My Codes

[Sinifar]

Not to belabor this, but in the old days, we carried the orange HPC code books in the truck, and the fiche in the shop. I never found a good small hand held fiche reader -- and I am not buying one of those "code on line" deals for a zillion bux, and little use. When we downsized to the 2002 Focus Wagon we had a problem.I needed codes on the road, but unless I called back to the shop for them ....

SO what we did was to log for a year all the codes we were asked to make keys for, and the wife kept a record of those. In the end, I made up a really short set of these based on our usage. You as well might find this list useful, as you don't need to carry a ton of these things, and it is quite compact and covers most of what we use - or is out there around here. Most of these were just photostats of the original HPC book pages.

BH250 - BH1249 Bommer. This is the code for the mail boxes with the "square box" on the back, not a complete cylinder. The electronic codes for this are wrong, and it took me awhile to figure out why. The HPC codes are right.
1250 - 1499 Chicago. This is one of the base code series for Chicago. A plain number will work with these codes.
100T - 149T Illinois. This is the same code series as the Timberline TA series. I haven't had the time to investigate if it fits TB or TC yet.
AA201 - AA425, MG 201 - MG425, same code series as the top listed Chicago codes. With a prefix. Most Chicago codes will work with this series.
FR 301 - FR 800 Chicago. This one is different. This is the Steel Case series. There is a Master and a plug removal key for this series as well.
1X01 - 3X00 Chicago. This is the 1041Y series, and there are several of these listed. This is the one which works most of the time. I have run into higher codes in this series, but have not found a full listing yet. Probably have to transcribe out the things from the electronic lists.
1X1 - 7X6 Chicago. This is another 1041Y series different than the one above.
101E - 225E ESP. This is a series for a lot of vertical files. It has a master and a plug removal key as well.
T601 - T750 ESP. This is a Teknion Furniture series, and I have found it fits more than theirs. If the number looks like this - it's it.
GG101 - GG200 Hudson. This is a general code series again, like many it is a base for more than shows. If suspected to be Hudson try this one.
MM101 - MM150 Hudson. Another code we have run into on office locks. Different than the GG series
C1 - C550 National Lock. This is the base code series for National using 1069N type keys.
AUE1 - AUE700 - GEK1- GEK700 Corbin Cabinet series which works for most. The prefix is the key blank.
CAT1 - CAT200 This series is also Corbin Cabinet, but different than the last.
1 - 1378 National Cabinet. This is the base for the 1069LB .150 spacing locks. Also fits Olympus. Several Masters are under this one.
1 - 970 National Cabinet. This is the base for the 1069L blank. Several code run back to this, including Diebold boxes, Bank equipment, and S & G dial locks. Mostly a 4 pin cabinet lock series, .150 spacing. Diebold uses their own 1028NR blank... Will fit Olympus 4 pin locks.
4001PO - 5000PO National Mail Box. This is the base code for most National .106 spacing mailboxes including Auth, Florence, and several others. The suffix changed but the codes do not. This series does not work as of yet for the new National boxes. I am still researching that one.

Researching code books is a time consuming business, but spending some quality time with your books will reveal a lot of interesting information.

As far as telling you how to make the plug removal keys or the masters, Squelchy would sit on me if I did. So get some locks and put in some quality time with your keys and play with it. They are out there!

CAR codes are another matter, so your call on that one. I am just servicing the desk / file / and other cabinet locks we run into on our industrial rounds.

Suggestions as to what else I could add to the list?

Sinifar

[2octops]

codes on line is only $59 a year and can be accessed from any phone with internet access

I even used to access it with my old flip phone.

I'll never go back to the old ways again.

[cledry]

God you must be really hurting for business if you can't afford a yearly subscription. 1 job and it is paid for. I don't have to carry a load of stuff, I whip out the phone, look the code up and I am done. I have a printer in the truck so I can even print an oddball card if I want.

[jeffmoss26]

I have instacode live, 10-11 bucks a month, works perfect!

[Sinifar]

Just an old Kraut. I can't see making somebody else rich over something I could do on my own. We made the investment in code books back in the early 70's with the full set of HPC books, and later on with the fiche cards. There must be over 30 of those by now, unfortunately most fiche readers are big things, although I do have a sort of "portable one" which is about the size of a attache case, but then I Need to plug it in someplace, and the 300 watt inverter in the truck isn't up to the job, nor do I have the space to store the thing.

Having said all that -- go back to the start of the story. There are thousands of pages of codes on file around here - book and fiche. How many do you actually use? This is where it broke down. In the end, there are only a good two dozen code series which actually get used around here over the course of a year. Therefore, carry those only, and call back for anything else.

Better, I don't have to try to explain to my wife, who is a smith, (ALOA7819) which keyway I am looking at nor do I have to go into a long detailed explanation of what I am trying to do on the road to her, back at the office. Just look up the code, figure out what I need to on the job, and make the stupid key and get on with the job.....

ON my wife, it is nice to have her sitting at home, now in her wheelchair, and I can just set her up with a job, and let her pin the thing, while I am out working other work. Later on I can bring in the HPC 1200 punch and grab a box of keys and let her cut the keys. Job done. We recently did a "dual job" here, where I did the 140 lock job down here in the bunker, and she did the 40 lock job up in the kitchen. Both billed and shipped and we move on. Nice having two smiths in house --- BEST I don't have to PAY her. lolol... 43 years of marriage does make for a nice arrangement!

