Was your first time good?

[ltdbjd]

I was digging through my shop (AKA cluttered garage) yesterday and came across a piece of nostalgia. Day 1 of locksmith school. I'd never touched a key duplicator before, and we had to originate a key using a duplicator and space and depth keys. And here was my result:



Pretty impressive, isn't it!?!? Almost can't wait to stick that baby into a lock and see what happens. I decided to mount it in lucite so I could always go back and look at my first official attempt at locksmithing. And so I could have a good laugh.

I didn't realize how dangerous locksmith class could be. It was almost mandatory to wear safety glasses because there would be springs flying across the room almost non-stop.

I read a thread here about somebody messing up an ABUS rekeyable. Been there, done that. The instructor said, "whatever you do, don't turn the cylinder too far." Eh, I got this. I'm already an expert; just look at my key duplication effort. And then, SNAP. Rut roh ... That didn't sound good. "Um, so what do you do if hypothetically turn it too far." So then I was promptly introduced to Mr. Drillpress.

The joys of learning something new.

Anybody have any first-time stories to share?

[ltdbjd]

Well crap, guess I should have read the next paragraph in the How To Post Pics, the one that starts out "IMPORTANT." Another first timer mistake. Let's try this again:

[GWiens2001]

Might be a bit difficult to get it into a lock. So, did you have to make another key, or did they give you a pass?

Gordon

[ltdbjd]

I wouldn't say they gave me a pass, more like they gave me an "F."

I don't even think I tried again. I think I threw my depth and space keys into the trash, wrapped by arms around the Blitz 1200, and fought anybody off in class that tried to get near it! That, and I recognized the Blue Punch is a great machine if you have an extra $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket.

I look at it this way. I was ahead of my time. I was onto a great idea that would have made me a fortune had I recognized it. That right there, my friend, is the prototype for those "killer keys." The ones that break away in a lock to disable them. All you would have to do (besides getting it into the lock) is snap the bow off. Good luck extracting that key to gain entry!!!

The only good thing I learned about depth and space keys is that they make a quick and easy depth gauge. I didn't learn that in class either, I think I learned it for the first time in Deviants Keys to the Kingdom book. Of course, it doesn't matter, I don't have them any more. Depth and space keys ... gack.

[billdeserthills]

I had already decided not to do anything my Dad did, so I was a cook for 12 years before my Dad called me one day and told me he was thinking of retiring soon, & if I wanted I could take over his Locksmith business. That was in 1990, & I moved back to AZ to take him up on his offer. As a dopey 25 year old who thought he 'knew it all' my specialty in those days was to pay little to no attention whenever possible, which caused me to screw up anything that could be screwed up and some things that were touted as 'idiot proof'. For example one day I managed to put a GM glove box lock back in, but upside down--of course no retainer access hole exists on that side of the glove box lock, but it was only a drilled hole away. I remember putting an old VW ignition lock in wrong, Dad fixed that too, mainly using a lot of cussing, and punching a hole through the dashboard with a screwdriver, that reached the retainer. Anyhow it turned out that dear ol' Dad developed an intense distrust in my so-called 'locksmith ability' and he refused to actually retire until one day in 1994, when after I disassembled the vises on his key machine, cleaned and the reversed them--Then proceeded to cut the face off the higher vise, which really pissed him off & that caused me to finally desire to end his constant complaining about my lack of attention. I said "Dad, I don't want you to be mad at me" and I spent almost half of my weekly pay, buying his key machine a brand new set of vises. After that I paid for each and every thing I screwed up, in cash, which was tough for me to pull off on my $5/hour pay rate. 4 months later Dad retired and I managed to keep 'swimming' instead of the sinking he had opined I would do.

I also learned that sometimes screwing up things can be More educational than learning the 'easy way'

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Somewhere in my basement I have all my lock treasures, various oddities and unique locks, but included in those treasures was the first interchangeable core I drilled out. Don't know why I kept it but I did. Was trying to extract it from the housing because I didn't have a spare on the truck (one of my first calls ever) and ended up drilling two 1/8" holes - literally one at each shear line. Somehow, some way, it came out.

As an eerie coincidence SFIC is probably the one facet of locksmithing I know best - I guess it was a hint of what was to come?

I didn't duplicate keys on my first day as a locksmith apprentice. They paired me with a guy that had 30 years experience (he's still a close friend - lost count of how many concerts we've been to together) and he showed me how to disassemble and reassemble a KIL cylinder. I did that for 8 hours straight. Never once locked it up! Oddly enough I taught an apprentice at a shop I work at part time how to impression a lock last week; he made a key on his first attempt.

I don't even remember my first key duplication, sadly. I do remember my first call (picked a tubular key override on a cheap safe) and other noteworthy events but not that for some reason.

Haven't been at this as long as a lot of guys but it's been a real fun ride thus far.

[GWiens2001]

Bill, have to agree with you that doing something wrong is far more educational than doing it right.

Gordon

[ltdbjd]

If that's true, I'm far more educated than I thought!

A couple others from my collection of mistakes. Here's what happens when you don't pay attention to the jaws you're using in your duplicator.

Would anybody believe they were for the "Euro" version Ford pickup truck ignition and tool box in the bed? I didn't think so. Sigh ....