Replies

1. 
   pm22 | May 29, 2002 09:48pm | #1

   The fact that the exterior doors are metal clad complicates matters - considerably. Since you want to install three dead bolts, I suggest you install them on interior doors which are presumably made of wood which would be much easier or even possible.

   For your limited situation, a professional template would be overkill. If you were doing three doors a day for your entire career, they would be worth it.

   For the metal clad doors you would need a bi-metal hole saw or two [2 1/8" and perhaps 1"]. But if the edge of the door is also metal clad, you will need a milling machine to cut the rectangular mortise(s).

   -Peter

1. 
   BossHog | May 29, 2002 10:11pm | #2

   Installing them on his interior wood doors won't do much good if he's trying to lock up the exterior of his house.

   Deadbolts aren't that hard if you don't mind reading the directions. Some of us have more trouble with that than others............(-:

   A hole saw that will cut the metal skins is probably the worst thing you face. The rest is just details.

   My wife's other car is a broom.

2. 
   PhillGiles | May 29, 2002 11:11pm | #3

   No sweat. You'll need a high-quality holesaw designed for metal, I recommmend the Milwaukee brand (you'll have to buy the arbor and the "saw" separately). The only "trick" is to pre-drill a pilot through the metal to make sure the holesaw doesn't walk around on you. If the door-edge is also metal-clad, then do the "drive-in" installation rather than the mortised plate. If you go with the plate, just trace the plate with a utility knife, then use chisels to finsh the mortise.

   .

   Phill Giles

   The Unionville Woodwright

   Unionville, Ontario

1. 
   PeteBradley | May 29, 2002 11:32pm | #4

   The door is some kind of particleboard sandwiched with metal.  The edges are not metal clad.  The jambs are softwood  The front door has sidelights, so there's not a lot of meat for the deadbolt to go into (but still a lot better than what I've got, especially if I use a long strike). 

   I've got a drill press that I could use to mane the holes, though taking off the door (and the subsequent blocking to sit a door on the drill press) is a hassle I'd definitely like to avoid.

   Pete

1. 
   JohnSprung | May 30, 2002 12:18am | #5

   I don't do a whole lot of locks, but when I do, I use my grandfather's brace and bit, with an adjustable for the big hole and an ordinary 1" for the small hole.  The amount of wood being removed is small enough that I don't bother with power tools.   For only three locks, go with an inexpensive hole saw kit made just for that purpose. 

   Start by laying out the centers of the holes on the door using a good square, and check the measurements twice.  Drill a pilot hole for the big hole, then use a compass to scribe the metal.  Drill small holes all around the circle, just thru the metal, and cut the webs between those holes with small dykes until you can get the metal out of the way.  Then drill the big hole.  Go most of the way through from one side, then finish up from the other.  Use a file to clean up the nasty edges on the metal.

   Now drill a pilot hole for the bolt, and run the drill back and forth a few times to get it a little loose.  Take the bit out of the drill motor, turn it around, and put it in the pilot hole, point facing towards the jamb, pushed all the way into the door.  Close the door, and push the other end of the bit into the jamb firmly enough to make a mark.  You might use a flat screwdriver blade for this.  Now you can drill the pilot hole in the jamb for the strike, using that mark.  This gets the bolt and strike lined up perfectly. 

   Drill both 1" holes, mortise, and install the lock.  If you lay it out accurately and hold your drill square to the work, you'll do fine.

   -- J.S.

1. 
   joeh | May 30, 2002 12:52am | #6

   Brad, if you have a drill press you can easily make up a couple of blocks to use as guides to keep your bit perpindicular to the doors. On the press drill through a piece of 2x big enough to clamp to the door and use it to guide your bit through the door. The bit will bind up if your not straight. For the bolt you can use a piece wider than the door and screw it to a piece that is clamped to the face or bar clamps if you're feeling brave. Joe H

1. 
   Snort | May 30, 2002 02:41am | #7

   Drill press on a door?...I do 'em all the time with a jig, but back before I had the jig I did it like this: Measure up around 4" from the center of the handset, measure in 2 3/8/' from the INSIDE of the door, make a dent with an awl or whatever, square around from the dent to the edge of the door and make a mark in the center of the edge.

   Clamp a piece of wood on the outside of the door (big enough to cover the exit hole of a 2 !/8" bit), drill through as level and perpendicular as you can with any 2 1/8" bi-metal holesaw, 3 doors is no big deal even for a throwaway.

   Drill yer 1" hole in the door edge and about 1/2" into the far side of the latch hole(barring any glass or such, just don't want the back of the bolt hitting the door). Stick the bolt in the hole, carefully scribe the edges and mortice it out, predrill the screw holes with a self centering bit, and install your stuff, and make sure it all works.

   Now comes the fun part...if your wife has any lipstick that you don't like, snag a tube and with the dead bolt extended, smear a little on the edges of the bolt(some deadbolts have a center point on them smear that too).If the jamb is already morticed, put a piece of tape on it. Retract the bolt. Shut the door. Make sure, if you've got the security pin on your handset, that it's not in the strike hole, turn the dead bolt 'till it hits the jamb, back it off and open it up. Center the strike over the lipstick, poke thru the center of one of the screw holes, pre drill and screw the strike to the jamb. Shut the door again (this might not work if there's not enough reveal, so just go for it) and see if the bolt goes thru the strike hole. Adjust if necessary using the other screw hole, then scribe off with a utility knife and mortice. Don't use the security screws if you've got a sidelight on that side. Should take less time than it does to read this post.

   It ain't rocket science, it's stop it science, BB

   Edited 5/29/2002 8:03:29 PM ET by bucksnort billy

2. 
   PeteBradley | May 30, 2002 04:50pm | #8

   Thanks for all the advice!  I mighta been overthinking this a bit.

   Now that I've looked at them again, it turns out some of the doors do have metal on the edge.  I figure I can just lay out holes at the corners and connect the dots with a dremel cutoff wheel to make the opening for the bolt to go through.

   Pete

3. 
   OneofmanyBobs | May 30, 2002 05:51pm | #9

   You may be better off with a surface deadbolt.

   The sort with little interlocking fingers.

   On a steel door without a ready-made mortise

   for the bolt, you will have very little strength.

   They weld a plate inside for the deadbolt mortise.

   Without this, all you have is particle board and

   a couple thousandths of an inch of steel sheet.

   The door would probably disintegrate if you pushed

   hard. The surface locks are not as pretty, but

   they are strong. You only need a hole for the lock

   cylinder. No bolt to mortise. I don't think ####competent locksmith would install a mortise deadbolt

   without using a reinforcing plate that wraps around the

   door edge. They are uglier than the surface deadbolt.

   Not cheap for the good ones, either. They're nearly

   1/8 inch steel. If a steel door is not made to accept a

   mortise deadbolt, it really won't work out well.

4. 
   Joe1225d | May 30, 2002 07:07pm | #10

   For some reason an illusion exists that locksmiths are old-school tradesman with high standards.

   Far too many of them are awful hacks that do crappy work. The typical deadbolt from a retail outlet is set-up for either a mortise face bolt or a drive bolt. That means you can install the bolt with a simple 1" hole in the edge of the door.

   For thin metal skinned doors i recommend drilling the 1/4" pilot hole first. Then substitute a 1/4 metal rod for the pilot bit in your hole saw and your hole saw will cut much truer.

   joe d