Lever mortice impressioning question.

[Bunglefuzz]

I've been studying the limited YouTube videos regarding mortice lever lock impressoning. I don't understand it, how can pushing a blank with marking putty against the back of a stack of levers tell you the various gate heights? Ok, if the bolt was only half in and half out then all the gates would be lined up correctly. But with the bolt fully out all the levers sit low and nicely together giving no information away regarding the various gate heights. What point am I missing about this please?

[GWiens2001]

Look at posts here on impressioning lever locks.

Gordon

[Bunglefuzz]

Look at posts here on impressioning lever locks.

Gordon

With respect, I never did understand forums anymore than I understand text talk, like 'Gr8 m8' instead of 'Great mate'. However, I appreciate that is my shortfall and should not be the problem of anybody else on here through me double posting questions or issues. It seems that this thread has now immediately diverged into a forum training session for me as I humbly request from the users of this site to direct me to the answer to my question. I have looked, but it seems difficult to search for the exact phrase as the question is quite specific and not a general tutorial question regarding impressioning. Often, like with this thread, subjects change and the answer may well be fully explained in a thread of a completely different heading. If any kind person could direct me to this answer I would be most grateful, and then this thread could be deleted. I hope I'm not appearing to be 'clever', in fact the contrary applies in that I'm asking for help.

[GWiens2001]

Look at posts here on impressioning lever locks.

Gordon

With respect, I never did understand forums anymore than I understand text talk, like 'Gr8 m8' instead of 'Great mate'. However, I appreciate that is my shortfall and should not be the problem of anybody else on here through me double posting questions or issues. It seems that this thread has now immediately diverged into a forum training session for me as I humbly request from the users of this site to direct me to the answer to my question. I have looked, but it seems difficult to search for the exact phrase as the question is quite specific and not a general tutorial question regarding impressioning. Often, like with this thread, subjects change and the answer may well be fully explained in a thread of a completely different heading. If any kind person could direct me to this answer I would be most grateful, and then this thread could be deleted. I hope I'm not appearing to be 'clever', in fact the contrary applies in that I'm asking for help.

And I am trying to tell you how to find the answers to your question. Not trying to be rude, but helpful. The answer to your question is rather extensive, and takes a great deal of time to retype and acquire pictures that explain the information you seek.

So I am asking that rather than expecting us to do hours of work, am respectfully asking you to do a minute or two of work. You would get a full answer to your question much faster.

Here is a post on impressioning different types of locks. Scroll down to the are on lever locks.

This post mostly relates to making the key itself, but also details impressioning the key once it is made. The info on fitting the key and cutting the wards also is done with impressioning.

You don't want to know how long it took to make those posts that answer your questions. But it took about two minutes to find them.

Really do hope they help you.

Gordon

[mh]

About the question "why does it work?":
Incorrectly set levers will be blocked by the stump, they can't move and will therefore leave a mark on the key when the key is jiggled.
Correctly set levers will be able to move a bit, with the stump partially inside the gate, so they won't leave a mark.

You file the key down in several steps, not all at once. In each step, you file the bitting only for the previously binding levers.

[Squelchtone]

hello Bunglefuzz,

Unfortunately the forum software is pretty dumb in the way SQL indexes key word tables, it does not have the AI that a google search has so typing in a very specific question is actually worse here than simple terms such as "lever impressioning"

or skip the Search box and visit the impressioning sub forum and look at the topic titles there for anything interesting related to your question.

hope this helps,
Squelchtone

[capt.dunc]

there's a big difference between impressioning a mortice lock and taking lever readings from the back of the levers, which is what the op was asking about. the first is a skilled technique which requires years of practice, happy to discuss on the forum. the second requires carefully made reader keys (set for the brand and lock model) and is a decoding technique leading to bypass. advanced part of the forum discussion.

if the op owned a lock and understood how it worked, and opened it up, and had a correctly made reader key, then they could work out their answer.

i suggest this thread be stopped here.