How to Make a Basic Door Lock

Drill a hole in the vertical stile which runs along the opening edge of your door. The hole should be along the center point of the stile and should be 33/64 inch in diameter.

Cut a 1/2 inch thick piece of lumber into your door lock spinner, using a table saw. Cut the wood into an egg-shaped oval, with one end larger than the other. The spinner should be long enough to protrude from the door stile at least 1/4 inch when installed and should be about 1 inch in diameter at its widest point.

Drill a 1/2-inch hole through the center of the wider end of your spinner using the bit from Step 1. The hole will serve as the axis on which the spinner will turn inside the door frame. Lay the spinner against the door stile so the two holes line up. Mark the size of your spinner onto the stile with a pencil.

Carve a space inside the door stile, using a hammer and wood chisel, where the spinner will be mounted. Drive your chisel into the opening edge of the stile and cut a mortise deep enough to house the spinner and long and wide enough to allow it to turn freely. The ideal size will be about 1/16 inch longer than the spinner itself.

Slide the spinner into the mortise you have chiseled out and slide a 1/2-inch-diameter wooden knob through the hole in the stile and into the hole in the spinner. Apply wood glue to the wooden knob and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Cut out a notch, using your hammer and chisel, in the door frame into which the spinner will fit when turned to the locked position. The notch should line up with the spinner when extended and should be deep and wide enough to allow unrestricted locking and unlocking.