Patio door doge door insert

This is a forum for intermediate to advanced woodworkers. Show off your projects or share your ideas.

Moderators: HopefulSSer, admin

User avatar
STB
Gold Member
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Boulder City NV/Keno OR

Patio door doge door insert

Post by STB »

Below are pictures of the new doge door should save me dealing with lettering the dog out. After I installed the insert and proudly showed my wife her first question was "How do we lock the patio door". I hate to admit it but she was r---t there is no way to lock it. Suggestions would be helpful.
Doggy door.jpg
Doggy door.jpg (169.25 KiB) Viewed 4749 times
Doggy door installed.jpg
Doggy door installed.jpg (129.44 KiB) Viewed 4749 times
Glenn
I create problem solving challenges and opportunities for design modification, not mistakes.

SS 520 born 04/16/03, Power Station mounted Band saw , Scroll saw, Jointer, Belt sander, Overarm router, dedicated Mark V drill press, SS Maxi-clamp system, Shopsmith woodworking bench
User avatar
BuckeyeDennis
Platinum Member
Posts: 3683
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:03 pm
Location: Central Ohio

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by BuckeyeDennis »

When I was a boy, mother never trusted the lock on our sliding patio door. So she devised her own locking system. It couldn’t be simpler. Just size a small board to fit inside the bottom door track, cut it to length, and place it in the track such that it prevents the operating door from opening (i.e. just inside of the fixed door panel, between the operating door and the door frame).

It was a bit of a pain to bend over and remove the board when we wanted to go out on the deck, though. To solve that problem, perhaps you could hinge the board and add a lifting cord to it.

The other obvious downside: You can’t unlock the door from the outside.
User avatar
Ed in Tampa
Platinum Member
Posts: 5826
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by Ed in Tampa »

Drill a small hole through the sliding door's top rail and with the door in closed position continue the hole into the other panel. Then to lock the door get a pin the exact size of the holes attach it to the door with a retainer that allows you enough space to insert the pin in the holes. When you want to lock the door slide the pin into the holes ( is locked). To open pull pin and let it hang on the door until needed to lock it again.

Drill the holes fairly high in the rails as most doors have the glass in the rail about 1/2 or so.

My doors are aluminum and I drilled into the frame then into the door rails. This prevents a burglar from lifting the door swinging out the bottom and opening a 8 foot wide hole to come and go.😱
RFGuy
Platinum Member
Posts: 2740
Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2018 8:05 am
Location: a suburb of PHX, AZ

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by RFGuy »

How secure do you want it? They make metal blocks that fit over the sliding door rail with a thumbscrew that you tighten to hold it in place. These won't defeat a motivated burglar but will stop many of them from going farther. These are relatively easy to take on/off from the inside, but of course you have no entry from outside with them. Should be able to find these at just about any retailer (Wally World, etc.). Another really hard way to defeat a sliding door is to put a length of stout dowel rod there in the track behind the sliding door. Same idea that Dennis mentioned but with a dowel instead...just has to be cut to length.
📶RF Guy

Mark V 520 (Bought New '98) | 4" jointer | 6" beltsander | 12" planer | bandsaw | router table | speed reducer | univ. tool rest
Porter Cable 12" Compound Miter Saw | Rikon 8" Low Speed Bench Grinder w/CBN wheels | Jessem Clear-Cut TS™ Stock Guides
Festool (Emerald): DF 500 Q | RO 150 FEQ | OF 1400 EQ | TS 55 REQ | CT 26 E
DC3300 | Shopvac w/ClearVue CV06 Mini Cyclone | JDS AirTech 2000 | Sundstrom PAPR | Dylos DC1100 Pro particulate monitor
thunderbirdbat
Platinum Member
Posts: 786
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:23 am
Location: Marion, Iowa

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by thunderbirdbat »

They make replacement sliding door latch systems that you could install on the insert. This is the way commercial ones are set up. They also want you to pin the insert in place by drilling a hole in the top of the door frame and insert a metal pin through the frame into the insert frame. Had a store bought insert years ago.
Brenda

1998 510 upgraded to a 520, upgraded to power pro with double tilt and lift assist.
1998 bandsaw
2016 beltsander
jointer
overarm pin router
User avatar
Ed in Tampa
Platinum Member
Posts: 5826
Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:45 am
Location: North Tampa Bay area Florida

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by Ed in Tampa »

Most sliding doors have some slop in the vertical. A burglar just lifts the bottom of door so it clears the track and opens it right up. To stop break ins you need to prevent the door from moving both horizontally and vertically. The easiest way to prevent both horizontal and vertical movement is to pin the door to the frame.
BobCoates1953
Gold Member
Posts: 95
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 12:08 pm
Location: Norristown, Pa

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by BobCoates1953 »

BuckeyeDennis wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 7:41 am When I was a boy, mother never trusted the lock on our sliding patio door. So she devised her own locking system. It couldn’t be simpler. Just size a small board to fit inside the bottom door track, cut it to length, and place it in the track such that it prevents the operating door from opening (i.e. just inside of the fixed door panel, between the operating door and the door frame).

It was a bit of a pain to bend over and remove the board when we wanted to go out on the deck, though. To solve that problem, perhaps you could hinge the board and add a lifting cord to it.

The other obvious downside: You can’t unlock the door from the outside.
Have done this on double wide doors.
Bob
User avatar
STB
Gold Member
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Boulder City NV/Keno OR

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by STB »

Thank everybody for the excellent suggestions.
Glenn
I create problem solving challenges and opportunities for design modification, not mistakes.

SS 520 born 04/16/03, Power Station mounted Band saw , Scroll saw, Jointer, Belt sander, Overarm router, dedicated Mark V drill press, SS Maxi-clamp system, Shopsmith woodworking bench
User avatar
STB
Gold Member
Posts: 270
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 12:26 pm
Location: Boulder City NV/Keno OR

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by STB »

Ed in Tampa wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:51 pm Most sliding doors have some slop in the vertical. A burglar just lifts the bottom of door so it clears the track and opens it right up. To stop break ins you need to prevent the door from moving both horizontally and vertically. The easiest way to prevent both horizontal and vertical movement is to pin the door to the frame.
Excellent solution, I just happen to have two 1/4 pins with knobs in my you never know collection.

(PS) I am not a hoarder I just have an eclectic collection of you never know things.
Glenn
I create problem solving challenges and opportunities for design modification, not mistakes.

SS 520 born 04/16/03, Power Station mounted Band saw , Scroll saw, Jointer, Belt sander, Overarm router, dedicated Mark V drill press, SS Maxi-clamp system, Shopsmith woodworking bench
Sadig
Bronze Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2022 1:35 pm

Re: Patio door doge door insert

Post by Sadig »

Thanks for the answers in the thread; it’s really useful. I want to make something like this for my patio. I have already installed the interior doors from https://doordesignlab.com/interior-doors.html inside the house. And I want something special on the outside. Thanks for the advice about securing the door. I will try them. The one about a board between the door and the door panel is particularly interesting because it does not involve drilling or cutting.
Last edited by Sadig on Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Post Reply