How to cut the lock into the door with a router

How to make a hole in the door for the handle. Installation of mortise locks with handles

Mortice locks with a knob and a lock in the door leaf end, with a special design of a lock cylinder are produced by manufacturers of more than a million types of locks. The number of such models is enough for both metal and wooden doors. Installation with their own hands mortise mechanisms begins with a careful marking on one side of the door scheme of mounting mechanisms.

Door marking scheme for the door lock

Chisel a mortise into the body of the door leaf to the size of the locking mechanism. The mechanism is installed at the level of the leaf’s edge and is closed with a cover plate.

When working, you have to use chisels of different sizes, periodically sharpening on a sharpening machine or a bar at a certain angle.

After making sure that the lock design is fully recessed into the door leaf, we drill a pilot hole with a thin drill bit for the twist handle and remove the lock from the door.Check the accuracy of the hole and make a drill with a drill bit of the necessary size from both sides of the door to the middle of the leaf for the handle. Once the lock and handle are installed, it is necessary to tighten all the screws. Having checked the working order of the lock and without closing the door you may start marking the groove for the latch.In the door frame against the lock make a mark on the box for the latch. After opening the door leaf, mark the place and fix the keyhole with the groove.If the marking of the bayonet is done incorrectly and the lock tongue does not go in or there is a big gap, dismantle the bayonet and make a mixing of the groove with the chisel tool. The bow lug and locking bar should fit snugly but without rubbing.

Adjusting the frame and architraves

The main problem when assembling a door frame is to properly perform the joints. Rungs and jambs are usually profiled, so the most difficult thing is to make cuts clearly under 45 degrees. In practice, novice door installers make extensive use of hand-held jigsaws:

Useful to have:

• Angle gauge and jigsaw in one (max.plinth height 70 mm) for measuring and removing angles from 85 to 180g Wolfcraft 6948000
• VIRUTEX TC133R corner copier/machine 3345634

mortising latches with trim router

And the more experienced professionals work with mitre saws: And the FESTOOL KAPEX 120 is undoubtedly the best choice here

Cutting without milling equipment

Many people also wonder how to properly mortise a lock without using a milling machine in an interior door. Tools needed:

• Construction tape measure;
• Ruler;
• A simple pencil;
• Electric drill;
• Set of drills;
• Set of chisels;
• Set of files.

Measuring the distance from the lower edge of the door leaf 0.7-1m. The locking device will be installed in this area. It is necessary to put it to the surface of the leaf and trace the back of the construction. According to the markings you make recesses with a chisel and holes with an electric drill.

Then the latch is attached to the face of the door leaf and the location of the lock core and handle is marked. Drill the holes and dress them with a round file. Do the same on the other side of the door.

The design of the locking device is installed in the grooves, a rod for fixing the door handles is inserted into the hole. Insert the latch plate and push it outward. Marks are made on the doorjamb for the tongue. Material is hollowed out using a chisel, and a striker is fitted. After that the lock function can be checked.

How to cut the hinges into the door with a cutter: instructions

As noted above, it is better to entrust the case to a professional, but if you are determined to make the hinges in the door cutter yourself, then this instruction will be relevant. First you need to determine which side of the door will be the front, and on which side, the hinges will be located. It is desirable to mark the door, so that you do not realize later that they are screwed to the wrong side.

Deciding on the location:

The latter is necessary to avoid cracks and damage to the door that can arise during the rotation of the cutter. The most important thing is to set the plunge depth and the parallel stop on the hand router. The long edge must be milled from the top to the bottom. The upper and lower line of the contour should be processed without reaching a couple of millimeters, and then cut off with a chisel. It is necessary to do this to avoid damaging the door.

The distance from the upper and lower edges of the door to the hinges should be chosen from 17 to 22 cm.

Then we attach the hinge and screw. We put a bar in L shape, make adjustments for the gap between the door and the frame and measure the location of the hinges. We proceed to the milling of the door frame. leave the peroral stop on the router, specify the depth of the plunge of the cutter and do everything exactly as for the door. After all screw the hinges with the door to the door frame.

