door lock boring jig

[mreza Salav]

I have 31 solid Maple passage doors (almost 1 3/4" thick) to bore handles/locks and hinges (plus an entry door at 2 1/4" thickness). For the hinges I've made a template and it is straight forward but for the lock sets the typical jigs with a hole saw can't do it (my first try in a scrap with an Irwin el-cheapo jig generated enough smoke I was sure I'm going to start a fire). I can't bring myself to cough-up $450 for a Templaco master kit but I am thinking I can sell it once I'm done. Any one here has used that jig? Any comments/advice for/against? I thought about getting the carbide bit that it comes with separately but I might just buy the whole set.

thanks

[Bruce Page]

Mreza, I would think $450 would get lost in the noise after building 31 doors. Now is not the time to go cheap.

[mreza Salav]

You are probably right Bruce. I've already sourced it out locally and will likely go and buy it tomorrow. Just wanted one more voice confirming my decision.
It is getting exciting as I am about to move all those stuff I have made in the last year or so to the new house...

[Rich Engelhardt]

$450 / 31 = $14.50 per door.

I did see a tip on using larger hole saws that you might want to try before shelling out $450.

Put the jig in place and trace around the inside with a pencil.
Drill 2 or 3 one quarter inch holes around the circle you traced that will allow sawdust a place to go instead of building up.

Usually with a hole saw, burning of the wood takes place because the sawdust is trapped and has no place to go. That allows it to just build up and cause friction.

Bosch also makes this style carbide tipped hole saw:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_373564-353-HTC212_0__?productId=3512960

The deep gullets allow an evacuation path for sawdust if you use a shop vac while drilling.
I can't vouche for how they work in wood, but, they go through ceramic tile like a hot knife through butter.

[Sam Puhalovich]

Mreza, I would just set-up and do it in the drill press.
Clamp a fence in place to control the edge distance.
Cut a piece of stuff to length to set the distance from the diameter of the cutter to the bottom of the door.
Put a few supports around to support the 'bulk'.
Bore with complete control.

[eugene thomas]

I am kind of cheap in buying jigs. But 31 doors is alot of chances to make one mistake and add more work to the project list

[Kevin Jenness]

I have used the Templaco jig. It works well, and you can sell it on Craigslist when done. You will probably want to make your own clamp-on templates for the strike plates and bolt escutcheons for clear finished doors, as the standard templates are secured with nails, but the basic boring setup works great. The typical tubular latchset calls for a 1" bore in the door edge and a will show a little bit of the hole around the usual 1" wide escutcheon, as does a hollow chisel mortiser. Templaco offers a 15/16" bit (not sure if it is standard). If your bolt assembly will fit in a 15/16" hole, that will give you a cleaner result. You will want a powerful drill at around 800-100 rpm to drive the big bit. All in all it is way easier to use than horsing a man door onto a drill press, whether you do it in tye jamb or in a door jack.

[mreza Salav]

Thanks. There is no way I can man handle these 90+lb doors to the drill press. I thought about bringing the drill press close to my bench and move up the doors to be at the same height as DP table but that's not easy either.
Kevin, you are right about the 1" hole being a bit too big. In the scrap piece I tried the latchset could easily be inserted into a smaller diameter hole (maybe even 7/8") and the hole shows a bit from around the plate.

[Larry Copas]

If your getting smoke your using the wrong hole saw. My Lennox works fine with solid doors. Having said that I also have a shop built jig for a router equipped with a bushing. $10 piece of Lexan was all it took. Also made a jig in the same style for the door escutcheon plate. I usually freehand the jam plate as it's hard to fix a jig on a finished jam.

Spade bits can be had in 7/8" at most hardware stores. If you want 15/16" grind down a 1". Its an easy modification.

I do use a Templaco hinge template on both doors and jams. I really like it and would expect anything else coming from them to be of similar quality.

