Smoking Blank

[RobinHoed]

And smoking the blank as compared to a sharpie
The speed of a sharpie plus the places you can take it
There are some places you need to work(government buildings)
The you cannot use a lighter or open flame anymore
without a hotworks permit. ( usually for welding but lawmakers
don't see the difference)

lol, you serisouly need a permit for using a lighter?

[GWiens2001]

A Sharpie marker is faster and legal anywhere.

Gordon

[ratlock]

Hi all, Ive once made a mortice key from a blank using a candle, and the two things you had to be careful with is, not scraping the sooted area when inserting the key, and making sure the key was level, and in exactly the same amount when re inserted.

[ratlock]

Heres some picks

[ratlock]

You cant put metal back on so easy does it. If you file past the gate, (or shear line) its all the way down.

[billdeserthills]

You cant put metal back on so easy does it. If you file past the gate, (or shear line) its all the way down.

This is not strictly true,
if you put the blade on your anvil you can stretch it with a hammer by tapping, I have done this myself in the past on locks I was impressioning

[-Random-]

Preparing the blank ahead of time is quick and easy. As for grit of sandpaper, it can actually depend on the light and the pin shape.

On some locks, I use a rougher grit (320) as the rougher surface shows the marks from rounded pin more easily because the ridges of the rough sanding get knocked down. On an angle, they are clearly seen, though straight on they may be hidden. But very pointed pins are hard to see the marks with rougher grit.

With more pointed pins, a finer grade of sandpaper is preferable as the marks of pointed pins don't blend in with the rougher sanding marks. But rounded pins leave marks that are harder to see on a smoother surface.

A mirror-smooth surface may be fine for your first marks on the key blade, but beyond that it may hinder identifying true marks, as the surface is very easily scratched, sometimes causing you to file a cut where the pin is already at the proper height. Then your cut is too deep, the pin starts leaving real marks again, and you end up filing that cut all the way down.

Gordon

Thanks Gordon
I never once considered pin shape, Ill have remember this.

[kwoswalt99-]

You cant put metal back on so easy does it. If you file past the gate, (or shear line) its all the way down.

This is not strictly true,
if you put the blade on your anvil you can stretch it with a hammer by tapping, I have done this myself in the past on locks I was impressioning

I've seen people build up keys with solder too.

[GWiens2001]

You cant put metal back on so easy does it. If you file past the gate, (or shear line) its all the way down.

This is not strictly true,
if you put the blade on your anvil you can stretch it with a hammer by tapping, I have done this myself in the past on locks I was impressioning

I've seen people build up keys with solder too.

Done that numerous times myself. Then after the key is impressioned, cut a copy that does not have solder, as it will wear down fast.

Gordon