How To Make A Mortise Lock Cut In A Door

Use a bevel edge chisel and hammer to square the corners of the mortise if the faceplate has square corners.

How to make a mortise lock cut in a door.

Position the mortise lock body against the side of the door and mark the top and bottom against the side of the door. A mortise is a recess or hollow space cut to fit a specific item such as a door hinge or a lock mechanism. 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. 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.

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. Knowing how to cut a mortise is essential for installing a deadbolt lock. Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds. Create a perfect mortise for the faceplate of your door latch use a rotary tool to help you make a perfect mortise for the faceplate of a door latch when installing door hardware.

Using a router attachment remove the wood between the pencil lines drawn on the door edge to create a mortise for the faceplate. In some situations a mortise is required for the door to close properly. This project guide features step by step instructions to tackle after you have already drilled holes in the door. Also mark the positions of the keyhole and handle spindle by marking through the body of the mortise lock make an allowance for the front plate of the lock as this will be recessed into the edge of the door.