Impressioning: Key Preparation

[Exodus5000]

I’ve gotten a bit tired of picking lately and decided to learn to impression just to mix things up a bit. Though I’ve not yet had a go at impressioning, I suspect that a problem I’ll run into is identifying the marks on the key where I should file.

I understand that reducing the width on the blade and “smoking” it will help identify these marks, but I was wondering if there are any other tricks out there? Perhaps someone has some “in the field” experience they would like to share that isn’t mentioned in any of the tutorials found on this site too.

Regards,
Ex5k

[Deathadder]

i dont know if this will help, as you can see im not too experienced, but i like to try to help...
ive heard of people using foil impressioning, i suppose you could probably do a search on that and see if that turns up anything

[Shrub]

Two differant things there,

Ways of preparing a blank ive heard of and tryed are,

Knife edgeing, brushing with a brass brush, running a file across to roughen up the surface, wire wool, running a file across it to make even same direction marks on it, black marker, tipex (white out, snow, correction fluid) and probably as few more ive forgotten,

Out of those the black marker and the tipex are the ones i use quite often,

[yng_pick]

impressioning can be fun.

are you impressioning a wafer or pin lock?


Here is how I do it.

Place the lock in a vise, not too tight to constrict the cylinder, and allowing for the cam, tailpiece, etc, to still move freely.

Now, in preparation for the key-

there are two ways I do it.

The first is taking a fine file, and smoothing the top of the blade. this creates a nice surface for marking.

The second way is usually my preferred. If I am not getting good marks, I will knife edge my key blank. File away material diagonally on both sides of the blade, to end up with a sharp top edge (like a knife, no ledge), while trying not to take away material from the top (so that you do not accidentally bring it down to a 2 depth, 3, or whatever).

With the second method, you should be gentle with the lock (in any method you should, but here especially, as the knife edge can wear away at wafers much quicker).

I knife edge it, because the wafers or pins will cause flat spots to occur on the knife edge.

At these flat spots, i once again knife edge, by filing away two or three swipes on each side, bringing it down slightly. Dont take off too much material, allow the new knife edge to tell you if you need to take off more.

AS to the impressioning-

I will place the key blank in vise grips, holding the key by the head in the tool, close to the blade. then I will insert the key, and-----

1. If it is a wafer lock, i will turn it back and forth, as the bumping of wafers against the plug will aid in marking.

2. If is a pin lock, I will do the same, but also- when you turn the key in the lock to the farthest right it goes- move it up and down- turn it to the left, and repeat. The pins getting trapped will aid in marking.

I suggest using a small pair of vice grips. Large ones cause too much turning pressure.

Pressure is important. Too much will break a key, but worse- too much will bend and break wafers.

Ill include what i do utilizing a code machine in my next post.

[yng_pick]

First- let me say that patience plays a part in this as much as picking- this has been my experience so far.

Taking the time, prepping everything correct, and going slow, following every step- will ensure faster results and less wasted blanks.


Ok- using a code machine is great if you have one to use.

For example, impressioning a Master lock number 3 padlock.

I first bring the M1 key blank to the HPC code machine, and using its code card, in each of the four pin positions, i put slightly less than a 0 cut.

Now, the reason I put slightly less than a 0 cut is as follows:

When you put a cut in a key using the machine, it gives an ugly cut, often boxish (squared). I like a smooth surface to better spot marks. Therefore I run my file over the pin spaces, to smooth them. This takes off a slight amount of material. By putting slightly less than actual cuts in the blank, I adjust for that extra material.

Now, I go and place my lock in the vise, and key in my vise grips. Moving side to side, and moving up and down at side extremes, I am trying to mark the key. Occasionally put a slight tilting motion on your grips---- this will allow for the tip of the key to be marked as well, as it does not get the same pressure as the part of the key closest to you.

Take the key out of the lock. Sometimes you will only notice a couple, or occasionally even only one, mark to begin with. These marks will often look like a tiny dot in the center of the cut.

Next, put a slightly less than 1 cut in each of the marked positions, and file to smoothness.

Then repeat the previous steps. Do this until the key works.

