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I made an impreessioning grip

A skill known and practiced for years by seasoned locksmiths, impressioning a working key from a blank is a popular new addition in locksport circles everywhere. Get your blanks and Pippin files and get busy!

I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 2 Sep 2020 23:59

Hello hello, I made an impressioning grip, and thought I'd share it with you all! So, I first had a need, and I wanted a small "covert" impressioning grip, because I wanted one to carry in my pick kit. I had an old bit of metal around the shop, so it became my prototype.

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This is how I usually have it set up, with this should screw as my tension post. Here's how I use it. I lift up on the grip, and rock the tension post, then I push down on the grip, and rock the post. (Here's how my hands would look)

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I will then bind the pins with the post by turning, and rock the grip up and down, and then turn the other way, and rock up and down, this tends to create chaseable marks. (I don't have pics of marks yet, but I hope to pull a video together soon!) I have had some great successes as of late, and I'll show you some now!

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This isn't a great picture, as I used a Hurd key, initially, but have switched to a CCL key and gotten that to work, and am looking for some WB19s to get really official.

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This is an old Master I have always liked because of the yellow band, and after I made up the key, I made a code cut! Crazy bitting!

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This is a padlock I had for YEARS, and never could get a good key for. I had picked it, but never could get good marks! I've since gotten a code cut, but only on the TMK blank, and it's a GB or somesuch, gotta hunt down an old Yale blank in the right keyway to make this really proper!

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And this baby Yale was kind of hard, because the marks were so small, but a fun one to get open, and have a key to.

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But that isn't all this little thing can do! I recently got into lever lock picking, and to create something to bind the bolt, and walk through the levers, I have a cut down key, and when angled, my grip has a channel for my pick wire to run through!


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Turns out I have a video on my YouTube using this tool as a tensioner! (For a lever lock)

[youtube]https://youtu.be/dmGqy-z4gaE[/youtube]

I'd like to make a small batch of these as a more professional 1 time offering for those that may want to give this a try. I know grips aren't *hard* to make, but this is my first thing I've made from start to finish. Happy to share!
RubberBanned
 
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby femurat » 3 Sep 2020 3:06

I like your handle very much! The fact that it doubles as a wire guide to pick lever locks make it a great addition to your kit.

Here's your video directly embed in the forum. Counter intuitively, you have to use the normal url (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmGqy-z4gaE) and not the embed one.


Cheers :)
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 3 Sep 2020 11:46

Thanks for the info, femurat! I'll do that next time. I forgot to mention on this, but the extra screw, and knob I have in the pictures, all thread in, and once I have a machined variant, there should be a threaded hole at the rear of the tool to hold whatever extended screw. The knob works well for automotive impressioning, when I may be worried about scratching paint.
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby 1d4 » 3 Sep 2020 17:51

Very cool! I like it. For the handle, did you start with a Masterlock 1up/3up/5up setup tool as the stock? Looks exactly like the tool I use.
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 3 Sep 2020 19:53

1d4 wrote:Very cool! I like it. For the handle, did you start with a Masterlock 1up/3up/5up setup tool as the stock? Looks exactly like the tool I use.


That's probably what is was, initially, the Major Mfg. staking tool. The one I use is made by Master, and is hexagonal, so I never noticed this one missing. I think it is, though!
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Location: Portland, OR

Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby Peter Martin » 10 Sep 2020 6:05

That's a wonderful tool. The main metal stock is 3/4" round steel? How did you cut or mill the slot for the key?

Excellent fabrication!

Pete
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby DaWolfMan » 17 Sep 2020 9:41

RubberBanned,

What a great write up, i love that you were able to make this and use it for multiple things. Having a tool that serves multiple uses is very handy when you don't want to be carrying a bunch of tools around. Do you feel like it allows you to be quicker at impressioning? My biggest issue has always been getting my marks to show up well. I normally end up with what i think is a mark and file the key to much, or such light marks that i am not sure if i should trust the mark i "Think" i am seeing. I have been able to impression keys, but it usually cost me a multiple blanks and seems to take me forever.

Just curious but on average does it take you to get a working key with this setup?

DaWolfMan
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 4 Nov 2020 16:14

Heyo, sorry about this late response! I have been pretty efficient with this tool, and it's not faster, (yet) but I'm as fast, now, with a lot of practice. The marks are a little different, but I tend to impression with no optics. I also won't stop using a blank until it breaks, or I know it's not going to be a possible key. Like, if my filing violates MACs, or something. Most keys take me from 3, to 10 minutes. With highly paracentric keys taking substantially longer. However, I don't need to grip my handle very hard, and, it needed, I can apply very firm, direct torque.

Moreover, the portability is such a benefit, I keep a little case of popular blanks that I prescore spacing on in my gear bag. I've been endeavouring to make an EDC kit that can tackle just about everything I would need, as far as lock manipulation. And this is a big win for me!
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 7 Jun 2021 15:29

Peter Martin wrote:That's a wonderful tool. The main metal stock is 3/4" round steel? How did you cut or mill the slot for the key?

Excellent fabrication!

Pete



Late response, but the slot was made using a slitting saw, with a custom made arbour from my machinist.
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Location: Portland, OR

Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby billdeserthills » 7 Jun 2021 17:42

This may have been mentioned but as the Master Padlock UP tool costs $35, you could really save $$ using steel bar

https://www.craftmasterhardware.com/par ... eying-tool
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Re: I made an impreessioning grip

Postby RubberBanned » 10 Jun 2021 16:22

billdeserthills wrote:This may have been mentioned but as the Master Padlock UP tool costs $35, you could really save $$ using steel bar

https://www.craftmasterhardware.com/par ... eying-tool


Heyo. So, that was only for my prototype, I have an actual machines dedicated tool now, I'll be doing a thread soon!
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