Often a purchased lock with a conventional installation method is not reliable, so many car owners try to make an original model of a homemade garage lock with their own hands.
This is an easy way to ensure a restful sleep, because the garage and the property inside it will be protected from intruders. This article will tell you how to make a locking mechanism yourself and what you need for this.
The issue of protecting a garage building from intruders is always acute, and especially for those people who drive a brand new car of a prestigious brand. Fraudsters are trying to get their hands on just such cars in order to resell them. A homemade lock with a secret will help to secure your motorhome from unauthorized entry.
Such products have a simple design; a special key will help you open them. Finding a master key to open a homemade locking mechanism is extremely difficult, because it is created according to an individual sketch. It is this quality that is the most important advantage of such mechanisms.
Installation of homemade garage locks, made by yourself, is carried out from inside the building. For this reason, the locking mechanism is completely invisible to the eye of an outsider. Under such conditions, even an avid burglar may hesitate or even change his mind about getting inside the building, because this will require a lot of effort and time from him.
The process of making homemade locks for a garage with your own hands is worth starting if you have high-quality materials at hand and have access to hardening steel, a lathe, and a milling machine. Then it’s worth designing a truly durable, reliable screw lock.
If you have a certain kind of skill, you can even create an electric lock. But if such skills are not enough, you can go another way. It is worth remaking the finished product by modernizing it in a certain way.
Modification of purchased locks
If you don’t have the latest material or a lathe at hand, you can try to modify a ready-made locking mechanism with your own hands for the garage.
But before you start work, it’s worth understanding what types of such units exist. Let's consider the classification of products according to installation specifics, presented in the table.
| View | Advantages | How to hack |
| Mounted | Affordable. | They are not considered overly reliable, because such a lock can be removed using a regular hacksaw. It simply cuts off the loops of the unit, which is not accompanied by noise. Units of this type can be knocked down with a sledgehammer, even with a very cunning design. |
| Invoices | They have higher reliability. | To get inside the house, you can open the lock with a master key, cut the bolt with a jigsaw in a few minutes, or simply knock down the doors. |
| Mortise | They are characterized by the highest level of reliability, since after installation they become a single part of the door leaf. | The units can be opened with a master key or their bolt can be cut off with a special tool. |
Padlock for garage doors.
We will describe ways to refine each type:
- Mounted. It is optimal to supplement a gate with such a locking mechanism with another lock, made independently. A hidden electric lock will do. You can upgrade a conventional single-pin attachment by adding another pin with a custom slot arrangement.
- Invoices. To prevent the risk of hacking, it is worth adding an electrical circuit and a servo mechanism to the unit. The mechanism will only work if the key is turned inside the lock or it will open using the key fob. The system will be similar to a car alarm.
- Mortise. You can modify the cylinder of such a lock so that the key is unique. Then it will be difficult to find a master key for hacking. Another way to upgrade a mortise lock is to lengthen its deadbolt.
On a note! When remodeling, it is important to take into account the characteristics of a particular type, so as not to break it, but to strengthen the protective qualities of the locking mechanism.
At first glance, locks created by the hands of craftsmen are sure to be of high quality. But many of them are too simple and defenseless against hackers. For example, a rack and pinion locking mechanism with a “secret” key is not really a quality product.
The highlight of the mechanism is the rotating bar on the key, the length of which is “kept secret.” Yes, the burglar does not know the length of this part, but he will be able to make a cardboard analogue of it, which he will then trim until the unit begins to crumple it. The next time the thief arrives, he will open the garage and take everything valuable from it.
Case Study
Many car owners do not understand how to make a good locking mechanism with their own hands from a finished product of low reliability. Let's describe a practical example of car protection for little money. It is suitable for a motorhome that is located close to the cottage and opens from the house.
Garage doors must only be locked from the inside. Build them one of these homemade garage security locks. The power of the bolt should be veiled so that a stranger, when looking at the open door, does not understand which element is holding the gate. From the side of the water gate, it will be possible to enter the motorhome only by ramming it with a truck.
A separate door inside the house through which the car owner enters the motorhome is equipped with an internal and conventional lock. The internal one is a solenoid-type electric lock with the ability to control it from home. If the doors close with a regular lock, the solenoid lock will also close.
Homemade lock device.
Hacking a regular unit with a master key will prevent thieves from getting inside the motorhome. Before leaving the cottage, residents will open the electric lock by applying power to it, and thus unlock the gate, after which they will open a regular lock.
