Mortise Lock Installation Tools

Tape Measure

• After you have taken a mortise lockset out of its packaging, you will need to determine the proper placement for the lockset on a door. For this you will need a tape measure with at least 40 inches of flexible tape. Baldwin Hardware recommends measuring to between 37.5 and 40 inches above the floor.

Writing Utensil

• Pencils, graphite sticks, pieces of chalk and other nonpermanent writing utensils can all serve as adequate marking tools for a mortise lock installation project. In addition to marking the location of where the lockset will go, which you can accomplish with the help of a tape measure, you will need to make three other marks. These marks should correspond with the three small holes that are already incorporated into the mortise lockset. One mark goes above the lockset and represents maximum height while another goes below the lockset and represents minimum height. A third mark goes at the back of the lockset and represents depth.

Router/Drill

• Once you have marked the height and depth of the mortise lockset with a writing utensil, you can use these marks as guides for creating the mortise. According to Baldwin Hardware, the best tool for creating the mortise, which involves hollowing out a large chunk of the door, is a router. A router is a power tool with a rotating cutting head. Manufacturers design routers specifically for creating joints, grooves and cavities. As an alternative to using a router, you can use a power drill with a spade-shaped drill bit, which will create much larger holes in comparison to a standard drill bit.

Chisel

• The router or drill you use during a mortise lock installation project will only provide a rough or preliminary mortise for the lockset. To remove the remaining wood, allowing for the lockset to fit inside the door, you will need a metal chisel. Baldwin Hardware recommends using a corner chisel or wood chisel with a cutting edge that is 3/4-inch long. While a corner chisel has two cutting surfaces that are perpendicular to one another, a wood chisel has a single, straight cutting surface.

Screwdriver

• After preparing and finishing the mortise, you can insert the mortise lockset and screw it in place using a screwdriver. The type of screwdriver you use -- Philips head or flat head -- will depend on the screws that came with the lockset.