day in the life of a locksmith

[cledry]

Yesterday was largely routine.

First job of the day was swapping 9 passage locks to entry function levers KAA. Went quickly, took about 45 minutes.

Second job was for a NSP remove a defective Alarm Lock 250 and replace. Again it went smoothly with one exception. This particular unit also had outside control which uses a rim cylinder. The tailpiece on this particular one was flopping about even more than usual and I was having a tough time getting the tailpiece into the cross piece of the exit device. So I used a simple trick, I take a hinge shim and use it to hold the tailpiece in place (I hold the hinge shim to the door with a magnet) then it is much easier to install the lock. I then loosen the exit device slightly and slip the shim out and then tighten things down. As is normal we must take photos and check out with the NSP, get sign off sheet filled in by manager of store and a store stamp.

Third job was to install a Kaba ePlex 2000 and latch guard in place of the lever lock that was on the door.

Fourth job was a simple rekey of 2 new Schlage locks to match 2 locks already installed.

Fifth job was an issue with a pool gate. There were multiple issues. The Adams Rite latch lock kept automatically dogging, so I replaced it. The Medeco Keymark cylinders had worn pins so I rekeyed the cylinders and removed the bits of mulch that someone had shoved in the keyhole. Another gate nearby wouldn't open. It is a pedestrian gate which they never lock and has a D & D Technology locking lever. Ordered a replacement and will return to install.

Home at 5:30, supper and relax before heading to a nearby mall to pull a very heavy glass door to replace the Herculite lock for another NSP.

We arrived at 9 PM as agreed only to discover we had arrived at the wrong mall. Oops!!! Off to the correct mall. The door is on Dorma patch pivots so first you have to remove the covers from the patch fittings, then a couple of allen socket cap screws that clamp the patch to the spindle, first though check the fit of the door and if all is good you mark the screws so it can be installed in the same position. There is a horizontal adjustment, so you can damage the glass if you get this wrong. Once the clamp is removed you have to carefully tilt the door and lift off of the bottom spindle. The door is very heavy and requires some serious muscle to remove. It is a three man job. Rather than lay the door down we decide to tilt the door and balance on the shoulder of my boss, with a coworker helping steady things while I quickly scurry underneath and remove and replace the lock. Then the hard work begins, we have to place the door back on the bottom pivot. However you only have about 1/8" of clearance between the top of the door and the glass. Once back in place you then reinstall everything and install the cylinders in the lock and test alignment one last time.

Here's a couple of photos. My boss is about 6' 2" so you can see how tall the door is.



Here you can see the bottom spindle and see how thick the glass is.



This is an exploded view of a Dorma corner patch top pivot.

[Jacob Morgan]

The posts are very interesting, thanks for making them.

Can one of the pros let us laymen know what "dogs" and "dogging" refers to? That has come up in a few posts.

[shutterstuff]

The posts are very interesting, thanks for making them.

Can one of the pros let us laymen know what "dogs" and "dogging" refers to? That has come up in a few posts.

"Most commonly, dogging is a feature used in exit (or panic) devices to hold the push rail or bar in a retracted position, thus allowing a door to operate in push/pull mode without latching."

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Have a pair of interior aluminum store front doors in a recently remodeled area. The doors were not replaced but the flooring on the interior side was. LVT on the interior side, tile on the exterior. When they installed it, they didn't provide a threshold so it looks like heck and the LVT is eventually going to peel when it starts catching on things. Solution: custom threshold.

It's going to be an absolute pain to make it work. I'll have to undercut the aluminum doors and shim the pivots so it will work with a 1/4" thick threshold.

[shutterstuff]

Last night I got a call from an older couple that locked their keys in the RV. At one of my favorite campgrounds! Easy job but it was a 30 minute drive. The weather was so nice I wanted to just park and stay to watch the sunset!

[dll932]

Yesterday was largely routine.

Snip 8<----

Home at 5:30, supper and relax before heading to a nearby mall to pull a very heavy glass door to replace the Herculite lock for another NSP.

We arrived at 9 PM as agreed only to discover we had arrived at the wrong mall. Oops!!! Off to the correct mall. The door is on Dorma patch pivots so first you have to remove the covers from the patch fittings, then a couple of allen socket cap screws that clamp the patch to the spindle, first though check the fit of the door and if all is good you mark the screws so it can be installed in the same position. There is a horizontal adjustment, so you can damage the glass if you get this wrong. Once the clamp is removed you have to carefully tilt the door and lift off of the bottom spindle. The door is very heavy and requires some serious muscle to remove. It is a three man job. Rather than lay the door down we decide to tilt the door and balance on the shoulder of my boss, with a coworker helping steady things while I quickly scurry underneath and remove and replace the lock. Then the hard work begins, we have to place the door back on the bottom pivot. However you only have about 1/8" of clearance between the top of the door and the glass. Once back in place you then reinstall everything and install the cylinders in the lock and test alignment one last time.
Snip 8<-----

I HATE working on those all glass doors-whoever thought that up should get tarred and feathered. With the lock on the floor, all manner of guck gets in the cylinders, especially outside. The ones with setscrews on the edge are not too bad to work on, though.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

I HATE working on those all glass doors-whoever thought that up should get tarred and feathered. With the lock on the floor, all manner of guck gets in the cylinders, especially outside. The ones with setscrews on the edge are not too bad to work on, though.