Electric locks on the garage should be installed so that it attracts attention to itself as little as possible. The solenoid unit is often supplied with a voltage of 24 V, a current of several amperes when activated, and an even smaller current to hold it in the open position.
It is possible to equip the electric lock with a latch with an electromagnetic control method. Or prefer an electromagnetic model with a beveled bolt, which locks the gate when closing.
To prevent a homemade garage lock with a falling bolt and key from freezing in winter, its body is heated. Wrap the unit in fiberglass, wrap it with nichrome wire, 0.3-0.5 mm thick. Select the length of the wire so that the heating of the solenoid at room temperature reaches 70 degrees.
The voltage source will be the same as for powering the solenoids. Next, cover the nichrome wire with a layer of fiberglass or a tin casing. Nichrome and copper wires are connected by welding and carefully brought out.
On winter days, it is enough to preheat a few minutes before the gate opens for the units to work flawlessly. As a result, you will get a tricky lock, which will not be easy to eliminate.
Bottom line
Making a garage lock with your own hands will provide reliable guarantees that an attacker will bypass the motorhome. Such garage doors are much more difficult to crack, since the homemade product is unique in its parameters.
Today we will talk about how to choose and install locks on garage doors correctly. We will also tell you about making different types of garage locks with your own hands.
The main types of garage locks and their independent production
Currently, you can purchase a variety of types of garage door locks in specialized stores and building materials markets. Naturally, each of them has its own real advantages, disadvantages and features.
The rack type lock is rightfully considered a classic traditional option for garage protection. However, it must be admitted that by now such locks are partially outdated. In order to open a garage gate equipped with such a lock, you just need to get the key into the hole and forcefully push the door inward.
Locks of this class have few advantages. We can safely talk only about their durability and reliability. At the same time, the operation of a rack lock is associated with certain inconveniences; in addition, breaking such a structure is quite simple. 
Another traditional option, which has been used by owners of various types of buildings for many centuries. To install a padlock, special hinges are welded to the door. Constipations of this type can be called quite reliable, in addition, they are very easy to use.
The main disadvantage of this option is obvious. The locking mechanism is located outside, for this reason a thief can cut it down or knock it down without any problems. In this regard, we cannot talk here about the high level of security of the garage premises. On the other hand, many specialized companies now offer models of padlocks made of high-strength alloys, which are much more difficult to break than “their predecessors.” 
Such devices usually cut directly into the surface of the garage door. The process of installing them is quite labor-intensive. Like the types of locks described above, this design cannot provide a truly high level of protection against burglary. 
Security mechanisms of this category are mounted on the inside of garage doors and are closed using bolts. Let's talk briefly about the two most popular types of rim locks, namely:
- about cylinder mechanisms, which are almost impossible to open with a master key, since they have code protection. However, there are often cases when such locks were simply cut down;
- about lever locking mechanisms, which are considered the safest mechanical type locks. Such devices are characterized by: high strength, large dimensions and a complex key combination.
In addition, the lever lock can be equipped with protective armor plates. Well, let's move on to locking devices that you can make yourself from simple and affordable sources. 
About the "spinner"
Rotary locks are usually used when installing garages with double-leaf gates. The real advantages of this option are ease of use and high level of strength.
To manufacture and install the turntable, we will need wooden beams (50 millimeters thick) and metal strips.
The principle of operation of such constipation is elementary. A crossbar is placed in the middle, which is secured with a through bolt. The crossbar moves along the wedge-shaped bars. When the doors close, they rest against the door block, coming together almost closely. An additional deadbolt is not necessary in this context.
The rotary lock is located entirely on the inside of the garage door, making it almost impossible to break into the security mechanism. From the inside, the constipation opens with a slight push of the hand or foot. 
To install standard bolts you do not have to spend a lot of time and effort. In principle, the option with an espagnolette bolt is considered quite reliable and practical, but with one caveat. With this approach, the fit of the gates to each other is not as tight as possible (a small gap remains).
Espagnols are rods with stops made of metal. Such a rod moves inside a structure designed specifically for it. This type of lock is easy to make yourself.
One of the most popular options for a lock with a latch is presented in the form of a simple bolt - a metal bolt moving towards a loop welded to the surface of the door (the loops are welded from the edges of the doors). In addition, an element similar to a tongue should be installed on one of the edges. This part should fit into one of the loops with maximum density. To make the mechanism reliable, you should take care of the stopper. 
About constipation with a falling key
The next category of locks used in garages are locks with falling keys. Designs of this type have a common feature - transverse pins are installed inside the drums of the devices, which seriously complicate the work of attackers when trying to break into them.