The process of embedding the hinges can take several hours. If you are not confident in your abilities and know how to use a hand router, it is better to call a professional, or in extreme cases to invite a comrade, who will help you with mortise hinges.

Recommendations for tool selection

The choice is made taking into account the basic recommendations. Cutters for mortise locks in interior doors are chosen with the following points in mind:

• The power of the device. Manual router for mortise wood is characterized by power. For simple works are suitable versions with medium power. It is worth considering that more powerful devices are designed for professional services. The range of applications expands considerably, but the processing capacity remains virtually unchanged. One should not forget that a high-powered tool for mortise locks will weigh more and cost a lot more, but it will last much longer, because overheating will be excluded.
• Turning speed can be variably adjusted. The slot cutters for hinges and other fittings can rotate the nozzle at different speeds. High machining quality is achieved by selecting the most suitable version. Of the manual models, preference should be given to those with a controller that protects against external influences. Also models with stepless switching principle are more popular.
• The size of the working part over the end. When choosing a router for hinge installation, attention must be paid to the router’s actual outreach, because the range of application depends on it. The large index allows the use of special nozzles for obtaining recesses.
• The quality of processing the working area is determined not only by the design features of the device, but also by the presence of illumination. Such an insignificant design element allows milling in a variety of conditions.
• Ease of use. Considering which one to choose for mortise door hinges first of all we should pay attention to the placement of the main control elements. The handle must be rubberized, because otherwise the hinge router can slip during work.
• Delivery set. Recently a huge number of different versions of the tool is available for sale, and the functionality and area of application depend on the equipment. The use of different actuators allows the mounting of special work tips. There are also models with different holders.
• Attention is also paid to the fact that the diameter of the attachment can also vary quite a lot. It is recommended to pay attention to models that allow you to install nozzles with a wide range of diameters.

In addition, the popularity of the brand can be called the main parameter of choice. Products from well-known manufacturers can be used for a long period of time. The declared parameters correspond to reality, and the device is characterized by high functionality. At the time of considering a particular model, it should not only be taken in hand, but also turned on to test the performance.

If you decide to install interior doors with their own hands, it is worth noting that it is easiest when the mortise of door locks and hinges. done not with their own hands, but at the factory of the manufacturer. As a rule, the manufacturer carefully chooses such fittings, they are reliable and have an excellent performance. Read more about choosing door locks here. When buying doors with installed hardware, however, we can face some difficulties of choice. The most common: color or design doesn’t fit. For example, you want a lock with golden color, but the manufacturer says chrome. Or you need Italian AGB magnetic locks, with silent closing like lli, with a plastic tongue, but offer steel. Regarding the hinges, you can do with a little blood. buy the door hinges without mortise. Universal hinge without a mortise does not look as aesthetically pleasing but still.

There is always a way out. just buy what you need, cut the locks / hinges by your own hands and install. Do not save on fittings, as a failed mechanism can significantly hamper the further use of interior doors. Exactly the same lock or door hinges may not be produced anymore, and the analogue, as a rule, “will not sit” in the already formed groove. We recommend to cut and install silent or magnetic locks AGB, lli (Italy). For more than 10 years now, the setting dimensions of these products are the same and you can easily replace them as needed, although they simply do not break.

So locks, universal or hidden hinges chosen, bought and brought, you need mortise your own hands. For example, for unknown fittings we draw the scheme of forthcoming dissection in the AvtoCAD for an automated installation, but it is possible to make a marking and according to the manufacturer’s instructions, especially if the mortise of the lock and hinges will be made by your own hands. Marking is a responsible stage, you must pay a lot of attention to it. “Measure twice, cut once”. works! Otherwise the product is spoiled, the supplier will not exchange it, and it is a considerable monetary loss. Marking directly depends on the type of lock, its features. It is important to dance from a hole under the handle. If you do not take this into account, the door handles can get at different distances from the bottom of the door leaf, and if the doors are installed in close proximity to each other will come out. oops or oops! In calculations and marking, use a square, a tape measure, a pencil, an awl or a construction knife.

