How to fix misaligned side gate lock?

[Booki]

Our side gate has a padbolt style lock - it has gotten rusty and miss aligned, its not off by much but I don't think I can drill another hole without effecting the current one.

Is there a filler I can use to patch the existing holes which are in a timber post and then have it strong enough to redrill into?

Or is there a better way to align the padbolt with the latch without having to redrill, or a better style lock ?

Similar to my setup but the part that is locked onto the post (the keeper) is not in the correct position and the padbolt gets stuck and is very difficult to take in and out.

[JacobZ]

Hi @Booki,

Luckily, that's a relatively easy one to fix if you don't want to replace it. 

You can simply fill the hole with some builder's bog, allow it to dry, then redrill a pilot hole and reinstall the screws. To give it a bit more protection, after drilling your pilot hole, give it a quick coat of exterior paint to prevent water from soaking into the bog.

If there is room, you could also move both the pad bolt and the latch up or down. As long as the screw holes are moved by about 5-10mm so the screw doesn't line up with the existing holes, then you shouldn't have any trouble screwing them back in.

Let me know what you think and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob