by Raymond » 22 Jul 2015 19:10
You can convert almost any standard manual key machine to a flat steel machine. All you have to do is put on a slotter blade and a new or adapted guide that is thinned down to the same thickness as the slotter. When put together just calibrate it and start cutting. Just look around for old machines not in use and consider converting them. The machine will not actually be permanently changed and can be put back into use as a normal duplicator later.
Before buying the slotter blade you should probably determine what maximum width slotter will fit into the keys you need to duplicate. A too wide slotter will make a mess of the duplicate keys and not be accurate.
Good old machines include old HPC Speedex, Ilcos, Cole, National, Curtis, Foley-Belsaw, Mancuna, etc, etc.
Nothing is foolproof to a talented fool. Wisdom is not just in determining how to do something, but also includes determining whether it should be done at all.
I do love to fix things but I also like to assist people fixing their own.