There is currently no industrial production of such locks, but a mechanism with a falling key can be freely purchased from numerous artisans working at home. If you have certain skills, the mechanism can be made with your own hands.
How to make a lock with a falling key? First of all, we remove the locking unit from a conventional lock. Then we squeeze out the drum and drill a hole in it for the rod, at an angle of 90 degrees to the path along which the inserted key will move (we recommend choosing a drill with a diameter of 1.5-2 millimeters).
Now we place a steel or brass pin into the drilled channel. Make sure that the rod fits tightly into the hole. The ends of the pin that stick out should be cut off.
After carrying out these procedures, only a key with a unique (original) longitudinal slot can penetrate inside the lock drum. Such a constipation is difficult to open using standard methods - using wire picks or bunches of various keys. 
If you decide to make a lock of this category with your own hands, remember that drums are quite fragile devices. In this regard, an accidental strong hit on the drum body (instead of the rod) can lead to breakage of the structure.
It is best to drill a hole for the pin while the key is inside the drum - then making the required type of slot will become a very simple procedure.
Homemade garage locks have a simple design and are opened with a special key. They are installed from inside the garage, which makes the devices invisible.
Such locks are made according to individual sketches of the garage owner, for which it is quite difficult to select a master key, which can be done for standard models of locks purchased in stores or markets. What types of homemade garage locks there are are discussed in this article.
Types and features of homemade garage locks
The garage is designed to protect the vehicle from the harmful effects of external factors and to protect it from theft. No garage can give a complete guarantee of car safety, but its safety largely depends on the strength and reliability of the garage door lock.
Homemade garage locks, like most devices, can be of several types.
They can be:
- Mounted.
- Mortise
- Rack and pinion (see).
- Invoices.
- Mixed devices.
One of the main criteria that distinguishes these devices is the method of their manufacture.
They can be:
- Factory products.
- Homemade locks for the garage.
Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Often the choice of product is determined by its price. If you want to purchase a reliable and high-quality factory device, you will need to pay quite a lot of money.
This is due to the fact that the lock will not be a simple factory stamping, but a mechanism assembled by hand by a professional. There are a number of points that distinguish factory products from handicrafts.
The main ones are: low quality and lack of reliability of many factory designs. In any case, you will have to pay a fairly large amount for good devices.
When making a lock, due to the desire to save money, you can lose in its quality, which can affect the safety of the car.
Advice: The installation of the structure should be approached very responsibly. You need to remember the basic rule: the lock that is not visible protects better.
The principle of operation of locks depending on their type
- Homemade garage padlock.
This is the most common type of product. The entire mechanism of such a device is located in a suspended housing.
Locking is done using an arc or pin, which is inserted inside. For the structure to work, on the locked doors it is necessary to install special eyes into which an arc is inserted, with the help of which the locking occurs.
This type of technical device has one negative quality, which casts doubt on its positive properties - it can be opened relatively easily. Such locks are hung from the outside, so attackers have access to it, and with the help of a master key it can be opened or simply knocked down.
Advice: This type of lock should only be used as an additional security measure when combining the use of several locking device options.
- Homemade rack and pinion garage lock.
This is a fairly popular option for making locks. It is installed from the inside, and the locking process is carried out by several sliding rods.
The lock is opened with a special individual key, which is inserted into the hole and, when turned, pulls out the bolts. This type of device design is somewhat more reliable, but it can be hacked by sawing the locking elements or picking up the key.
- Mortise lock.
It is quite difficult to install, and the reliability of the device is relatively low. This design can only be used as an additional measure of protection.
Easier to make yourself are locks for other types of garages.
These include:
- Homemade garage lock– a spinner, its general appearance is shown in the photo.
This is the name of a lockable system that works on the principle of a deadbolt. The lock version has a fairly simple design; you can easily make it yourself.
This device works according to this principle:
- from the inside, special eyelets are installed on the two garage door leaves, which can be metal or made of wooden beams;
- in the center of the gate, a pinwheel bolt is mounted on a through bolt, driven by turning relative to the center;
- The ends of the turntable should fit into the eyes, and thus securely lock the doors from the inside.
In this case, there are no lock elements on the outside. This is the most reliable lock for a garage; breaking the gate becomes almost impossible.
- Espagnolette.
This is the simplest, most reliable and effective homemade option for locking garage doors, which allows it to be used in most cases. An espagnolette is a metal pin that moves inside the eyes.
It is usually mounted on the inside of garage doors. This device operates on the principle of a valve.
