by Jacob Morgan » 13 Jan 2017 21:30
The National Locksmith Guide: Door Lock Encyclopedia, by Robert G. Sieveking, no copyright date (late 1990's?), no ISBN, 5 1/2" X 8 1/2", 2118 pages.
There are two parts to the book. The first 41 pages are mainly about repinning cylinders in general. The remainder of the book gives detailed, illustrated directions on how to remove and replace the cylinder for various key-in-knob and deadbolt locks. Devotes 3 - 5 pages per lock, depending on the complexity of the given lock.
Contents:
1. Tools and Recombinating Cylinders
2. American Eagle 5300 deadbolt, 5500 lockset, and 8500L lockset
3. Arrow M and H locksets, and E, F, and D deadbolts.
4. Corbin 6600 and 400 locksets
5. Dexter 3000, 7000, and 4100 locksets
6. Harlock 7900, and 700 locksets, and 59-920 and 59-940 deadbolts
7. Kwikset 400 lockets, and 660 and 880 deadbolts
8. Lori 4500 deadbolts
9. Master locksets and deadbolts
10. National / Amerock 441D locksets, and 497L deadbolts
11. Sargent 6, 7, and 8 locksets
12. Schlage A, D, and F locksets, and B deadbolts. Also a chapter on wafer locks and a chapter on hotel/motel cylinders.
13. Weiser A 500, 530, and E 520 locksets, and D9470 and D9370 deadbolts.
14. Yale 5280 lockset.
The first 41 pages of the book is a good guide on pinning cylinders: MACS, good and bad cut combinations, top pin sizing, checking for master pins, shimming, removing and replacing retainers, and hints on identifying locksets by keyways. Assumes the reader has never worked on locks before, but has a lot of practical advice so still a good read for the amateur who has keyed cylinders before. Has a few pages describing the more common lock functions, door handing, and common finish codes.
Each lock section has hints on identification, including what different key ways they shipped with. There is a space and depth chart for each lock along with the LAB .003 pins that correspond to each cut. But the main point is a series of several photos and text that describes in detail how to get to the cylinder and then put it back together again.
The plus to the book is that it is a great intro to pinning locks and the detailed instructions could save someone a lot of frustration when dealing with an unfamiliar lock. It would seem to be good for a new apprentice rekeying locks behind the counter, etc.
The negative to the book is that it is becoming out of date. Nothing about Kwikset Titan, lever locks, etc. A mitigating factor, though, maybe that while instructions on rekeying newer model locks are freely available from the manufactures on line, some of the models in the book are still out there and are not online.
Overall, I am happy to have bought the book, two thumbs up.
It is not to be confused with the Lock Repair Manual by The National Locksmith--that book is a collection of random articles on locks.
