First, let’s take a look at the contents of your standard push button release kit, shall we? These are the standard contents, along with brief descriptions of which is which:
1. Safe (2″ x 6″ metal box)
2. Push Rod (11″ long round rod, usually gold plated)
3. Impact Pin (2″ long x 5/8″ dia round pin, usually silver plated, may be inside cardboard strip)
4. Cardboard slip (4″ long round cardboard)
5. Flange (1 1/2″ diameter aluminum cover)
6. Button (3/4″ diameter aluminum button)
7. Mounting screws (usually 4 small screws in a small plastic bag)
8. Plastic Shield (2 1/2″ diameter plastic cover)
Non-supplied tools and parts you will need are:
1 knife
2. pencil
3. 1/2″ long drill bit (should be long enough to go through the wall of your building)
4. Drill
5. 1/4″-3/8″ screws for lockbox holes, washers if necessary.
6. Drill for those screws
7. Hammer
8. Rule
9. Heavy-duty bolt cutters or a grinder, which can cut 1/4″ metal rod.
Let’s go for it!
1. Attach the Strike Pin to your window guard
The Strike Pin (3) should be permanently mounted on or near the outer metal frame of the window guard -hereinafter referred to as WG- on the “door” side of the WG opposite the hinge, near the middle (the same place where a handle is on a door). It should extend out from the WG towards the wall, so that it then slides into the lock box tip forward when closed.
IMPORTANT: The Strike Pin should point as straight as possible, ie not point slightly up, down, left or right. The smoother it is, the smoother its subsequent operation will be.
The back of the Strike Pin has threads for a 1/4″ stud, so a common way to attach the Strike Pin to your WG is to first fit a 1/4″ stud, then screw the Strike Pin into it. Still, you don’t want people to be able to just unscrew the bolt from the outside, so it’s important that you permanently affix it to the WG. Most often this is done by tack welding the attached Strike Pin into place, but if a welder isn’t handy any way to make the pin unable to rotate will work, such as using one way pins.
2. Mount the window guard
If you aren’t already, it’s time to mount the WG to your window. Attach the lock box (1) to the end of its pin so that it clicks into place. If not, make sure it is unlocked first by pushing the end of the push rod (2) into the smaller hole in the lockbox first. This lock box will be mounted to the exterior wall of your building, so you must install the WG in a position where the lock box can be mounted using the top and bottom screw holes and cannot be pried out ( as when it sits on the edge of a window frame).
The other thing to note here is that there will be a hole drilled about 1/2″ through the wall located in the middle of the safe, and on the inside of the building, a 1 5/ 8″ diameter. mount on the wall around that hole. So when you put the WG in, you’ll want the lockbox to be close to the window opening, but far enough away to allow this 1/2″ hole to be drilled through the wall and hopefully be clear of obstructions on the inside wall (such as inside frame) for a 1 5/8″ diameter around the center of the hole.
3. Mark your hole
With the Strike Pin attached to your WG and the WG attached to your building, the rest is relatively simple!
Now we need to mark where the hole will be drilled through the wall to match up with the small hole on the back of the safe. First, push the push rod (2) into the hole in the lockbox to release it from the impact pin and remove it. Place the cardboard sheet (4) completely on the knock pin and cut the end with a utility knife so that the cardboard just protrudes from the knock pin. Close the WG door slowly until the cardboard circle touches the wall, then use a pencil to draw a circle where it lands.
4. Drill
Technically, a 3/8″ bit will be big enough to fit the pushrod, but I recommend a 1/2″ bit, which leaves more room for error and covers up nicely. Using the circle you just marked, drill a hole straight through the wall of your building until you break through the other side.
At this point, put the lockbox back on the WG and keep it locked. Someone on the inside should be able to look through the newly drilled hole and see the WHOLE little hole in the safe. If it is partially covered, drill the hole until there is a clear path to it.
5. Mount the safe
If it’s not already, put the lockbox back in the WG and keep it locked. Mark the top and bottom holes for the lockbox with your trusty pencil, then open the WG and drill with the bit (NOT the huge one!) to match the screws you’ll be using to mount the lockbox, which Don’t come with the kit. These screws should be between 1/4″ and 3/8″, and should be between 2″ and 3″ long.
With the 2 holes drilled above and below the LARGE one, remove the lock box from the WG (you know how to do that right?), place it on the wall and mount it with your screws. Screw them in until they are snug, but don’t fully tighten them yet.
6. Line up the safe
Slowly close the WG towards its assembled Lock Box, being careful NOT to lock it in place. What’s that? You say the Strike Pin is not aligned? Take a pill for the cold, I’m coming.
With your hammer, hit the safe just enough to move it in the direction it should go. If it doesn’t fit the budget, you screwed it in too far and you’ll have to loosen it. When it’s lined up correctly, you can lock it into place to make sure it works. It can of course be unlocked by pushing the pushrod (2) through the hole in the wall until it releases. Note that you may need to “fish” around the smaller hole in the lockbox to push it all the way in.
When everything is aligned, fully tighten the lockbox screws. If everything is lined up correctly, the pushrod should easily open the WG and the WG should easily lock into place. Even after tightening the screws, you may still be able to use the hammer for any final adjustments.
7. Cut the pushrod
All right, now inside the building! Close the WG until it locks, then insert the pushrod (2) THREADS FIRST all the way into the hole, and then all the way into the lockbox hole (which you will probably have to “fish”) until it clicks. can’t get in anymore, WITHOUT unlocking it.
IMPORTANT: You MUST make sure the pushrod is all the way into the lockbox, but sometimes it’s hard to tell. To be sure, try unlocking and relocking the WG a few times, so you know the pushrod is at the end.
Once the pushrod is as far in as it will go, mark the pushrod with a pencil or marker 5/8″ past the face of the interior wall. That is, we want to cut the pushrod so that it just 5/8″ of it extends outside of your wall.
Once you have your mark, use a pair of bolt cutters or a grinder to cut the push rod to your mark. If you inserted it correctly, the excess you are cutting should NOT be the threaded end.
8. Install the button
Flip the pushrod over so the threads are facing you again and screw the button (6) into the end. Then insert the pushrod back into the wall and into the hole in the lockbox as before. If it doesn’t extend far enough, you probably cut the pushrod too far and will need to try again with another. Place the Flange (5) around the Button and push the Flange (not the Button) fully against the wall, as if it were screwed. If the WG unlocks, the pushrod is a little too long and you’ll need to cut it a bit more. If not, a simple push of the Button should do the trick!
Simply screw the flange to the wall with the screws (7) provided, and you’re done!
Optionally, the Plastic Shield (8) can be installed over the Button and Flange using the other 2 screws provided.
And that’s it!