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A mortise refers to the pocket cut into the door where the lock is fitted. They can be used on new doors, but special preparations must be made. An older mortise lockset and its mortise cut-out in the door. Mortise assemblies typically include: Lock body (the part installed inside the mortise cut-out in the door).
What does mortise mean on a door hinge?
A hinge mortise is the shallow cut made in the edge of a door and the door jamb that mirrors the size and thickness of the door hinge. The hinge mortise allows the hinge to be mounted flush with the jamb and door so the door will close properly.
What does a mortise lock look like?
Mortise locks are assembled from many curiously odd-shaped, mechanical parts and enclosed inside a heavy-gauge steel case, punctured with circular and square holes that appear to represent a secret code. Mortise lock ‘bodies’ are mysteriously hidden inside a pocket, cut into the edge of the door.
Do you have to mortise door hinges?
Doors must be mortised to make hinges fit properly. It allows the hinge to fit flat and flush with the edge of the door inside a shallow cut. Production door shops use routers and jigs to cut mortises, but you can do single doors by hand with a hammer and chisel.
What is a mortise style latch?
A mortise lock (also spelled mortice lock in British English) is a lock that requires a pocket—the mortise—to be cut into the edge of the door or piece of furniture into which the lock is to be fitted.
What is the difference between a mortise and non mortise hinge?
No-mortise hinges are thinner than standard hinges, which limits the gap on the doors of cabinets. No-mortise hinges leave only a small space between doors or the door and frame. These hinges have a leaf that provides extra support by wrapping around the door.
What does full mortise mean?
Full-mortise installations have one leaf cut into the door jamb and one into the edge of the door. Half-mortise installations have one leaf mortised into the edge of the door and one anchored onto the surface of the door jamb.
How do you put mortise on a door?
How to Mortise a Door with Chisel Step 1: Ensure Your Hinge is Flush on the Door. Ensure to place the hinges on the right spot. Step 2: Make a Mark Around the Hinge. Step 3: Mark Out the Mortise Depth. Step 4: Chisel out the Mortise Line. Step 5: Chisel Out the Waste. Step 6: Clean Up after Chiseling.
How do you know if you have a mortise lock?
Examine the length of the door that lines up with the strike plate. More specifically investigate where the deadbolt and/or latch bolt extends from. If the size of the faceplate is approximately the size of your hand then that is an indication that it uses a mortise cylinder.
Is a mortise lock a deadbolt?
The deadbolt can only be operated manually with a key, or a thumb turn from the inside. Unlike the mortise lock which requires a rectangular pocket to be cut into the door, the deadbolt requires 2 cylindrical holes to be cut into the door (bored cylindrical mounting).
Why are mortise locks better?
Mortise lock bodies have room for the standard locking functions as well room for the addition of deadbolts, thumbturns, indicators, and other options. This provides more locking functions than cylindrical locks.
What is the difference between mortise and tubular?
A tubular lock has its latch bolt and dead bolt in two separate holes. In a mortise lock, both bolts are encased in a steel box that fits in one hole.
Why are mortise locks more secure?
What makes mortise locks so much more secure than their cylinder counterparts? A pocket cut into the short edge of the door, allows a longer and thicker mortise box to slide into the door itself, providing superior protection. You will find that these types of locks require special door preparation.
How does a non mortise hinge work?
Instead of identically sized hinge leaves, there’s a small inner leaf that “nests” inside a wide outer leaf. Nesting each leaf together creates a thin profile. This is what allows you to get by without cutting any mortises. In fact, it provides the perfect gap (about 1⁄16″) where the door meets the cabinet.
What is a non mortise door hinge?
These are surface mount hinges that can be welded or bolted to the outside of the door frame and the outside of the door They are fabricated from carbon steel or stainless steel grades 304L or 316L. They may or may not have mounting holes to fit in the screws.
What is the benefit of using a non mortise hinge over a traditional butt hinge?
Traditional butt hinges are fixed in place by the mortise they fit into, but no-mortise butt hinges are free to slide, giving you the ability to adjust the hinge whenever needed.
Which hinges are best for doors?
The butt hinge is one of the most popular types of plain bearing door hinges that are good for heavy doors. The butt hinge gets its name because both leaves are mortised into the door, allowing them to butt up against each other when the door is closed.
What are door hinges called?
The most common type of hinge used on doors is the butt hinge. It’s so named because the two leaves are mortised into the door and frame, allowing the two to butt up to each other. There are three different types of butt hinges: plain, ball bearing, and spring-loaded.
What is a half mortise lock?
Half Mortise Locks are a traditional lock style used on 18th, 19th and 20th century furniture. They offer a semi-concealed appearance. The keyhole is all that is seen on furniture exterior. A simple flush plate is seen on interiors of furniture.
How do you cut a door mortise?
Mark the hinge outline. Place the hinge on the edge of the door with the knuckles pointing in the direction the door opens and mark around its perimeter with a pencil. Mark the mortise depth. Hold the edge of the hinge against the bit’s lower edge. Drill the mortise. Trim the waste. Test the fit.
What is the difference between deadlock and mortise lock?
Mortice locks can be known as a Deadlock or Sashlock. They both have essentially the same operating system, with the distinguishable difference between them being the use of a handle that operates a latch within a sashlock.
