This is a tedious and time consuming method for creating the pocket. Even if there is a knot or hard spot, the slowness of the cut permits the tip to keep screwing straight. As the wood is cut away, the tip continues to screw into the wood maintaining the proper direction. If the door has a stain or clear finish, you just bought a new door.įor this reason, I used a brace and auger bits to mortise the pocket in a wood door. If the door is to be painted, body filler can often be used to repair the damage. The electric drill drives the bit too fast to keep the bit straight and prevent movement resulting from knots, etc. Using a tool specifically designed for creating the mortise pocket.įree styling with a handheld power drill on a wooden door can result in the drill bit breaking through.The manual method of using a brace and bit to create the mortise.There are two practical methods for creating a mortise pocket on a wooden door: For example, cutting the mortise lock pocket in an interior wooden door will leave about ¼" wood on each side of the pocket - not much room for error. Mortising a pocket into the edge of a wooden door is difficult and time consuming because precision work is required. The height of the pocket is determined by the lock’s application and manufacturer. The pocket is centered within the edge of the door ranging in size from ¾" to approximately 1 inch thick. Mortise locks require a pocket, created in the edge of the door. This entry was posted in Uncategorized by JeffGater. That is simply because I forgot to photograph a procedure on the first door and was getting the images I needed from the second door. You may notice the door looks different from one photo to the next. The next set of photos are of two mortise locks I recently installed this year. Everything must look balanced from the street to when a visitor is close enough to push the door bell button. These types of installations are especially stressful and time consuming. The challenge of these doors is to get the dummy hardware level and symmetrical to the active hardware. These doors have an active door which gets the working hardware, and an inactive door which gets “dummy” hardware. Another time consuming mortise lock installation are double-doors. Only the cylinder and handle holes have to be drilled through. Commercial metal doors are usually prefabricated to accept a mortise lock. Metal residential doors must have a wood core to install the lock in. Some doors were metal, these were especially time consuming. I have worked on many mahogany or special order doors where the installer only gets one chance to do a perfect job. The following is a small sampling of mortise locks I have installed on “virgin” doors, or doors with no existing holes. In other words, don’t hire a locksmith on the fly to do such an intricate time consuming task. The point is the locksmith was questioned by the customer, “have you ever installed this kind of lock before?” The locksmiths response was, “of course, I have installed many of these locks before.” Obviously the locksmith forgot the procedure or he might have been lying.Īny locksmith who has installed a mortise lock before should be referred by reputation, have photographic proof of his or her work, or be able to show the customer the specialized tools they have purchased to insure an accurate and competent job. Since the door was brand new and the door company provided the locksmith to install the mortise lock, the customer demanded a new door. I installed the lock so it would function as intended, but I could not cover some of the holes drilled through the door. When I arrived the handle-set was on an angle, as opposed to vertical and parallel to the door frame. About 10 years ago I was called to a home to see if I could correct another locksmiths attempt at a mortise lock installation. Even today the front door is often the homes presentation (or first impression) to the neighborhood and sets the theme for what the decor might be inside. The idea was to conceal the deadbolt and latch mechanisms while only showing off the beautiful decorative handle-set on the entry way of a home. Mortise means the whole lock fits into a cavity cut into the door. So all things need to be kept in perspective. However, a gallon of gas was less than 25 cents and a loaf of bread cost about a nickel. I’m sure the labor to install these locks was a small fraction of what it cost today. And the lock was built to last, possibly forever if maintained correctly. The whole lock with solid brass handles could be purchased for about $36.00. While talking with one of my mentor’s who fought in WWII, I was told the full mortise lock was a very common lock in the prewar era. One of the most challenging jobs a professional locksmith will encounter is installing a full mortise lock.
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