I kind of miss it. We were replacing overhead concealed closers on Herculite doors about once a week when I was out on the road. It's an easy job that's nearly always in the AC and only requires a bit of effort. Even single door applications are easy with those suction cups.

[shutterstuff]

I got a call from an office this morning. They were referred to me by another business I did work for. It turns out the front door has been broken for a long time. They had another locksmith out to work on it and she said he was afraid he would not be able to get the push bar back together. It was a Von Duprin like the above picture I posted.

The problem was the key just spun around and did not open the door. I took a look and asked if they had the control key (Schlage LFIC). I had to describe it. I figured the tail piece probably broke off. In hind sight, this should have been red flag number one, previous locksmith did not ask for the control key...

She found the envelope in the binder given to them by the contractor that built the place 8 years ago. The envelope was still sealed. I pulled the core out. There was no tail piece! So I whipped out the screwdriver and started removing the push bar (this was when she told me the other guy was not happy about it...). There was no sign of the tail piece inside the door. I kept a positive outward attitude, but I was cussing out the idiot that worked on this before. I can go on and on about someone calling themselves a locksmith and not knowing how to install a simple tail piece in a cylinder!

Anyway, I took a tail piece from my junk box and cleaned everything up and lubed the cylinder as well. In 30 minutes I am a hero on a very simple job that a first year locksmith should have been able to handle.

The day ended with a 2 hour drive to unlock a car at a resort so remote there was no cell service! But the weather was awesome and I had a nice drive. Now I am sucking on a barley soda. Time for bed.

[billdeserthills]

I used to get upset about those jobs that a simpleton should be able to do, but I decided I need that money!

[billdeserthills]

I had a client bring their sentry safe by my shop, says his combo will no longer open it.
I called sentry and they said that was the correct combo, we don't know nothin', here's the drill point.
I went back to the shop and tried the combo twice--It opened! I locked the door open & the guy left it
with me, to toss in the trash. Apparently he had no fun with the on again, off again functioning

I had a client's european hoppe multipoint lock finally arrive, only took 4 weeks to get here, These take up the whole
length of the door edge. You hafta lift the handle to throw the bolts and then rotate the profile cylinder t-turn to actually
lock the door. Except there are no directions--Ever, and people try to work the lock in new & different ways, until the
gearbox finally strips out... These used to scare me, but I have replaced quite a few in the last few years and it is easy money
most of the time.

Last job was a customer who wanted her interior door deadbolt rekeyed. After I got done shimming it open & rekeying it
I noticed the bolt didn't extend far enough into the strike to actually lock out, because the strike was only 1/2" deep. Anyone with a pocket
knife could have opened it the way it was.
I drilled it the rest of the way and showed the homeowner why, so they could see that I was watching out for them. I didn't even charge
for it, I like to throw in something every once inawhile

[C locked]

I had a client bring their sentry safe by my shop, says his combo will no longer open it.
I called sentry and they said that was the correct combo, we don't know nothin', here's the drill point.
I went back to the shop and tried the combo twice--It opened! I locked the door open & the guy left it
with me, to toss in the trash. Apparently he had no fun with the on again, off again functioning

I had a client's european hoppe multipoint lock finally arrive, only took 4 weeks to get here, These take up the whole
length of the door edge. You hafta lift the handle to throw the bolts and then rotate the profile cylinder t-turn to actually
lock the door. Except there are no directions--Ever, and people try to work the lock in new & different ways, until the
gearbox finally strips out... These used to scare me, but I have replaced quite a few in the last few years and it is easy money
most of the time.

Last job was a customer who wanted her interior door deadbolt rekeyed. After I got done shimming it open & rekeying it
I noticed the bolt didn't extend far enough into the strike to actually lock out, because the strike was only 1/2" deep. Anyone with a pocket
knife could have opened it the way it was.
I drilled it the rest of the way and showed the homeowner why, so they could see that I was watching out for them. I didn't even charge
for it, I like to throw in something every once inawhile

I went to a house fitted with one of those
8 years the owners had been there
They didn't know to lift the handle
And so my job of gaining legal entry
as they'd locked their keys inside leaving via another door
Was easy
The look of horror as i opened the door(how easy it was)
Was nothing compared to the look of horror as they realised theyd never locked the door

Needless to say some proper instruction
And a little reassurance (or is that re insurance)
(Basically secondary locks on non entry doors)
The customer happy, and given it tirned into an upsell
From a simple opening
So was i

[Sinifar]

A wasted afternoon ....
Monday Morning --

So this lady calls and asks how much to change 9 locks -- I give her a quote, and she sez she will call back. Well about an hour later she talked to my wife, our dispatcher, and books the call. When I got home I looked at the call on the board and figured about an hour or so --- and this one was toast.