- Locks installed for swing gates.
This locking device is a type of latch, with the difference that the latch most often moves in a horizontal direction and is used with a single-leaf gate design. For swing gates, the locks consist of metal rods that move vertically inside special eyes installed on the gates.
To carry out the locking, a pair of holes about half a meter deep are made in the ground under the rods.
Tip: The strength and reliability of the structure should be increased by installing metal tubes of suitable diameter in these holes, which are then concreted.
This type of lock has a main drawback - it is locked from the inside, which requires the installation of an additional door. They can be used if the garage is built into the building of the house or in the courtyard of the estate.
How to make a simple garage lock
Instructions for making a simple rim lock with a latch, which is driven by a special individual homemade key, consists of the following:
- Making the base of the castle. This is a metal plate approximately three millimeters thick, with a diameter of 10 millimeters.
- Two linings are cut from the same metal:
- width - 22 millimeters;
- length – 120 millimeters.
- The overlays are bent in a vice according to the sketches.
- The valve is being manufactured.
- A guide tube with an outer diameter of approximately 10 millimeters for the lock key is being prepared. Its length depends on the thickness of the gate. One end of the tube is cut at an angle of 60 degrees, as shown in Figure 4.
- Assembly of the structure begins with welding the linings to the edges of the base
Tip: If parts are deformed after welding, they must be straightened. Minor distortions will be eliminated when installing the lock on the gate.
- Four holes are drilled in the corners of the plate to secure the lock to the door.
- The guide tube is inserted into the plate hole with a diameter of 10 millimeters, the bevel is inserted into the pads.
- The tube is carefully welded to the base, while maintaining mutual perpendicularity.
- The valve is inserted into the linings, in the middle between them.
- Two screws with a diameter of M4 and a length of about eight millimeters are screwed into the valve. These screws are valve travel limiters; it is advisable to place spring washers under their heads.
The key is selected from a circle with a diameter of 8 millimeters, its length is 150 millimeters.
- One end of it, approximately 25 millimeters long, is bent at an angle of 90 degrees.
- On the other side, a cut is formed at an angle of 60 degrees.
- A hole is drilled in the cut area.
- The beard is made according to Figure 7.
- The key is assembled according to Figure 8.
The secrecy of the lock is ensured by drilling key holes in the bolt below or above, the interval can be one millimeter, which will provide the lock with a large number of “secrecy” options. For these purposes, you can change size 12 according to Figure 5 within acceptable limits.
How to make a garage lock with your own hands is shown in more detail in the video. A high-quality lock in the garage is a guarantee of car security.
Choosing a reliable and durable garage lock is not so easy. Store-bought models are often Chinese and they quickly break down. It will also not be difficult for a professional thief to open them. More reliable protection for your car and the contents of your garage can be ensured with the help of a home-made lock. The design is simple, but opening such a lock is very difficult.
It is better to install a homemade lock from inside the garage so that it is not visible to intruders. You can make a lock yourself if you have the ability to process parts on lathes and milling machines. The parts and metal must also be of very good quality.
Materials for homemade constipation will be:
- A piece of construction corner 75x75 mm with a thickness of 0.5 cm (12 cm is enough length);
- 2 strips 0.5 cm thick and 3 cm wide;
- A metal rod 8 mm in diameter that will serve as a key.
Manufacturing process
First you need to cut the workpieces. The larva is made of two plates to make it as rigid as possible. Slots are made in two side plates for the larva. They are then welded to the main plate.
The lock will be overhead, so mounting holes are also drilled in the main plate. The final stage of work is welding the limiters to the cylinder and making a key with a hook.
Modification of finished locks
If it is not possible to weld a new lock, then you can modify ready-made locks. Since they differ in type, each will have its own modifications:
- Padlock – it is better to complement a gate with a padlock with a self-assembled mechanism. This can be a hidden electric lock or an improved padlock with another additional pin. An individual arrangement of grooves is made in the additional pin.
- Rim lock - to reduce the risk of burglary, the design of the rim lock is supplemented with an electrical circuit and a servo mechanism. Such a mechanism should only operate when the key is turned in the lock or from a signal from the remote control. It turns out something similar to a car alarm.
- Mortise lock - the cylinder in it is modified to create a unique key. It will be more difficult to find a master key for such a lock. Another way to improve a mortise lock is to lengthen its bolt.
Creating your own secret lock or modifying existing models will make the garage a reliable and impregnable fortress for burglars.