If you are using the on line services for car codes, and mostly that only - it might be a good thing if you are progressing keys, and have a partial worked out. I can do that with the HPC code program, so again, I spent the cash, now just call the wife and have her run the thing on her box, read me off the results, and go from there.

Even if it is only 60 bux a year, for the cost of a code program on your own, it will pay for itself in about 8 years. THEN it is free from there on. Here again is the old ROI, and when one finally works the original cost off, and then the thing is free as it was, to use from then on. Actually with all the locks we do, the thing paid for itself in about six months. SO NOW I don't have to spend thing 1 for future code reference.

The way to make money is NOT TO SPEND money. Financial management is job one around here. FIND cost effective ways of doing things, don't spend unnecessary cash for things we already have in house, and utilize those things in house to the max, and in the end, we make lots of cash without a lot of cash outlay.

This is the total secret as to how this outfit just keeps on plugging along thru tough times. We just hunker down, utilize what we have and keep on working.

Sinifar

[cledry]

Time is money. OK say you are on the road and the code you need is not one you thought to carry with you. What do you do? Take the lock apart? Sight read? Impression? Drive back to the bunker and dig for it? Call the wife? Now what happens if you don't have the code and for some reason cannot make the key that someone else could simply cut by code... you might lose a customer.

All the above scenarios probably take more time than the code program costs for an entire year!

I'm all for saving money but time is something you can't buy more of at any cost. To me my time and the time of the employees is hardest to put a price on.

[2octops]

That's the difference between the way locksmiths operated 20 or more years ago verses how they operate today.

I learned with books and microfiche and had one of those portable fische readers in the passenger seat of my van. I also ran an old inverter that was wired in with jumper cables that would only run one machine at a time and used a file and vice grips more than any other tool in the van. I also had a CB radio with a base station at the shop and a roll of quarters in the console for using payphones to call customers back to get directions.

Now we run 4000 watt pure sine inverters that operate 2 tablets and 2 laptops with printers in each van along with computer driven code machines, internet, soldering stations and even a mig welder. Everything is internet based from codes to GPS to dispatch and invoicing. Our phones can do almost everything that the computers and tablets can do and the only reason that anyone should have to physically contact the shop during the day is for inventory. We are even getting to the point with automotive that we are required to have internet access at the vehicle to program many of the late model keys. To quote Bob Dylan, times they are a-changin'.

Neither is right or wrong if it works for you.

Back to code books and software vs online services. Books are fantastic references and I still have a bookcase full of dusty old books. They are full of information that you do NOT get with code software or online services. There are plenty of tips and tricks in them that are invaluable when dealing with locks that were produced 10, 20, 30 or more years ago. The bad things about books is they are big and do not get updated but once a year. Computer software such as Codesource are fantastic tools because they are quick and easy and do not require internet to operate, but they are not updated but once a year and you have to continue to purchase updates every year. The online services are fantastic for todays businesses since they work with most every smart phone, get updated continuously and are very inexpensive, but they require internet access and sometimes either you can not get a signal or their server or site can have issues and not work.

Absolutely we use the online services for automobile codes and fill charts but we also use them for furniture and other commercial code lookups. If you are not doing automotive they can still be useful. There are a lot of new furniture code series popping up every few years on office furniture and file cabinets and the online services are updated multiple times a year as the new series are released, no updates needed. Originating a key for 2 file cabinets pays for the simplicity and ease of use.

They each have their strong points and weak points. Again, neither is right or wrong as long as it works for you.

[cadams9275]

Thanks for the all the information on key series codes. The 100T - 149T Illinois Timberline TA series I habe found the master key to be 1043C and the select key is just a 1043B ILL9 key blank. However I do have the cuts for the master key TA series, I was wondering if the cuts were the same or different in other series?

[shutterstuff]

I learned using the Reed Code Books and have a complete set including the padlock books (and 2 binders full of updates). The printed information on various locks is valuable. But as stated, they take up a lot of space in the van and since I am using a minivan, not an option for me. I have a laptop with HPC's software as well as a few other programs and a lot of PDF files. And I can use my smartphone if needed. I do not have anyone back home to call as my wife works too.

[C locked]

Where we operate
"The old ways are the best" but
That is only because of spotty mobile reception
No internet worth speaking of and
By investing the time by compiling a monthly list of
What code series's we use
What blanks
What type of jobs
What customers are saying about costings

Each month we note what is worth noting and
That way the extra tonne of gear in the van is only
What we use frequently,
what we expect to commonly meet
And therefore what our customers would expect us to have

Admittedly I've inherited this opinion from
My boss who started in the business when when you were done with the job
You'd borrow the phone at the job site to call in, find out the next job etc

But it remains true
A manual codebook wont runout of power, have connection failure
Or stop working if it falls off the benchtop
And for the "common" code series
I'm faster with the book

[billdeserthills]

I don't do it anymore, because it was unprofitable for my company, buy if you subscribe to Locksmith Ledger Magazine
you can also subscribe to Codes Express for only $39.95 per year and get codes online 24/7

[shutterstuff]

I don't do it anymore, because it was unprofitable for my company, buy if you subscribe to Locksmith Ledger Magazine
you can also subscribe to Codes Express for only $39.95 per year and get codes online 24/7

I have that subscription but now that I have the HPC software on my laptop, I will probably not be renewing it this year.