Phillips locks

[linuxbz]

I live in Belize, close to the border with Mexico. We have a local ironworker who makes security doors and welds Phillips 715Max locks on them. This is a mortise deadbolt in a housing with a lever you can press on the inside that will open if the deadbolt has not been thrown.

The deadbolt has two cylinders; one on the outside with 4 pin stacks, and one on the inside with 5 pin stacks, but typically only 4 have pins in them. All the top pins are spools.

One problem is that the pins are smaller than .115 diameter. My dial caliper measures about .107 inch on both bottom and the top spool pins. The springs have tight windings at the top and bottom, and also in the middle of the spring. The bottom pins are somewhat pointed at the bottom.

There is a website, http://phillips.com.mx, but it isn't very helpful. I have not been able to find any technical info there. And my Spanish isn't very good.

My first question is whether anyone knows a place to order pins and springs for this kind of lock.

Second, does anyone know the bitting for Phillips locks. I tried to figure it out using several keys and my dial caliper, but I'm not very sure of my results.

I have recently enrolled in FB and one of my first jobs will be re-keying these security doors on the house I'm renting, which has SEVEN of these doors, every one of them keyed differently!

Thanks!

[raimundo]

I you have trouble finding the pins and spring, don't throw out any locks that have for one reason or another been discarded. these are a good source of pins springs, clips and other small parts. thats all I can offer.

[linuxbz]

Thanks, raimundo. I'll ask the ironworker whether he has any discarded locks, and if he'll save them for me.

I have already strongly suggested that he find a way to attach the locks that would allow servicing or re-keying without having to re-weld them.

I also suspect that welding the housings makes the locks more susceptible to corrosion. This IS the tropics very close to the Caribbean Sea, so humidity is near 100%.

One thing that makes this difficult to research is that if you google for Phillips and anything having to do with locks, you get something relating to Bill Phillips' Locks and Locksmithing, which I do have and have found very useful.

[raimundo]

locks, usually made of brass or bronze, in sanfranciscos sunset district are more green and corroded in each block as you get closer to the beach. I think bronze is marginally better than brass for this, there is saltwater spray in the fog. The problem is not so great as you get a mile from the beach and uphill. Try the bay area locksmiths, linked in Zekes sig I think, they would know some solutions I suspect. I hear that they can be very helpful.