out the recess by lightly tapping the chisel with the mallet a bit at a time, when practiced you will probably not use the mallet.
Remember the correct way of using a chisel is to have the angled portion on the bottom, this gives a lot more control over the depth of cut and stops it digging in if you should slip, it also helps keep the blade sharper for longer.
Once cut out lightly give the recess a light sanding to take off any splinters etc.
Using your template mark out the door for the keyhole and spindle with you bradawl, mark both sides of the door, as you should not be drilling all the way through the door to try and do both holes at once.
Drill the holes in your marked positions taking care when you break through in to the lock recess so as to not splinter the wood on the inside. Do this from both sides of the door. Drill two holes for the keyhole one at the top and one at the bottom.
Using your small files open up the two holes for the keyhole to make the correct shape. Repeat this procedure for the other side, lightly sand around the keyhole to remove any splinters.
Fit the lock and drill a pilot hole for each screw position, then screw it in.
Put some masking tape on the doorframe, Lock the bolt and close the door to, mark on the doorframe the position of the bolt. Using the square mark these lines across the door jar of the frame, this is the height the centre of the striker box needs to be. Measure from the edge of the doorframe to the centre of the frame and mark a vertical line, this is where the vertical centre of the striker box should be.
Using the template you have, mark out the striker box position and cut it out the same way as you did for the lock not forgetting to go around the line first with the knife.
Fit the striker box and as before drill a small pilot hole for the fixing screws and fit the box.
Voila you should have a neat and tidy Mortice lock in the door, check it opens and closes without binding.
Again this may not be the only or best method to do it but it always works for me giving a professional look every time.