By means of a drill and chisels. the grandfather’s method

The most common, what is called the “domestic” option.

Marking and mortise interior lock

We take a tape measure and measure 95 cm from the bottom of the leaf, along the face where the lock will be embedded (it’s our standard, it can be 100 cm), put an angle piece, cross the line and carry the marking on the plane of the leaf to mark under the door handle. The marking is carried out by a sharply sharpened pencil or an awl.

We take a lock and measure the distance from the front plank to the middle of the square hole of the handle with an angle and apply the received on the plane of the leaf on both sides. We enclose the lock to the face of the leaf so that the line under the handle, made beforehand, will be in the center of the hole in the square and we mark the upper and lower edge of the lock. This is the size we will drill out. Then we mark the center of the leaf with the square and draw the axial line of the mortise.

After making the marking under the lock and according to the drawn axial scythe line, on the end part of the leaf are made pen drills (usually 14-16 mm, depending on the thickness of the lock), as often as possible from each other. In order not to drill out too much, a notch is made on the feather drill for the depth of the lock with iso or masking tape.

The trick is not to jam the neighboring hole with the feather, because rotating with high speed drill can suddenly jam and spoil the door. Then the groove is shaped with several flat chisels, first removing the surplus wood along the blade, and then smoothing the side planes so as not to split the blade. Then holes are drilled for the handle, and, if necessary, for the cylinder (key) or closing. It is important to drill through the holes from both sides of the leaf! The lock is inserted into the formed groove, aligned relatively to the drilled hole for the handle, its superimposed, decorative strip is outlined with a sharpened pencil and the final selection is made with a chisel.

That is all, mortise the lock is done with your hands!

Insertion of the counter part of the lock

The mating part or “response” is cut in after the door frame is installed. The marking is very simple. We close the door and mark out the lower and upper edge of the latch through the pre-drilled gap. Make cross holes on the box. Then we measure the distance to the edge of the tongue on the door with a square and transfer it to the frame. This will be the limiter upcoming drilling and installing latch.

We drill two holes with the feather, and choose the central part with the chisel. We enclose the responsive plate lock, drill holes for screws and fasten it. Try it. everything works. The latch should be deepened only if its thickness is more than 1 mm. You do it with a chisel after you have marked the screwed-in counterpart.

Marking and mortise door hinges

The trick is to start the marking and embedding of the hinges from the door leaf. And so we have a door of 2000 mm and a hinge of 200 mm, we measure off from the top of the leaf at the end 20 and 160 cm, we make cross mowing line, we put the hinge parallel to the leaf end below the mowing line and we make edge marks with a sharpened pencil.

It is better to mark the hinge to be inserted into the groove, because the factory stamping may be different. We take and their hands, and with a chisel, and as shown in the video, embed the upper and lower hinges in the door.

Another trick. the depth of incision. Sometimes the gap between the parallel folded parts of the hinge is less than 2 mm, while the requirements for the hinge clearance of the door block is exactly 2 mm. In this case, the hinge should be deepened a little less. Sometimes the gap is more than 2 mm, then the hinge is still cut flush with the plane of the end! With the hinge gap assembled unit, so you have to put up with, but take this moment in the calculation, layout and filing the upper part of the box, because it is standardly released 6 mm, 4 mm from the hinge part and 2 mm with a hinge respectively.

The next step is to embed the hinges into the box element. So the hinges are inserted and set in the leaf, we put the frame and mark the edges of the hinges. Place the hinge against the marks parallel to the door frame and trace it with a pencil.

There is one correct nuance. It is necessary to consider beforehand the fact that the thickness of the door leaf and the width of the box quarter from the sealant to the edge may be different, and we so need a good forend, that is a tight (but not too tight) seal!) the adhesion of the seal to the leaf when the door is closed! For this reason, before you mortise a hinge, measure these values.

