Enlarging lock mortice

[JohnD]

I have had to fit a couple of new locks, which are a bit wider and deeper than the old ones. I am not very skilled at woodwork, and found it quite hard and slow shaving out the mortices with chisels, and they try to dig in to the grain and go too deep into the sides.

I have one more to do, in a front door that I don't want to damage.

Is there a way of rasping the mortices out to make the holes wider or deeper?

I do not have a router or much other machinery, and don't want to buy anything expensive.

 

[HandyHands]

A sharp wide chisel is the best method for enlarging the mortice, and shouldn't take more than a few minutes - don't forget the faceplate will cover any unevenness on the mortice, so spend more time getting the recess for the faceplate neat.

Try to keep the chisel flat to the mortice sides, and take small shavings.

 

[TicklyT]

...And keep your chisel sharp - a sharp chisel is less likely to slip and damage anything (especially flesh!)

 

[JohnD]

I find it quite difficult to sharpen a chisel by hand

I don't do it often enough to have the manual skill

 

[HandyHands]

Buy a honing guide - helps to maintain a consistant angle when sharpening.