Smoking keys to allow blank filing...

[Neo]

I'm reading up more and I'm wondering about smoking keys. When you smoke an original key and are getting ready to hand file a blank, a person would most likely want to have the blank behind the smoked key, right?

That way when you look at the keys infront of you, you see the smoked one first and then the blank behind it?

[SFGOON]

Congrats on missing the boat entirely. I think what you're refering to is a method to bypass lever tumbler keys that dates back to the 1800s. There is also a method to impression pin tumbles that uses "smoking" the discoloration makes the marks easier to see. As far as key copying goes, there are machines for that.

[Ezer]

Once you get your key machine, I doubt you'll be hand duplicating many keys, but yeah, I either looked at them that way or from above.

You might want to make a thread called questions about the F-B course or just post these in the F-B thread. So you don't have to keep track of a bunch of different threads, if you need the information later.

[Neo]

I'm talking about hand filing.

You put the blank in a vice along with a key that has a black smoke residue on it from using a flame.

Then as you file down the blank and get close to the original, you'll see the original start to show it's metallic part as the file takes off the smoke residue.

That's when you stop filing that part.

Do you put the smoked key infront of the blank? Does it matter?

[Ezer]

What matters is touching the original with the file as little as possible, or you'll end up with neither one able to work the lock.

[SFGOON]

LSS, chapter 9, 2.3.2 details the whole smoking thing. It's an impressioning techique. I'm sure it would work for duplication, but it seems like a very tedious, roundabout way to do it.

[Chrispy]

Impressioning a key is usually done when you don't have the original key to go off. You smoke the blank and insert it into the keyway, the pins/wafers/etc. will create a mark on the blank indicating where to file down.

It is a slow and tedious process, as you must smoke, insert/turn, file, smoke, insert/turn, file, until you have a key that when inserted and turned within the lock does not leave behind any marks.... hence, a key that opens the lock.

I took the time to scan this section from my studies and post it here for you, it outlines how to impression a key for pin tumbler cylinders. It doesn't say you have to smoke the key, but I find that it helps to be able to see the marks left by the pins.

Page 1: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/Chrispy_187/Impressioning.jpg

Page 2: http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/Chrispy_187/Impressioning2.jpg

Hope it helps.

Chrispy

[Shrub]

The smoking method is for impressioning as mentioned,

If you want to duplicate keys in this method (why you only need to clamp the keys together and forget the smoking) you would obviously have the cut key in front of the blank or else how is the smoke going to sift through the cuts and mark on the blank, the other way round would just make the whole blank black,

If you are on about after its smoked and ready for fileing, if the blank is marked you would not put the cut key in as well or else you are basically doing 2 things for the need of only one,

If you do have to put both keys in the vice you would obviously put the blank behind the cut key so you can see what you are doing, the other way round would mean you are fileing bent over the top of the work thus meaning a straight cut will be a lot harder to achive.

The top and bottom of it is that if you want to copy a key by fileing off another one, you can put them both in a vice and never have to light your candle, if you want to impression a lock you can use the candle but only if the other methods or techniques arent available as in my opinion smoking keys is very old school, not done much anymore and there are much better ways to do it now.
Hope this answers you question.

[Ezer]

OK seriously guys, his question had nothing to do with impressioning. It's from the F-B course. They have you hand file a copy of a warded padlock key. They tell you to smoke the original. So that when you are filing on the blank if you accidentally start to file the original, you will immediately notice and stop filing.

Once again, this has nothing to do with impressioning.

[SFGOON]

I'm actually kinda surprised that keys are still being duplicated like that, how old is the F-B course anyway? There are many, many ways to make one key out of another, so doing it that way seems a touch time intensive.

[Buggs41]

That lesson teaches you the proper use of a file on a key. Nothing more, Nothing less. Probably a skill you will never use, but nice to have it in your arsenal.

[mckutzy]

possibly of topic, but could u use toolmaker bluing ink in impressioning in stead of lampblack.

[Neo]

While this thread still exists, I might as well ask another thing about smoking.

What is the best way to smoke a key?

Since I have some pyrotechnic experience, all I know is that the middle of the flame is the hottest. It seems that part doesn't smoke the key so well. I'm using a BIC lighter.

When I let the top of the flame snip at the key it starts to smoke it up. I start to see a bit of smoke rise. I think this is the best method by using the thinnest part of the flame on the key.

Anyone know the best way of smoking a key? I did a stupid pyro trick of putting wd-40 on it and then lighting it up. heh. didn't work that well funny enough.

[MrB]

Use a smokey flame like a candle. If you look at a candle flame, you will see the plume of smoke rising from the very tip of the flame. Anything you want blackened, put there.

[mupet]

Using marking blue to help to impresion keys doent work will due to the fact that it dry,s to quickly making it hard to get a mark to show up.

The best way to smoke a key if needed is to use a cigy lighter the cheep gas type and by holding the keyblank at the tip of the flame it leaves a high carbon film on the blank