Suppose the leaf 40 mm and a quarter of 42 mm, what to do? It is very simple, you need to cut a hinge in the box 2 mm deeper to the seal than the leaf. But it is wrong from the very beginning as in this case the deeply set hinge will bare a part of embedding, and when opening/closing the door it will start to rub against the frame or casing, making unpleasant squeak. Therefore it is more correct not to recess the hinges in the box, but to extend them on the blade and the same 2 mm.

• There is a great risk to damage the door surface as the result of slipping of pen drill or chisel, especially if the instrument is not sharpened to razor sharpness before the beginning of works! Sharpen cutting tools, use new drill bits,
• there is a great risk to crack the panel by unskilled actions or, let’s say, above the chisel, which then significantly affects the strength and durability of the door units and structures,
• you might not like the aesthetics of mortise, especially if you have no experience in “woodcarving,
• the process will be long, but “a long time” is not what should scare a novice master, eager to mortise locks and hinges with his hands,
• the list can go on, but mortise the lock in the interior door with their own hands already done, and that. the main thing!
• In skillful, diligent and diligent hands, directly all the disadvantages may not be, do not be afraid,
• the cheapness of the tool used, especially if practiced with a “household” tool. Do not buy blatantly cheap chisels and feather drills!

Inserting hinges and locks into doors with a hand router.

The technology depends on the type of equipment used. There is a technology of the template milling, when all manipulations are made by a previously prepared template or with the help of “ruler”, using cutters of different diameter and length. Of course, there are also professional equipment, where everything is thought out and adapted for the work. In any case. the main principle is rotating with speed close to 25 thou. about./min. mill by means of which the right mortise of hinges and locks is made in an internal door with your own hands. For example, in our work we use more than three types of milling machines manufacturers Makita and Virutex, various templates and a Spanish template-holder, screw and spiral cutters with different diameters from “CMT” Germany.

Marking for mortise milling machine, does not differ from the household, and the milling itself has a number of chips, which will be discussed below.

As for the door lock, mortise it with your own hands by means of cutters is carried out with the help of a standard line, included into the set of equipment, with different diameter of cutters. In general, nothing complicated, the main thing that the collet with the cutter provided it with the necessary depth of dive to the height of the castle, respectively. In the video embedding the lock with his hands using a router is performed with an offset to the left edge. This is another subtlety of AGB silent locks installation and not only. The answer part of the lock with a tongue has a curvature and should be set it on the edge of the box, so that the answer became beautiful, you must take it into account when mortise, shifting if necessary lock on the leaf.

Mortise hinges have a number of features. On the door leaf, everything is similar to the lock, we choose the plane, depth and parallel edge on the ruler, then we form the end edge of the chisel by 30-40 mm.

Trick. so that the end edge turned out a beautiful and accurate, chisel at the time of striking a hammer to keep perpendicular to the plane, shear and clean up the wood in several stages, a little bit, it is important.

It is more difficult to mortise the hinges into the door frame because the frame consists of two planes unlike the leaf which has one pressing plane. In fact it is necessary to mill the lower plane and press the pad of the equipment to the upper one. The task is not an easy one, and that’s why our routers have special modifications of the platform. There are, of course, all sorts of gadgets, carriages, templates, and even a special hinge-mill produced by Virutex. Carriages are not used, the templates for each loop, you get tired to do, but the loop Virutex. thing, but it is expensive, and we do not need. How do you mortise the hinges into the box with a simple cutter, but with your own hands. I do not know, I have reached a dead end, I will add the article.

How to mortise the lock into the interior door: step by step photos

Before you install a lock or latch, you must decide on the height at which the handles will be located. The recommended height of 90-110 cm. In this gap and usually put a lock or latch. But when embedding the lock in the door Fiberboard, do not put a lock above a meter. The fact is that in budget models, the wooden plank, in which the lock is installed, has a height of 1 meter. Above there will only be a void and you will have to re-drill the hole and figure out how to close the resulting hole. Once you have decided on the height, you can start installing.

Interior doors are usually equipped with locks which can be closed without a key

Mortise for the lock portion

Before inserting the lock into the interior door, mark the chosen height on the door. It is more convenient to do it with a tape measure. We put a mark on the end, and with a square or spirit level on both sides of the door leaf.

