I have been pranked all my locks are upside down

by **robin215261** » 26 Oct 2005 22:21

Some buddies turned my dead bolt and door knob locks upside down on all my doors as a prank. My key fits but does not work the lock. I dont want to undo the locks and give them the satisfaction of getting me. any one know how to get around this or what they actually did. thanks

by **grit1** » 26 Oct 2005 23:04

Fits as in the key slides into the keyway, or fits as in the key slides into the keyway and is able to rotate? ~Grit.

by **robin215261** » 26 Oct 2005 23:15

slides into key way but does not turn

by **n2oah** » 26 Oct 2005 23:20

Make your friends buy you new deadbolts because they "ruined" them.
Now who is the joke on?
Muahahahah! :twisted:

by **digital_blue** » 26 Oct 2005 23:35

I can't imagine why they wouldn't still work unless they also took the time to scramble the pins at the same time... which is doubtful. Here's a good idea. Next time they come over, just yell through the door that you'd love to let them in to meet the hot college girl you've brought home, but your locks wont open.

db

by **helix** » 27 Oct 2005 5:04

Ok, well sorry for the terminology, but here goes:

Go to the hardware store, get a couple keyblanks
the same as your front door key
and try cutting the 'teeth' out of the 'flat' bit of
the blank, not the bit of the blade where a normal
key would be cut.

If you put both keys (blank and original) together in
a vice, but the blank upside down, and CAREFULLY
line up the keys making sure that the shoulder of the
keys (bit that stops it going too far in the lock) both line up and the flat bit (of the original) is perfectly lined up to the blade of the blank, the upside down blank
and copy a key.

I'd probably run a black texta along the 'teeth' of the
original, so that you can see if you have accidentally
taken a bit out of it with your dremel/file.

If that doesn't work, and they have muddled your pins around,
try impressioning an upside down key.
Do a search for impressioning methods on this site.

BASICALLY WHAT I AM SAYING IS:

If you have an upside down lock that you don't want
to fix, make an UPSIDE DOWN KEY! haha.

Good luck mate, hope it works.
Never tried it before, haha.

....Or I could be waaaay off?

by **skold** » 27 Oct 2005 5:07

Maybe the swapped the original keys around?

Or changed the locks altogether.

Maybe they are smart enough to repin a lock?

by **helix** » 27 Oct 2005 5:08

I was sort of assuming that the guy would recognise his own key and lock,
but yeah, possibly.

by **skold** » 27 Oct 2005 5:09

Did you recognise your key bitting before you became one of us?

by **helix** » 27 Oct 2005 5:11

I'm one of the gang?

*wipes tear from eye*

Nah, but....

well,

I mean...

yes?

by **Dimmy Locks** » 27 Oct 2005 5:42

As a picker, you should be able to feel wether the lock has been repinned by inserting your key and finding the bite mark. Is it the pins you can feel biting? or is it something else preventing the lock from rotating? If its the pins, it seems the pins have been changed ( unlikely though dont you think?), in which case u should be able to pick the lock open ( who needs keys eh?), if its not the pins, then it's in the installation somewhere. Strip it all down and rebuild it correctly.

by **Shrub** » 27 Oct 2005 6:32

Turn the key the opposite way if the locks are upside down otherwise they arent your buddies if they wont come back and put them back after the joke has been done, remind them of fire regs etc,

I would empty the place of all tv's videos etc then tell them because of their 'prank' youve been burgled and want compensation, otherwise call out a locksmith and send the bill to your 'buddies' its not your problem, theyve messed them up they can pay for it,

People that do things like that arent funny and arent your buddies :wink:

by **Chrispy** » 27 Oct 2005 7:31

I reckon they screwed up how the cam was operating the latch when they turned the hardware upside down. If that was the case, the key would still rotate the cylinder, but because the cam is being stopped by something (incorrect insertion into the latch, the latch is being pushed forward when the cam turns rather than retracts, the cam is hitting the door rather than the latch, anything....) then the key would seem not to be the right key.

As Dimmy suggested, try unscrewing everything and putting the cylinders and locksets right way up. Betcha the key works.

by **illusion** » 27 Oct 2005 7:39

I'm all for the idea of bluffing your mates by telling them your house has been burgled and getting them to do it for you.
you get your locks fixed, and you get to see their faces when you tell them it was their fault :wink:

by **helix** » 27 Oct 2005 7:53

...So is it the keyway that is upside down, or the whole lock.
(the brandname is upside down too?)

I have been pranked all my locks are upside down

I have been pranked all my locks are upside down

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