keys and locks

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  • LCHIEN
    Internet Fact Checker
    • Dec 2002
    • 20914
    • Katy, TX, USA.
    • BT3000 vintage 1999

    keys and locks

    Cleaning up I found a couple of keys in the drawer that hasn't been cleaned in 20 years that look very much like my house key I may have had made at one time.

    So they have the same make, the same blank code and they fit in the keyhole quite well.

    Lining them up with a good key the peaks and valleys look very much identical.
    But neither of the keys will turn in the lock.

    There's one valley I can tell is not quite as deep - the good key it goes all the way down to the fulte on the shaft.
    I filed the found key to match but it still won't turn the lock.

    How close does a key have to be to work? I really can't tell any difference.

    I'm thinking I should just break them and toss them. But my curiousity is rampant.
    Loring in Katy, TX USA
    If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
    BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions
  • LinuxRandal
    Veteran Member
    • Feb 2005
    • 4889
    • Independence, MO, USA.
    • bt3100

    #2
    It has been a LONG time since I worked in a hardware store. I had much better luck, hand cutting keys, then most people seemed to when first using the automated cutting machines.
    That said, a lot of time the issue would be burrs on the keys left from cutting. You could run it on the wheel to smooth it out, so it didn't catch and try it.
    Also, if they were the original keys, when did you stop using them? Keys and locks both wear and by making copies of copies, you do eventually get to a point where the original keys don't fit/work.
    She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.

    Comment

    • vaking
      Veteran Member
      • Apr 2005
      • 1428
      • Montclair, NJ, USA.
      • Ryobi BT3100-1

      #3
      What brand are the keys and locks? Brands like Medeco cannot be copied by hand. Those keys are multi-dimensional, not only peaks and valleys matter but also angles at which different areas are cut. If you have a medeco lock - you need to have a card on which lock combination is programmed. Give this card to a locksmith and he will make a key matching the code.
      Alex V

      Comment

      • Black wallnut
        cycling to health
        • Jan 2003
        • 4715
        • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
        • BT3k 1999

        #4
        The pins are in .023" increments depending on lock. However with technique you may be able to get the key to work, push in all the way and then pull back while turning. It seems that the pins have a bevel of perhaps a mm.
        Donate to my Tour de Cure


        marK in WA and Ryobi Fanatic Association State President ©

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        Comment

        • Daryl
          Senior Member
          • May 2004
          • 831
          • .

          #5
          Maybe you threw the keys in the drawer because they didn't work. Anyway, give them a good wire brushing and then put a drop or two of oil on the key and give them another try, like said above, wiggle them while trying.
          Sometimes the old man passed out and left the am radio on so I got to hear the oldie songs and current event kind of things

          Comment

          • sailor55330
            Established Member
            • Jan 2010
            • 494

            #6
            [QUOTE=Daryl;538394]. Anyway, give them a good wire brushing and then put a drop or two of oil on the key and give them another try,

            NOooooooo!!!! Oil and locks= bad things. There is a dry graphite based lubricate called "lock-ease" that is designed for this. Oil will only attract dirt, which leads to a gummy lock, which leads to keys that don't work and a lock that doesn't work.

            (My dad was a registered locksmith, even though he didn't practice the craft"

            Comment

            • Stytooner
              Roll Tide RIP Lee
              • Dec 2002
              • 4301
              • Robertsdale, AL, USA.
              • BT3100

              #7
              Since those keys may have been cut many years ago from the keys back then, they have not worn the same way that the old keys have. The locks also wear inside as do the tumblers to an extent. I have seen this more in automotive keys. The keys and the ignition will wear and eventually would not work in the door locks. Especially true if you usually have a bunch of keys on your key ring and they ride in the ignition all the time. Bad practice.
              Lee

              Comment

              • Hellrazor
                Veteran Member
                • Dec 2003
                • 2091
                • Abyss, PA
                • Ridgid R4512

                #8
                I am not a locksmith by trade but I do build cores and cut keys at work for our SFIC system.

                And remember that making copies off a used key is a bad idea. Always keep an original key when possible.

                FYI - I know this usually starts a bit of a war in the locksmithing world. About 50% use it and 50% hate it. Dry graphite in a lock is not a good idea. Surely if you ever used WD40 or plan to use any lubricant in the lock. It makes the graphite gum up.

                WD40 is NOT recommended for cores.

                Tri-flow is one of the products we use at work and it comes with a lot of recommendations from people who work on SFIC locks. Houdini is another good product but it is harder to find. Using tri-flow twice a year on outside cores and once a year on inside cores has drastically reduced issues.

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