I’m building a new front door on my house.  Is it proper to mortise for the lockset first, before beveling?  It seems easier to do it this way, instead of routing a mortise from an edge that isn’t perpendicular to the mortise.  It would seem easier to set the mortise for the lockset’s flange a little deep, so that beveling later will bring the leading edge back to flush with the lockset flange again.

I practiced beveling first and then mortising on a test piece, and it was rough work getting the mortise straight (ended up drilling/chiseling) and then also getting the flange mortise perpendicular to the mortise on a beveled edge.  I’m suspecting I should mortise first, then bevel.

Am I on the right track here?

Thanks,

Rob