Thursday Afternoon --

So I get over there and there is a gent sitting in a lawn chair in front of the place. It looks like a good sign, until he tell me that this is an eviction for his daughter -- I ask for the papers -- he produced them - the 48 hour eviction notice from the Sheriff. That was posted three days ago, and now he wants her out and the locks changed. BUT she is still in the place as it turns out. So he calls the Sheriff back and they tell him to call the local cops.

Two squads show up in about an hour, yes I am sitting there - this gets longer. They tell the joker that they don't have the authority to force the lady out - but they will try .... in the end they call the Sheriff and they find a Deputy to come over and do the deed.

Deputy shows up and read the riot act to the would be evictor -- this was supposed to go thru "Process" division of the sheriff's department, Not this way, but seeing how he was there he would evict her anyway. I tried to explain to both the gent and the cops how this was supposed to go down .. but in the end she was out, and I got into the place and changed the locks.

Two and a half hours of siting and waiting for something to pop ... one good thing both the cops and the Sheriff knew who I was and no questions as I do this for Process all the time ... Side bar - the younger cap was giving me funny looks as I was packing my .380 ... always in evictions -- you never go out on a residential lock change without protection as you never know what may go wrong, or worse who may show up and start problems -- or become an active shooter... YES they did see my CCW once this got into swing - the Sheriff didn't ask for it - he knows me.

Ya, I charged him for the time spent sitting, and got the job done -- NEXT time he will call the Lt. over at Process and set this up.

Just another afternoon in Waukesha....

Sinifar

[shutterstuff]

I used to get upset about those jobs that a simpleton should be able to do, but I decided I need that money!

When they are done, I am always glad for the money and knowing they will tell two friends...

[Tyler J. Thomas]

A wasted afternoon ....
Monday Morning --

So this lady calls and asks how much to change 9 locks -- I give her a quote, and she sez she will call back. Well about an hour later she talked to my wife, our dispatcher, and books the call. When I got home I looked at the call on the board and figured about an hour or so --- and this one was toast.

Thursday Afternoon --

So I get over there and there is a gent sitting in a lawn chair in front of the place. It looks like a good sign, until he tell me that this is an eviction for his daughter -- I ask for the papers -- he produced them - the 48 hour eviction notice from the Sheriff. That was posted three days ago, and now he wants her out and the locks changed. BUT she is still in the place as it turns out. So he calls the Sheriff back and they tell him to call the local cops.

Two squads show up in about an hour, yes I am sitting there - this gets longer. They tell the joker that they don't have the authority to force the lady out - but they will try .... in the end they call the Sheriff and they find a Deputy to come over and do the deed.

Deputy shows up and read the riot act to the would be evictor -- this was supposed to go thru "Process" division of the sheriff's department, Not this way, but seeing how he was there he would evict her anyway. I tried to explain to both the gent and the cops how this was supposed to go down .. but in the end she was out, and I got into the place and changed the locks.

Two and a half hours of siting and waiting for something to pop ... one good thing both the cops and the Sheriff knew who I was and no questions as I do this for Process all the time ... Side bar - the younger cap was giving me funny looks as I was packing my .380 ... always in evictions -- you never go out on a residential lock change without protection as you never know what may go wrong, or worse who may show up and start problems -- or become an active shooter... YES they did see my CCW once this got into swing - the Sheriff didn't ask for it - he knows me.

Ya, I charged him for the time spent sitting, and got the job done -- NEXT time he will call the Lt. over at Process and set this up.

Just another afternoon in Waukesha....

Sinifar

I rekeyed the locks during an eviction take over at a commercial property once. No cars there, we assumed it was vacant. Trying to pick open an Adams Right hook bolt to get in, it keeps relocking. Yep....this is happening. Door opens. Owner and tenant get into it. I take the cylinders out to my truck. Other tenant shows up shortly with a gun and another thug. Proceed to knock the owner around. Points gun at me and tells me to stop. I wait and then call the cops. Guys leave. Cops come, I give the make and model of the car. Dumb tenants went two blocks down to fill up their car. They catch and arrest them.

Also had a gun pulled on me during a domestic dispute/rekey once.

I'll never run calls again in Atlanta if I can help it.

[Mighty]

Wow, those are some scary situations! I imagine we get some of those in rural Canada where people are more likely to have guns, but I'm sure in town there are still plenty of large kitchen knives being wielded.