• We take the lock/latch, put it to the end of the door so that the middle of the lock is on the line. Mark the width of the metal lock part and the level at which the overlay ends.
• Take a 16 mm feather drill bit and apply it to the part of the lock that will be inserted in the door leaf. Using a marker or masking tape, a piece of duct tape, we make a mark on the drill. This mark should be a little farther than the lock. We will use it to guide us to what depth to make the holes. It is especially important if the lock is installed in front of the glass. Otherwise you might drill too deep and damage the glass.

The depth of the recess under the lock part depends on the thickness of the decorative bar. Usually try to make so that the bar was at the same level with the end of the door, but it can also protrude a little. During the work, remove a little bit, it is easier to finish than to try to restore the removed.

Installing the handles

To finish the installation of the lock in the interior door, it is necessary to make the holes for installing handles. The work is much less than what has already been done, but it needs precision. Errors are not too critical, although it is better to try to avoid them.

Included with the handles are self-tapping screws for wooden doors and tie bolts for installing in a metal door. Better replace the screws from the kit, usually they are made of soft metal. Unless you have bought a brand-name foreign lock in which the self-tapping screws are tempered. And so, buy a few good self-tapping screws with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of about 1 cm.

• We take the lock and put it on the side of the door, aligning the height.
• We put marks with a pencil, a marker or an awl through the slots for handles installation.

Some models have decorative overlays. Align them using a square.

Installing the latch

Locks for interior doors usually have on one side a thumbturn (bolt), which locks the lock, on the other side there is only a cover with a slot. That is, the outside of the door just can not open a special key is needed. The installation of this part of the lock takes a few minutes, but there are some nuances.

Take the central part which goes into the lock. The side without handle is inserted into the hole at the bottom of the hole on the outside of the wall.

All, mortise the lock into the inner door is almost finished, the only thing left is to check the work.

Inserting the mating part

The breaking point has to be installed accurately in order not to make the door flutter and not to have any problems with closing. So we try to mark as precisely as possible and take a sharply sharpened pencil.

• Close the door so that the tongue of the latch rests against the jamb. Mark the position of the latch with a pencil (above and below).
• Using the marks, draw horizontal lines through the triangle.
• Measure precisely the distance from the edge of the door leaf to the middle of the lock. The center of the lock is the center of the tongue or the center of the fixing hole.

Now you know how to insert the lock into the interior door. The description takes a lot of space, the process takes about 25-30 minutes if you are doing it for the first time. It takes more time if you have to level the holes with a chisel instead of a drill. But the total duration is still not more than an hour.

How to use the box cutter for mortise locks?

Hinge milling with the device in question is easy enough to perform. The quality of the recess can be reached. The main recommendations we will call the following points:

• To fix the tool it is necessary to have a firm and reliable surface. This avoids warping of the door leaf. It is possible to use special clamps, which exclude the risk of displacement of the product during work.
• The next step is to loosen the fastening element, which fixes the special pin.
• The place, where the hinges will be assembled, is marked on the surface. A usual pencil can be used for this purpose.
• The most suitable number of revolutions per minute is chosen.

The mortise of the lock with the router without template can be done by hands, the main thing is to set the right processing parameters.

Why milling

When mortising interior locks, you need to make a recess for the body and the end bar. Usually this is done with a feather drill, but this method is labor-intensive and not accurate enough.

Using a router makes it easier to cut out the material when making a mortise The lack of shock effect on the door guarantees its safety, and the precision of work eliminates the risk of unreliable fixing of the lock or its warping.

Before you start, however, a basic introduction to this special joinery tool is inevitable. The milling machine is suitable almost any power from 1.2 kW. You need to buy a four-finger end mill with a diameter of 810 mm and as long as possible. You also need to buy a pair of small screw clamps or make them yourself according to the instructions on RMNT.RU.

The router is at its most useful if you have up to a dozen identical locks to cut at a time. In that case it is enough to calculate the dimensions once, and then the installation process itself will be done in a matter of minutes.