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.

In some situations a mortise is required for the door to close properly. 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. Fit the latch and faceplate into 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.

Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds. Mortising for a door hinge allows the hinge to install flush with the surface of the door edge or face. Using a router attachment remove the wood between the pencil lines drawn on the door edge to create a mortise for the faceplate. In other cases a mortise is merely cosmetic.

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. 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.