day in the life of a locksmith

[cledry]

You mean you don't enjoy troubleshooting someone else's cluster? I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours. Chasing wires, inspecting every single connection, trying to make sense of someone else's work, etc.

What a crap install.

Wayne

I didn't think it was bad enough to redo anything. I tinned the leads but that is the only change I made, other than correcting the one wiring error. I don't like to add splices if they can be avoided. So I am curious what you would have done differently other than perhaps labeling the wires? I've seen you work and it is very nice so I am always interested to learn how to do things better.

This is what I consider a mess.

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Yeah, that's definitely a mess, or a nest.

As for my picture, that's a PS900 that powered a card reader, REX, 2 activators, and a QEL kit on 3327A. Also in the mix was a power operator. Took an entire morning but I eventually determined it was a bad relay on an option board. Could have had it done a lot sooner if I didn't have to figure out which wire went where and did what.

So, if I were doing it, I would have labeled the wires. I also wouldn't have that much extra wire just rolled up and laying on the ceiling tile. A few feet is sufficient. Since the dingus had it all rolled up like that, I had to unroll it to match the wire going into the PSU with the wire going out of that roll. Plus, he could have made it a bit more orderly in the box but that's just a personal nitpick.

[jeffmoss26]

You mean you don't enjoy troubleshooting someone else's cluster? I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours. Chasing wires, inspecting every single connection, trying to make sense of someone else's work, etc.

What a crap install.

Wayne

I didn't think it was bad enough to redo anything. I tinned the leads but that is the only change I made, other than correcting the one wiring error. I don't like to add splices if they can be avoided. So I am curious what you would have done differently other than perhaps labeling the wires? I've seen you work and it is very nice so I am always interested to learn how to do things better.

This is what I consider a mess.

That looks like classic ADT/Tyco work to me

[cledry]

Yup, it was Tyco. I am forever working on nests like this.

[jeffmoss26]

At my old work you basically had to stand three feet away from the panel when they opened it lol

[cledry]

We don't really work on cars but if someone brings a lock into the shop and doesn't mind leaving it we will work on it. Today a chap brings in a couple of locks with keys that are supposed to work them but don't. The car has been sitting since 1980 and is a 1967 Lamborghini! Assuming these locks are worth their weight in gold we decide to not let the less experienced locksmiths work on them, so myself and my boss with a combined 70 years experience tackle the job.

Let's just say these locks are a PITA. The door lock responded to a good soaking in PB blaster and then flushing with brake cleaner and finally lubricating it with a graphite Teflon mix. Dupes were made on an old Renault key.



The trunk lock was more challenging. It is a 4 pin Yale lock that has two bibles opposite each other allowing the key to be pulled in either of two positions. The key supplied was on an old Curtis Y19 blank. I didn't have any but found an obscure Illinois key that slid in nicely after thinning with a file. This lock received the same soak and de-grease etc. but didn't respond the same way. So we disassembled it. It is similar to a plunger style cabinet lock in that it has a screw that rides in a slot to limit the in and out travel and to keep things together. The pawl has a screw that attaches it to the plug, it is hidden by the coil spring. Once those two are removed there is a third screw (this wasn't factory original that locks the plug into the cylinder housing. Removing this screw allowed me to pick the cylinder and slide the plug out. The top pins are hollow and the top springs are very short. Pin diameter is the same as old Chrysler, so we used those pins and filed to size for the bottom pins. Now the key worked, the old pins were worn down too far. However once reassembled we noticed that the coil spring wanted to get caught on the pawl and make things less than smooth. We made a washer and after a few attempts we had a reasonably smooth operating lock.

[GWiens2001]

We don't really work on cars but if someone brings a lock into the shop and doesn't mind leaving it we will work on it. Today a chap brings in a couple of locks with keys that are supposed to work them but don't. The car has been sitting since 1980 and is a 1967 Lamborghini! Assuming these locks are worth their weight in gold we decide to not let the less experienced locksmiths work on them, so myself and my boss with a combined 70 years experience tackle the job.

