Best way to "cross reference" blanks?

[raimundo]

its a squid. if you don't live near a beach, you could buy some cuttlefish bone from a jewelers supply catalog company, like "riogrande albuequerque" the bone is also used to press metal masters into then make castings with molten metal, such as silver and gold. its a rough casting method and you will need to make a clamshell impression with two pieces of bone to copy a key with molten metal.

[Grudge]

the bone is also used to press metal masters into then make castings with molten metal, such as silver and gold. its a rough casting method and you will need to make a clamshell impression with two pieces of bone to copy a key with molten metal.

Fascinating info . I knew what a cuttlefish was, but was only familiar with using the bone as a calcium supplement for caged birds.

Here is a link I Googled up on using cuttlebone casting:
http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nenam/cuttlefish-casting.htm

I seem to learn something new every day here. Thanks!

[WOT]

If its a key i dont recognise, but it has numbers or letters on it, i use JMA software or book. if no number or letters, do as raimundo has explained. I find pushing the cut key into cuttlefish right up to shoulder and removing then doing the same with blank so that impressions are next to each other is sometimes easier than looking down the profile, when im tired i can sometimes get key blind, using this technique you can also see if the blank falls into the hole left by the cut key. FF ok FE nok

Wouldn't this be affected by manufacturing tolerance of the key?



top part 0.045" vs 0.05"
bottom part 0.073" vs 0.083"

these are both supposed to be the same blank. thinner one is the ilco 1A1L1 look alike. The thicker one is the Best OEM L keyway.

[ponsaloti]

when i cut a blank, i always tell the customer to bring it back if they have any problems with it, in the last 6 months i`ve had may-be 3 come back with key problems but many back for work to be done on there property or vehicle.
In my experiance, the smaller key would work fine on your average cyl fitted to a property in the UK.