How to Drill a New Hole in Door for a Lock

Perhaps the most critical and intimidating part of installing a door lock is cutting the lock opening. If the holes are not cut properly, you may have to replace the door. Recognizing this problem, lock manufacturers include a cutting template designed to take the guesswork out of the project. Using the template and making the cut with the proper tools should produce an excellent result.

Tape
Pencil
Hole saw
Electric drill
Spade or Forstner bit

Instructions

- 1
  Fold the cutting template at the perforation mark.
- 2
  Open the door and position the template at the desired location on the door, with the perforation line resting against the edge of the door. Tape the template to the door to ensure that you do not inadvertently shift it.
- 3
  Insert the tip of a sharp pencil through the two center points on the template to mark the door. One center point is located on the face of the door for the lock cylinder and the other is located on the edge of the door for the bolt.
- 4
  Remove the template from the door.
- 5
  Bore a circle through the face of the door with a hole saw and an electric drill. Position the bit in the center of the saw directly against the marked center point on the door when making the cut.
- 6
  Bore a circle through the edge of the door with a spade or Forstner bit and an electric drill. A Forstner bit features a metal shaft at its base to accommodate a drill, and a cylindrical tip with a small point in the center of the bit. As with spade bits, Forstner bits are designed to bore smooth holes in wood. As with the hole saw, position the tip of the bit against the marked center point on the door when making this cut.

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