[Tom M King]

See if you can find an old Quickset on ebay. I have one somewhere, but haven't used it in years. I've hung hundreds of doors, and never used a prehung. I have templates I made a couple of decades ago. One to mark the hole locations, and a couple of other router jigs for the lockstrike and plunger end. I also have an old Sears template for routing the hinges on a door that doesn't require holes anywhere. For the jamb, I use one I made that is screwed to the jamb where the stop will hide the holes. I've had dedicated routers for each different operation for years, with each router, and templates in their own waterproof toolboxes. The little templates clamp to the door and jamb with quick clamps, and the hole marker just fits over the lock edge of the door.

I don't trim the door after it's hung. I make the jambs to fit the door, route all the mortises, finish the door, and hang it. I make the jamb 5/16 wider than the door, and put 3/16 on the lock side. One the door is hung, and the stops set, it's mostly done except for touchup of the nail holes in the stops.

Hang the door, shut it with the lockset in place, and set the top stop first. Push against the door ever so slightly at the top with the stop on the lock side, and leave a hair of clearance on the hinge side. Set the lock side stop to the head stop that you just set. Leave a hair of clearance at the lock, and push ever so slightly at the bottom of the stop as you nail it. Leave a hair of clearance all the way on the hinge side stop. The door will shut with a single "kerchunk" with no rattling, and if the framing was done well under the floor and jamb, it should operate like that for decades, or until the hinges wear out.

I forgot. The reason I stopped using the lock jig is because it could leave marks on the door, which meant something else to have to do. I use a sharp multi-spur bit, without a self-feeding center screw, that is never used for anything else. Go backwards to start with, to score the circle, so it doesn't take out any chunks.

I have making the jambs down to a science too, but that's another story. Houses that I built as far back as 1973, still have well operating doors. I use ball bearing hinges on entry doors, and any others that will see a lot of use.

[Peter Quinn]

The Irwin jig sucks, the bits that come with them are even worse. Main problem with the smoking bit is the bit. Get a proper bimetal Lenox holesaw, good electric 1/2" drill 800-1000 rpm, problem solved. This is not a job for a cordless or a high speed 3/8 drill. The template is just a locator, once you get started it's all bit and drill speed. Honestly, I'd reach out for a friend, hire a laborer, find some way to get this done on the drill press. Your talking a casual afternoon for two guys, a back breaking horror alone. There is no easy way to pop that many holes in maple by hand. I've had good luck with the dewalt jig, still plastic but much better than the Irwin, I like to drill the lock tube holes with a forstner, not the 1" hole saw included in the kits. A good aggressive forstner stays on track better and seems to cut longer, plus no plugs to remove. I'm assuming you know on the handle cylinder holes to stop when the tip just breaks the surface and then drill from the other side? Don't go all the way through the door from one side. Big blow out the escusheon may not cover can ensue. This would be a great job for a portable drill press on a mobile cart the same height as your bench! Just roll the drill press over the door, clamp and go. Last place I worked had a door makers bench, one stop from slab to hung. Legs we're flush to the top and had hole that held blocks so you cold put the door on edge at a height above the top, route the hinges, put the door on the bench lock stile out, rout the back bevel with a 3 degree pattern bit, stand doors up, lock in a vice, punch the lock holes or mortise for lock boxes as required, set in jamb, square it up, tack on stops if applied. Doors left the bench ready to finish or ship, minimal handling. Still took two guys to keep from beating up the moldings.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have the Porter Cable door jig and ave done hundreds of doors with it. About $270 for the unit

[mreza Salav]

Thanks folks for the directions. I shelved the Templaco idea. Instead stopped by a plumbing supply and got a couple of Lenox hole saw bits (7/8" and 1") and a carbide 2 1/8" (Milwaukee) holesaw bit. I'll make some jigs to do the holes and mortises. Have one router setup for hinge mortises, will have another set up for lock-plate mortises. I have a good 1/2" low speed corded drill. The idea of using the DP isn't going to work in my shop right now. I don't mind drilling 60 holes with a hand held drill (I did about 900 1/2" dowels for the doors this way!).