Let's just say these locks are a PITA. The door lock responded to a good soaking in PB blaster and then flushing with brake cleaner and finally lubricating it with a graphite Teflon mix. Dupes were made on an old Renault key.



The trunk lock was more challenging. It is a 4 pin Yale lock that has two bibles opposite each other allowing the key to be pulled in either of two positions. The key supplied was on an old Curtis Y19 blank. I didn't have any but found an obscure Illinois key that slid in nicely after thinning with a file. This lock received the same soak and de-grease etc. but didn't respond the same way. So we disassembled it. It is similar to a plunger style cabinet lock in that it has a screw that rides in a slot to limit the in and out travel and to keep things together. The pawl has a screw that attaches it to the plug, it is hidden by the coil spring. Once those two are removed there is a third screw (this wasn't factory original that locks the plug into the cylinder housing. Removing this screw allowed me to pick the cylinder and slide the plug out. The top pins are hollow and the top springs are very short. Pin diameter is the same as old Chrysler, so we used those pins and filed to size for the bottom pins. Now the key worked, the old pins were worn down too far. However once reassembled we noticed that the coil spring wanted to get caught on the pawl and make things less than smooth. We made a washer and after a few attempts we had a reasonably smooth operating lock.

And that is a job description of a real lockSMITH.

Very nicely done, Cledry.

Gordon

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Reminds me of the lady that handles shop duties at where I used to work. She would handle any automotive or antique work so long as they brought it in and left it. I learned so much from her, especially antique work.

One neat trick that she taught me comes to mind: if you want new barrel keys to look antique, smear some white lithium grease on them and hold a flame to it momentarily. Nice patina in a few seconds.

[kwoswalt99-]

One neat trick that she taught me comes to mind: if you want new barrel keys to look antique, smear some white lithium grease on them and hold a flame to it momentarily. Nice patina in a few seconds.

I'll have to remember that one.

[GWiens2001]

Reminds me of the lady that handles shop duties at where I used to work. She would handle any automotive or antique work so long as they brought it in and left it. I learned so much from her, especially antique work.

One neat trick that she taught me comes to mind: if you want new barrel keys to look antique, smear some white lithium grease on them and hold a flame to it momentarily. Nice patina in a few seconds.

Steel keys? Brass?

Gordon

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Reminds me of the lady that handles shop duties at where I used to work. She would handle any automotive or antique work so long as they brought it in and left it. I learned so much from her, especially antique work.

One neat trick that she taught me comes to mind: if you want new barrel keys to look antique, smear some white lithium grease on them and hold a flame to it momentarily. Nice patina in a few seconds.

Steel keys? Brass?

Gordon

Both. It's not changing or dependent on the physical properties of the key. It's just providing a coating that happens to look like patina, or rust.

[GWiens2001]

Cool, thanks! Will have to try it out.

Gordon

[Tyler J. Thomas]

Well here's my day, and possibly week: PM on dorm rooms. Checking each lock out, tightening/adjusting when needed, lubricating keyway and lock, testing, etc.

Leatherman is getting a lot of work today.

[DOORDOCTOR]

Cledry, do you have any experience with the ADAEZ Pro? I was given some literature on them last year, I think, but I was waiting for feedback from end users before I tried to put one on a door.

No, I was waiting for feedback from others too.

here too, I have at times had to suggest a power operator but I for once would like to talk to someone who actually has the ADA-EZ installed and is not just paid to say things about it, but a true off the tip of their tongue reviews of the device.

the inventor of the ADA-EZ now works for Norton door controls, and this is why the ADA-EZ pro is being marketed by the brand,

[Raymond]

I had a good one today that I have never seen before. Regular client real estate office sent me to rekey a house for new tenants. The previous tenant had replaced all deadbolts with one sided deadbolts and was coming and going only through the garage with the remote. I guess you could say they were bump-proof.

Called the previous tenant, who still had the deadbolts, to come over and open the garage. Put everything back together and rekeyed.