restoring mortice in door

[josevesanico]

Hello!

I guess this post could have gone to 'windows & co', but it seemed more of a carpentry question, therefore..

I've got an interior door, still in very good shape, where I need to place a new door handle. The problem is, at some point in the past the first mortice lock with 60mm backplate was replaced by a 50mm one, for which the pin opening was enlarged...

The result is that I can't fasten the plate/escutcheon, since one of the two screws has nothing to hold on to. I looked at different diametres, even rotated the place 90deg, but that door held at least two other different plates, with respective 6 holes. This is also the reason I'm changing the handle - the current one had been screwed to the door through the plate and was not attached to the through-pin, meaning four little screws were taking all the load, up until the point the wood gave way..

I also thought about through-bolts, which would be great at the standard centre size. Unfortunately, I can't find any compatible, perforated lock - the mortice is already too large!

So it seems that a last resource would be to correct the overgrown hole; the plates and their screws are not overly loaded anyway, it's the handles that should take most of the stress. At the same time, there's not a lot of space to add the material which should hold one plate screw. I Imagined I could cut a piece of wood to fit behind the lock (the mortice is deep enough) and that would hold a thinner piece of wood or plastic that actually provides the support.

Did anyone go through such a repair, or has ideas on whether it would work?

Regards,
Jose

 

[pinenot]

By fitting & gluing slips of wood to the top and bottom of the lock pocket/mortice, although they will present end grain not long grain, for the screws it does work...pinenot

 

[JohnD]

I don't know what NL locks and latches are like. I would have no trouble finding a bolt-through lock or latch. Or using a tubular latch. In either case with sleeve nuts.

Post some pics please.

You could probably whittle a block of wood to a near fit and press it into the hole with a gap-filling adhesive such as No More Nails.

 

[josevesanico]

Hi, thanks for the answers!

Indeed, I see that my location is indicated as NL.. well, probably not by chance, but it happens that backplate sizes in the Netherlands - at least for this kind of centered latch - are similar to those in the UK. Unfortunately, the front plate, where the screws that hold the lock go, for locks being sold in the UK, would be much too small.

I've attached a sketch of the mortice on the door. View media item 78198
And the current lock is this one (already slightly smaller than the original, judging by the fit in the mortice)
View media item 78200
This was the closest I found in the UK - with perforations. There's nothing similar around here. This is a SDS 76mm latch, and there's similar stuff from other brands.
View media item 78199
I suppose a real picture of the through-pin hole would help clarify the situation, but I don't have one around.. Anyway, ideally I'd fit some material right there where the rim of the original 60mm hole is, but the latch is right behind it, so any additions would have to 'float' a bit.

Jose

 

[JohnD]

try a tubular latch. Lots of space for screws.

http://www.screwfix.com/c/ironmongery-security/tubular-latches/cat840414

 

[josevesanico]

Well, a tubular latch does afford space for screws.. if I want to use the mortice to keep an entire box of them

Using a different latch only solves the problem if the said latch is perforated and fits in the existing mortice, since this would let me use a through bolt and have the set solidly mounted. The tubular latch can't be used unless the entire mortice is rebuilt, i.e. filled up, I'm afraid.

I'll give it a try with some pieces of wood. Perhaps this would be a good job for a 3D printer...

Thanks for the inputs, though!

Regards,
Jose