fitting multi point lock in new wooden door

[jim]

Hi Planning to have installed a new external timber (hemlock) door onto a juliet balcony. Door will be mostly glass (double glazed). Fancy a multi-point lock such as :-

better from elsewhere??

Anyone fitted one? any gotchas?

thanks jim

[dom]

Fitted a pair of multipoints on double doors. Rather more time- consuming than conventional locks. A little more effort to get all the hooks and bolts to engage smoothly.

Most of the fitting effort is routing out grooves for the metal strip, and morticing recesses for each hook or bolt mechanism.

If you're making your own door, it's much easier to cut the style to fit the mechanism before assembling the door.

[jim]

which ones did you use and where did you get 'em please?

What sort of dimensions are we talking about here??

With a router or chisel & mallet?

Mmmm yeah - I was imagining clamping some 4X4s or similar each side of the lock stile (on a ready made door) to give the router something wider to run on - do you think that would work out OK?

thanks again

Jim

[dom]

Mine's Lockmaster, though I needed a particular type of master/slave for double doors. Maco mechanisms looked good on some tilt and turn windows I had in my old flat years ago.

I bought them off the web from some company I think in Leeds, can't remember the name.

Just google multipoint locks. Most of these companies specialise in supplying the replacement lock market for upvc doors, so have a huge range of stuff, but limited knowledge of fitting requirements - as they're aiming at drop-in replacements.

Strip rebate was something like 22mm wide and 2mm deep, then a trench inside that of about 20mm wide and 7mm deep to give clearance for the pushrod mechanism.

IIRC the easiest solution was multiple passes over the table saw doing trench cuts - hence having the stile loose before assembling the door.

It's really important to get a accurate fit with no binding, but good stiff support - in order for the mechanism to work smoothly.

In my case, with a morticing machine. I'm converting a chapel and made new oak doors from scratch, so I'm geared up for that sort of thing.

The mortices might be a bit deep for a router, though you can certainly route out part of them neatly, and then get the rest of the depth with an auger bit.

Yes, that sounds a good plan.

Mine had a slave door with top and bottom bolts (operated by an up/ down handle and locked with a thumbturn in eurolock profile), and a master door (rebated over the slave) with bolts top and bottom, 2 rollers and 2 hooks (operated by an up/down handle) and a centre bolt (operated by a eurolock key/key and locking the handle).

Think of the strike plates for each of those items, and that's a lot of bits to fit and get to operate smoothly. The outcome is very elegant double handles on double doors, and good security - but the time input was significant.

If you have the time to take the not insignificant trouble, you'll have a great solution - but fitting conventional locks is a lot less bother.