This is a lot less sloppy then the method of just turning and filing, and gives you a 'To-Code' key at the end. It is especially nice if you are specifically making a key for multiple locks keyed alike, that have lost their keys.

Thats all I can think of for now, good luck, and give me any questions where I may have been fuzzy!

[Shrub]

Nice little mini guide there but there is a proper impressioning thread, the actual question was how do you prepare your keys, your answer would be knife edge them,

Im by no means doing you down nor having a go but it could have saved you a lot of typing

Do you impression for work or fun? how often do you do it for work if thats your answer?

Do you do many autos if its for work? (please no discussion on auto's just a yes or no),

[yng_pick]

I do it for work- and its fun so I suppose both!

I impression probably about 5 or so locks a week, mainly cam locks, tool box locks, and the like-

As far as auto, I only attempt it on Motorcyle, Atv, and the like-

Door locks off a car usually have easier methods, and I don't mess with ignitions much- dont want to harm them, and most of the ones I see come in for work have sidebars- not sure how much that effects it

[yng_pick]

Edit that or delete it please if it is too much information

[Shrub]

Thanks for that, i think a pm is in order for my next question

[keysman]

Nice short impressioning guide, Village guy.. the only thing I would add is on many pin tumbler (wafer too ) locks they have a light coating of oil on ( in) them.. a good shot of electronics or brake cleaner does wonders to make them mark cleaner.

[raimundo]

I use the baby vise grip plier, its four inches long, and its the right size for impressioning, when impressioning, you must clamp that plier on very hard, I usually put a file cut in the bow of the key, and then put the plier jaw on so that the little wirecutter in the deepest part of the jaw locks into the file cut on the bow of the key. if you don't do this, you will have the plier work loose as brass its clamped into smears around with the pressure of bumping. I believe that any larger plier will make it much harder to impression because the weight of it, and the greater leverage all negate the delicate handling needed, In fact, if the key blank is not in all the way, the weight of the larger pliers will cause false marks on a knife edged key blank.
I hope peterson tool co who make the vise grip will one day make a vise grip specifically for impressioning, this would have a small tooth on each of the jaw halfs offset from each other by half an inch so when clamping down on a key bow, these two teeth, would punch a hole in the brass and the two holes on on either jaw, would be offset by enough that the key cannot rotate in the jaw. Maybe I'll take one of the baby vise grips to a welder and see if he can put a tiny tooth of steel on the jaw, to punch into a key bow. This should keep the plier from letting the brass rotate in the grip.

[toomush2drink]

Raimundo why not buy a clamp designed for the job ? safeventures do one as do a few other makers.

[yng_pick]

Another tip-

When impressioning a Master Padlock-
often you will want to grind down the top of the shoulder a bit. dont grind it back- dont want to mess with the spacing- just make it flat on the top of it.

The reason for this is that many of these padlocks, when you start to impression, you will see the little hump on the key shoulder bumping into the metal surroundign the cylinder, on the bottom of the padlock. By removing some material, the key can move free, and you will get better marks, as well as not marring the metal around the key hole.

[Exodus5000]

Thanks guys, i'll have a go at impressioning.

On a small tangent, I was trying to think of ways to make impressioning easier and thought I'd run an idea by you guys.

Lets say you know the model of lock you want to impression. For example, a Schlage with a SC1 blank. Why not create a set of 10 keys that are cut 000, 111, 222, 333, etc - all the way to a 999 (oooh) key. Maybe not cut to exactly those depths, maybe a slightly more shallow cut so that the depths aren't worn away as fast from the pins scratching.

After cutting these keys you could smoke them or cover them with white out so you could see the pin marks easier. You would then have a very systematic way then of determining exactly what pin needs to be cut to what depth by simply finding what key of the 10 try out keys does not remove white out when rocked, while the size more shallow than it does.

You'd cut (or file) a blank to that depth and then move on to the next pin stack. It seems like there'd be more prep work, but it'd take less time to figure out the code for a key.

Other problems are that the try out key blanks would probably get worn pretty fast from turning them in keyways, and maybe from the pins scratching away material.

Just an idea, may not be worth much but who knows. Tell me what you think.

[TOWCH]

I've always wanted to try that but have never had a set of depth and space keys to play with.