The only real way to secure your apartment or garage from being opened is to use a security lock. At the same time, it is important that the secrets or “cunning trick” be of your own design, and it is better if you make it in a single copy with your own hands. Non-standard thinking helps a lot; swindlers and burglars are people too, and their professionalism quite often is a collection of standard techniques.
What secrets are most effective for protecting your garage?
The basic rule of a secret in a lock is that the design or design of the device should not be easily readable even by indirect signs. The simpler a homemade locking device looks, the less likely it is that an attacker will understand how it works.
Today, among the huge number of various designs of a homemade garage lock, several main groups can be distinguished:
- Alterations of standard industrial structures with the addition of their own secret part. Most often, another turnkey secret is added, with the possibility of mutually blocking the movement of the crossbars. Thus, to open a garage, you need to know the sequence, which key, and in what case it is necessary to open the gate;
- A device with an added electrical circuit and a servo mechanism that is triggered when the key is turned in the garage lock or from the key fob, similar to car security systems;
- Manufacturing and installing a padlock or internal lock of your own design on the garage door, which has a non-standard method of opening, often even without the use of a key.
Important! When making a secret for a lock, please note that opening and closing the garage, even in the presence of strangers, should not reveal the principle and essence of the operation of the cunning secret structure.
Most often, security locks taken from conventional car alarms have this disadvantage. Any car alarm uses standard mechanisms and devices; it is enough to see the key fob or alarm box, wires and mechanisms at least once to understand exactly how the principle of additional secret is implemented. For machines, a way to make the system more stable is to use special ways of programming and changing keys. For a garage, such a method of arranging a secret will be very unreliable, since it can easily be opened by various kinds of anti-scramblers and scanners.
Available security lock schemes
The easiest way is to make a mechanical type of secret for the garage. It could be:
- Key of special design and shape. The fact is that almost all existing standard designs of garage locks are similar, like twin brothers. Standard master keys and tools used to open locks are available for purchase online in a wide range. A non-standard key with a secret for a garage lock will baffle 99% of intruders;
- Special design lock. In some cases, such devices do not require any key at all
- Combine the design of a standard lock, for example, a lever lock with a rotary locking mechanism for a garage door.
The latest version of the secret is highly reliable, simple and effective. If you install a locking system with the secret shown in the diagram, it will simply be impossible to open half of the garage door until the bolts come out of connection with the vertical locks.
The simplest screw lock is a secret for the garage
If you have the opportunity to use a machine, you can simply make a screw lock with a secret, as in the photo. The operating principle of such a screw secret lies in the special configuration of the key head.
More complex designs of a screw lock with two degrees of protection and two keys can significantly enhance security. The principle of operation of such a lock is clearly understood from the video below:
Replicas of old mechanical locks with a secret, as in the photo, are becoming very popular. The main secret of the operation of such a device lies in the unusually complex shape of the key; it is almost impossible to copy and repeat the shape of the working surface without the original, but it is hardly worth using for garage doors.
Padlock with secret
A more modern analogue of the above design is the padlock version of the garage lock shown in the drawing.
The housing design includes two locking sleeves with pins and a locking ring. The removable shackle can only be removed if the rotating pin is positioned correctly. When turned, the groove on the cylindrical part of the pin aligns with the hole in the body, and the end of the bow is either released or blocked. If there is only one pin, choosing its position in the body is not difficult.
Two pins with their own individual arrangement of grooves will make the selection process endlessly long. Moreover, after closing the garage, the pin can be easily turned to an arbitrary position, thereby securing the open state of the lock.
In addition to screw systems, homemade designs with crane-type keys, which are also called falling keys, are of particular interest.
Electrical diagrams of homemade garage locks
The most effective homemade device with a secret is a regular combination lock, made using a thyristor element base, combined with a garage lock, opened with a regular key. The electrical part of the lock is shown in the diagram.
This is the essence of the idea. The garage can only be opened in this order. A code is entered on the dial pad that disables the locking of a conventional lock. If the lock is not opened within 30 seconds, a second circuit with electric shock protection is activated. After 15 minutes, the protection is turned off and the circuit returns to its original state.
Thus, for a person who knows the code, the process of opening a garage is not difficult; for an attacker, even if he stole the key or used a duplicate, there is practically no opportunity to open the garage. The main thing is that there are no conditions for working with a master key or physical hacking systems, drilling, a hammer or a key - a twist.
Conclusion
The use of this type of protection is a completely new know-how in arranging garage locks. Practical application showed ease of use and greater reliability; in addition, the demand even for homemade locks turned out to be very large, so the code system had to be replaced with a key fob.