First, let’s examine the contents of your standard push button release kit, shall we? Here are the standard contents, along with brief descriptions of which is which:
1. Security box (2″ x 6″ metal box)
2. Pushrod (11″ long round rod, usually gold)
3. Impact pin (2″ long x 5/8″ diameter round pin, usually silver, 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)
The tools and non-supplied 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 needed.
6. Drill bit for those screws
7. Hammer
8. Rule
9. Heavy-duty bolt cutters or a grinder, which can cut through 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 – hereafter referred to as WG – on the “door” side of the WG opposite the hinge, near the middle (the same place where a latch is found on a door). It should extend out from the WG towards the wall so that it then slides into the lockbox with the point forward when closed.
IMPORTANT: The Strike Pin must point as straight as possible, ie not slightly up, down, left or right. The smoother it is, the smoother it will run afterward.
The back of the Strike Pin has threads for a 1/4″ bolt, so a common way to attach the Strike Pin to your WG is to first attach a 1/4″ bolt, 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 attach it to the WG. Most of the time, this is done by tack welding the attached Strike Pin in 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 it isn’t already, it’s time to mount the WG on your window. Attach the lock box (1) to the end of its latch so it snaps 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 lock box first. This safe will be mounted on the outside wall of your building, so you should install the WG in a position where the safe can be mounted using the top and bottom screw holes and cannot be pryed 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 free of obstructions on the inside wall (such as inside frame) for a diameter of 1 5/8″ 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 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 strike pin and remove it. Place the sheet of cardboard (4) completely on the impact pin and cut the end with a knife so that the cardboard just protrudes from the impact 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 push rod in, but I recommend a 1/2″ bit, which leaves more room for error and covers 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, place the lockbox back on the WG and keep it closed. Someone on the inside should be able to look through the newly drilled hole and see ALL of the small 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 isn’t already, put the lockbox back on the WG and keep it closed. Mark the top and bottom holes for the lockbox with your trusty pencil, then open up the WG and drill with the bit (NOT the huge one!) that matches the screws you’re going to use to mount the lockbox, which Do not 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 it right?), place it on the wall and mount it with your screws. Screw them in until they’re snug, but don’t fully tighten them yet.
6. Align the safe
Slowly close the WG towards its mounted Lock Box, being careful NOT to lock it in place. What’s that? Are you saying that the Strike Pin is not aligned? Take a cold pill, I’m coming.
With your hammer, hit the safe enough to move it in the direction it needs to 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 in place to make sure it works. It can of course be unlocked by inserting the push rod (2) through the hole in the wall until it comes loose. Note that you may need to “fish” around the smaller hole in the lockbox to push it all the way down.
When everything is lined up, 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 the bolts are tightened, you may be able to use the hammer for final adjustments.
7. Cut the push rod
All right, now inside the building! Close the WG until it is locked, 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 can not enter more, WITHOUT unlocking it.
IMPORTANT: You MUST make sure the pushrod is fully inside the lockbox, although 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 push rod is as far in as it will go, mark it with a pencil or marker 5/8″ past the face of the inside wall. That is, we want to cut the push rod so there are only 5 /8″ of it extends out of your wall.
Once you have your mark, use a pair of bolt cutters or a grinder to cut the pushrod to your mark. If you inserted it correctly, the excess you are cutting off 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 push rod back into the wall and into the lock box hole as before. If it doesn’t extend far enough, you probably cut the pushrod too short and will have to try another one. Place the Strap (5) around the Button and push the Strap (not the Button) completely against the wall, as if it were screwed on. If the WG unlocks, the push rod is a bit too long and you will need to cut it a bit more. If not, a simple Button press should suffice!
Simply screw the flange to the wall with the screws (7) provided, and you’re good to go!
Optionally, the Plastic Shield (8) can be installed over the Button and Flange using the other 2 screws provided.
And that’s it!
