MEDECO

[xobliam]

Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:24 pm Post subject: MEDECO

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What are the angles of the rotation of the Medeco pins?
What are the spacings between the pins?
What are the pin heights?

Do you have this info or can you point me to where i can find it?

This site is great. I spent an hour searching this info but now I am asking you, the experts.

{edited by Varjeal: email requests against forum rules. Please read'em.}

[Biff]

You can find all this information in the book Locks, Safes and Security, quite costly, but a good reference book.

[Chucklz]

This info is also available on Yahoo locksports.



MEDECO

SHOULDER TO FIRST CUT: .244''
CENTER TO CENTER: .170''

MACS: 4

ROOT BOTTOM MASTER
DEPTH PINS PINS DRIVERS
----- ------ ------ -------
# 1 .266 .236 .030 .270
# 2 .236 .266 .060 .240
# 3 .206 .296 .090 .210
# 4 .176 .326 .120 .180
# 5 .146 .356 .150 .150
# 6 .116 .386 .120

MEDECO DOES NOT ALLOW CHANGE KEYS WITH
A # 6 CUT NEXT TO THE SHOULDER

[xobliam]

Great help, Great site
Are all medeco keys cut with the same angle. If so what is the angle?
I think it is between 10* and 15* and only on some of the pins. Could someone please confirm.

A Thanks to Chucklz and Biff

Cheers

[mcm151201]

The angles are:
-20 degrees
-10
0
10
20

so basicly 20 degrees either way.

[xobliam]

Great info,
Mentioned in a post to "MEDECO" that the angle for the pins to release the side bar are -20* to + 20*. Does that mean any where in between or -20, -10, 0, 10, or 20*. What I mean is could it be 17* or -12* or does it mean only increments of 10* up to +/- 20*.

[mcm151201]

Nope, only -20 -10 0 10 and 20. That's it.

[Exodus5000]

Just out of curiosity, anyone here ever pick a medeco? Or how about what i'm currently messing with, a schlage primus. I'm trying to find alternate bypass methods for the primus besides picking but so far no luck. I bet there are some that are mentioned in the high security forums. If there IS such a method could someone let me know if there is a way? dont tell me what it is obviously, but just let me know if im wasting my time.

[zeke79]

there are a few bypass methods out there such as under the door tools. These dont work all of the time it just depends on the hardware installed. You could also use a cutdown key with the proper side milling as a tension tool. At this point you take the sidebar out of the picture. There are some other methods I am toying around with trying but they are better left for the secure forums. I have not been able to consistently pick a schlage primus lock without using the cutdown key tension tool. It can be done so keep working at it. I hope I havent disclosed too much info here. If i did then moderators please delete or edit this post accordingly.

[mbell]

I thought it would be best not to start a new thread for this.

I just picked up a couple of Medeco padlocks

I didn't know that Medeco existed in the UK. What's intersting is that one of them is a Chubb Biaxial (Which is now part of Assa Abloy, hence Medeco).

My problem is I have two padlocks which are keyed alike and I have only one key, therefore I don't like the idea of locking things up with them as if I lose the one key, it's an angle grinder job on £200 worth of padlocks.

Is it possible to get another key cut (Legally or Illegally) and if so can anyone here tell me where I can get one (Preferably in the UK). I'm not sure if the key has been registered. If not, does this mean I could write to Medeco/Chubb and ask about getting a spare?

[randmguy]

I have gotten past a Medeco twice. Once on a residential lockout, took about 30 seconds...Took me longer to explain to the homeowner that I would not be likely to get it. Couldn't duplicate the feat while he was inside getting his card tho' so it had to be blind luck. I have bypassed one on a lockout, but that's just sloppy installation work and a little knowledge. I still can't reliably pick the one I bought a couple of years ago. I might have time to work on the angled tools I started a couple of months ago on the advice of the only guy I know who can reliably pick them. On the down side, he admits that he's worked on a Medeco for an hour before...On the plus side, he claims that with practice you can reliably pick them in 5 to 10 mins.

[xobliam]

I have never picked a lock.

What is so difficult about the Medeco?

Could you not design a pick with an angled cut to replicate the groove of the key. There was a post in this site which stated how to read the rotation of the pins.

Could these two techniques not be utilized together?

[hzatorsk]

IBM put Medeco locks on the early PS/2 computers for awhile... Our service department used to get them in for repair and almost everytime, the customer would not have the key with them. After spending twenty minutes trying to manipulate these locks a pin at a time, we found they raked so easily even our part-time afternoon college techs could get the hang of them... opening them in a less than a minute. I had a hard time convincing anyone these were actually supposed to be high(er) security locks.

[Chucklz]

Yeah, I remember that lock on my very first computer (ie one that I owned). You wouldnt happen to have a few of those locks laying about now would you?

[hzatorsk]

If you would have only asked... say... ten years ago when I worked for a ValCom computer store. I could have sent you a thirty pound box full of computer locks & keys. (Being that they were my employer's assets... I really couldn't have.) The 'hint' here is to check with the local computer store. Most computer stores have a big box of case parts that include locks and keys and most are obsolete. They may be tickled to find a home for them if approached properly.

If I recall, the Medeco/PS2 lock was captive in the case. Most dealers would not have taken the time to pulled the locks before trashing the obsolete system.

Harold