How To Cut Out Door Lock

The depth of the cut should allow the faceplate to align flush with the edge of the door.

How to cut out door lock.

Follow these easy step by step tips on how you can install a deadbolt lock. Test cutting depth on a scrap of wood. I recently bought a house my wife thought it would be a good idea to shut the door to one of the rooms. If the plate is too close try tightening the door s hinges to provide more clearance on the lock edge of the opening.

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. There are a number of tools that you can use to cut off a lock depending upon how strong it is. Knowing how to cut a mortise is essential for installing a deadbolt lock. Be aware of any fire risks.

Set the depth of cut on the router attachment to match the thickness of the faceplate. Wooden shed doors and other flammable materials can easily set alight. However these locks can rust shut you could lose the keys or just forget the combination. Hold the lock at an angle as you cut through it which will make the cutting process easier.

Finally if you still can t break the lock consider a cutting torch. You can also cut through a lock with an angle grinder. Cutting torches can generate flames of up to 4000 degrees so it s wise to protect both your hands and face if you re considering using this method to cut open your lock. If you install your strike plate and find that it is too far from the latch try adding wooden shims behind the plate to bring it closer to the lock.

In that situation you are left only with the option of cutting the lock off. This room happened to have a key ed lock on it that. Fortunately cutting out this mortise isn t nearly as difficult as it sounds. To cut a lock all you need is a pair of bolt cutters.