[Tom M King]

Go ahead and order the little levers from Very Super Cool (or something like that) for taking the plugs out of hole saws. Best thing since canned paint.

[Peter Stahl]

Go ahead and order the little levers from Very Super Cool (or something like that) for taking the plugs out of hole saws. Best thing since canned paint.

plug popper - Very Super Cool Tools. They look like they would do the job. Doing holes in doors he might not need them being you finish the cut from the other side.

[mreza Salav]

I am using a backer clamped to the door and can cut all the way without tear out but what are these levers or plug poppers?

[Peter Stahl]

Here are the Poppers http://vsctools.com/shop/the-plug-popper/ I never used them but Tom King might be able to tell you what he thinks of them. How thick is your door and how deep is the Hole cutter? If you cut halfway though then cut the rest from the other side you shouldn't get any tear out.

[Tom M King]

They work great, and save the aggravation of getting a plug out of a hole saw.

[mreza Salav]

doors are about 1 3/4" thick (or just a little less).

Peter, I am going to pull my drill press to use it (will bring the bench top up a bit). The carbide tip hole saw (with 3 tips) is aggressive and can catch and get stuck in the piece which means the geared hand drill I was using twisted my hand in the scrap I tried!

[Tom M King]

Here's the one I use, and have used for something over 30 years, or at least one exactly like it. I only use holesaws for anything if there is no other choice. I use a 1/2" spade handle drill for that bit. Point of hip provides feet pressure. If predrilling, I stand in the same place, and the guys move the doors. If drilling after hanging, Big Mike uses foot, knee and hands on the other side of the door to hold it against me doing the drilling. He's 6-5 312. I have a seat toolbox that holds all the tools, and puts me seated at the right height to drill, and route the other holes after a door is hung.

http://www.doorlocksdirect.com/89904-001.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=89904-001&gclid=CjwKEAjwuYOeBRCy3pLljpjDkDcSJAAhA4mtolqebD-cjq2sSBRSh3pV_NpfHmpEcGU8INui-wUTSxoCNkLw_wcB

They show all the other parts for the Kwikset jig on that page too. I made my jigs out of Baltic Birch plywood, and hardened the working edges with epoxy. They have all held up great for many uses. I use Whiteside template bits. Any jigs that are screwed to the jamb have the screw holes where the stop will hide the holes. The plunger jig is a fixed right angle, with the exact size hole as the plate for the plunger, and the other side is longer in both directions to clamp to the door with quick-clamps. I bought the cheap plastic jigs to make the good jigs with, and it worked perfectly.

The jamb hinge jig allows me to hang doors plumb in old houses where the wall might not be exactly plumb.

If the doors have already been finished, and the lock mortises not cut, I'd hang the door, and then cut the lock mortises. We cut first everything, if we are also finishing the doors, except the strike mortise on the jamb. That is always cut after the door is up. We cut first because we finish all the doors flat on rotisseries, and it saves masking or cutting in.

31 doors would be most of a days work for me and my two helpers.

[Chris Fournier]

Mreza, I would think $450 would get lost in the noise after building 31 doors. Now is not the time to go cheap.

Winner winner chicken dinner! Get the tool, you are well past ho humming about $450.00. Messing up your doors would be a mistake of epic proportions.

[Peter Quinn]

doors are about 1 3/4" thick (or just a little less).

Peter, I am going to pull my drill press to use it (will bring the bench top up a bit). The carbide tip hole saw (with 3 tips) is aggressive and can catch and get stuck in the piece which means the geared hand drill I was using twisted my hand in the scrap I tried!

If you are using a press I'd go with a forschner as the hole saw is essentially a hand held tool. A press can easily drill the holes and no plugs to deal with. We made a jig at work to hold full size doors for cylinder holes, works great.