Keycheck for copied keys

[Wrenchman]

Pro-Lok Keycheck

In my daily life as a wannabe locksmith, I copy keys for customers, and most of the time they don´t come back, which means, I assume, that their key works.

But it sometimes (often) happens that they return and say that the key didn´t work, now I think you know how that hurts.

I have an urge to do my best, but the customers don´t care, they just want their key to work.

So my Question is: Can the Pro-Lok Keycheck help me, or can it only be used to check blanks



Wrenchman

[Shrub]

Im not so sure thats the thing for you and are a bit of a play thing i think as they cant do whata good pair of eyes cant,

To help you though you could give the customers key a quick measure and decide if its worn or not, if it looks badly worn cut the key to code rather than duplicate one,

[zeke79]

No, the keycheck is for identifying keyways. Your keys are likely coming back due to a couple possibilities. A, your machine is a bit out of adjustment thus cutting either a bit high or a bit low. Measure an original key with calipers and check one you duplicated, not difference and adjust. B, you are not using your key gauge when inserting the blanks into the vices of your duplicator. Simply going by the bottom shoulder or bow against the vice can sometimes put your spacing off enough that the key will not operate.

There are atleast a couple ideas you can look at.

[Krypos]

funny thing. i just read in the book locks and locksmithing (vol 6) that sometimes a locksmith will shave off a small amount of the bottom of the key when they make it, and then when another locksmith (or any key copier for that matter) go to copy the key, it doesnt copy right, because it sits lower in the machine and then the key doesnt work because it was cut funky. so maybe those keys are from another local locksmith that does (or used to do) that. and so when you copy them, they dont work.

but then again, this book also says that WD-40 and tri-flow are equally decent lock lubes.

[Shrub]

I dont know about over there but i cut most keys held on the side warding so shaving 5mm off the bottom still wouldnt stop the lock working,
Ray has done some sneeky things in the past though regarding keys,

Its almost surely worn keys that no longer meet the code,

[zeke79]

also, shaving the bottom shoulder does nothing IF a person properly uses their key/shoulder gauge on the top shoulder as it cannot be modified and still work properly. All else fails, you can use the key gauge to tip stop the key.

[Krypos]

ok cool. good to know that. thanks.

[Wrenchman]

To help you though you could give the customers key a ***quick measure and decide if its worn or not, if it looks badly worn *cut the key to code rather than duplicate one,

I dont know about over there but i cut most keys ****held on the side warding so shaving **5mm off the bottom still wouldnt stop the lock working,

*I only have a manual duplicator!

**Are you sure about the 5mm, I mean it´s more than halv the key

***Is it a Digital Caliper that I need then?

I think that in some locks/padlocks, the bottom of the keyway can be worn/cut without/with any/no problem/avail, the lock will still work, but....and I see what you are getting at, the key should ride on the ward, inside the lock, and therefore the bottom should´nt be making a difference, but....some keyways are just a big hole.

Anyway I though of what you said, and lo, maybe that wasn´t what you ment, did you mean to say that you, when you copy a key, in the duplicator, tighten the key in the ward, meaning that the bottom of the key does´nt touch the duplicator, like in, when you duplicate a car-key

Sometimes a locksmith will shave off a small amount of the bottom of the key when they make it, and then when another locksmith copy the key, it doesnt copy right, ****because it sits lower in the machine and then the key doesnt work

****I think that the correct way, is to let the bottom of keyway, go all the way into the bottom of the duplicator, but using the side warding, which I´m told, is ment for auto and cruciform, might resolve that problem!

A, your machine is a bit out of adjustment
B, you are not using your key gauge when inserting the blanks into the vices of your duplicator

A. Well, I won´t refuse that possibility, but I think that the adjustment is ok

B. No, I always use me key gauge, exept when the key does´nt have a shoulder

The problem in the last case, is that the ward of the key(an original STAM key) is round, so the key tilts in the duplicator, making it, I think, go higher...., or I´m just not using the correct copy



Wrenchman

[linty]

I dont know about over there but i cut most keys held on the side warding so shaving 5mm off the bottom still wouldnt stop the lock working,
Ray has done some sneeky things in the past though regarding keys,

Its almost surely worn keys that no longer meet the code,

it's not to stop the key from working, it's so that if you try to duplicate it it will sit 5mm lower in the pattern jaw, meaning the key in the duplicate jaw will be 5mm higher than the pattern key.

[linty]

er, that being said, i've never actually seen this done although i've also heard of it.

[linty]

I dont know about over there but i cut most keys held on the side warding so shaving 5mm off the bottom still wouldnt stop the lock working,
Ray has done some sneeky things in the past though regarding keys,

Its almost surely worn keys that no longer meet the code,

oops, i read your post wrong, duh....

[HeadHunterCEO]

funny thing. i just read in the book locks and locksmithing (vol 6) that sometimes a locksmith will shave off a small amount of the bottom of the key when they make it, and then when another locksmith (or any key copier for that matter) go to copy the key, it doesnt copy right, because it sits lower in the machine and then the key doesnt work because it was cut funky. so maybe those keys are from another local locksmith that does (or used to do) that. and so when you copy them, they dont work.

but then again, this book also says that WD-40 and tri-flow are equally decent lock lubes.

any poor twisted soul that has time to sit there and shave the bottom of blanks has entirely too much time on their hands