PLUG FOLLOWERS

[alun456]

Ok, ive watched a few vidoes recently, and in one of them a plug follower is used to not let all the springs and drivers fly out. Any ideas on what could substitute or where i could get a plug follower from (US or UK)? PLEASE HELP. And also how could you swap drivers in a pin tumbler?

[macaba]

Most things could be used like copper pipe, or pvc waste pipe. It has to be closely fitting (try not to get more than a 1mm gap all the way round). If you have to use a thinner diameter pipe, then its just a harder job to keep the pipe pressed against the drivers, unlike a proper fit which is a easy job, and you can have hands off use.

[cred]

well said

[macaba]

LOL! Its amazing how the most innocent thing can be interpreted BADLY by CERTAIN PEOPLE! I mean, looking at it like that makes me laugh ALOT!

[cred]

[Chucklz]

I covered this in another post somewhere......... try various markers/pens, 11mm extended length sockets, dowels, and my favorite, Go out and drink a can of .....beverage..... save the can. wash it out, and cut around the bottom and the top Cut through the resulting cylinder once. You now have a piece of thin aluminum in a nice cylinder shape. Roll about a pencil, tightly to make small diameter spiral. Use this as a plug follower. It will expand to whatever size you need.

[Grudge]

I have actually made a plug follower from the interior cardboard roll from toilet tissue. Just like the can, you cut it lengthwise and roll it tight. A little tape completes the process. Not the greatest, but it worked!

[Greg]

Excuse my ignorance... I'm not sure I know what a plug follower is.
I get the impression (no pun intended) that its a thin film you can slide around the plug when you turn it so that the pins cant pop back
(eg. tubular locks?)

Am I right? Or can someone just me a small correction

[marso]

Hi Greg,

If you look at the below URL you will see in picture 9 a plug follower push out the plug and it will be in place of the plug preventing the top pins and springs from falling out. This of course requires the correct key.

If you do not have the correct key you then can use a shim to put in a little way with a blank in the keyway then remove the key slightly while pushing forward with the shim and hence the top pin gets stoped by the shim. Then you repeat the process moving the shim forward and the blank out until you have all the top pins caught on the shim.

http://www.kjshomematters.com/html/rekeying_a_lock.html

Like always im a total beginner and if anyone has any suggestions/corrections please feel free to post.

[Greg]

AH.. I get it
Thanks for the info