Success - Almost

[RossD]

I finally manged to make the deadbolt on my front door work. I've never had a key for this lock and purchased a 8.00 kwikset repin kit from Home Depot. Since I didn't have a key I had to pick this lock then replace all the pins. It was tons of fun and now have a functional deadbolt. Total savings thanks to this is somewhere in the 25.00 range. Paid for my South Ord set!

I thought I would get fancy and try to repin the knob lock as well, but ran into a problem. It doesn't seem to be a kwikset. I'm still new, but the key looks more like a Schlage, and the directions on the repin kit do not match the handle at all. I could find no way to get the barrel out of the door knob as well. This isn't a typical knob lock as the there is only the barrel of the lock and knob, no secondary portion to remove to re pin. I'm confused by this.

Can anyone point me to guide for Knob lock removal? It is possible to replace the barrel with a kwikset to match the other key? Am I going to have to just replace the whole thing with a new kwikset knob and repin that? Advise would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Theist17]

Oh dear. This is why locksmiths exist, man.

Anyway. Since you've forged ahead on this project and had the bravery to put the question out there. . .

Schlage actually has a rekeying guide for consumers, and it assumes you have the proper key. I'm sure that you could pick the cylinder instead. Here's the link:

Schlage key-in-knob rekeying guide

[RossD]

Thanks Theist! That is definitely what I was looking for. Strange I would have a kwikset dead bolt, but a Schlage knob. The finishes match (oil rubbed bronze) so I wonder about it. I have the key for the Schlage so maybe I'll get to re pin this after all. Thanks again for the resource.

Just to set you mind at ease, should anything go wrong with this little learning experience, I would just replace the locks. I'm trying to see if I'm going to enjoy this as a career, and when it comes to that, sometimes, you just gotta get your feet wet.

Also: I've given many times to my local locksmiths. I would never have attempted to make a key for my motorcycle from the locks alone. It was money well spent....

[Evan]

I finally manged to make the deadbolt on my front door work. I've never had a key for this lock and purchased a 8.00 kwikset repin kit from Home Depot. Since I didn't have a key I had to pick this lock then replace all the pins.

@RossD:

You never had a key to a deadbolt lock installed on your front door ?

Is this a house you own or a rental of some kind ?

I never understood how people could sign on the dotted line taking out a mortgage for hundreds of thousands of dollars and somehow forget to re-key all the locks when they took ownership and moved into the house...

The keys and locks may look new but you have no clue how many copies of the key were made for realtors, etc... If the locks don't look new and you don't have newer looking keys (which might only be new copies of an old key) you have no idea which neighbors on your street used to be friends with the former owner of the house and might have keys...

A few hundred dollars for a locksmith service call to protect your new home and possessions worth hundreds of thousands...

I thought I would get fancy and try to repin the knob lock as well, but ran into a problem. It doesn't seem to be a kwikset. I'm still new, but the key looks more like a Schlage, and the directions on the repin kit do not match the handle at all. I could find no way to get the barrel out of the door knob as well. This isn't a typical knob lock as the there is only the barrel of the lock and knob, no secondary portion to remove to re pin. I'm confused by this.

Nope, not going to find a Kwikset compatible cylinder that will go into a residential grade Schlage OEM lockset... Replace the knob if you want to use the same key with the same bitting on both locks...

Thanks Theist! That is definitely what I was looking for. Strange I would have a kwikset dead bolt, but a Schlage knob. The finishes match (oil rubbed bronze) so I wonder about it. I have the key for the Schlage so maybe I'll get to re pin this after all. Thanks again for the resource.

It is not all that strange to find incompatible locksets installed on a door that only match in their finishes... The last homeowner or your landlord re-keyed the door DIY by installing a new knob...

Just to set you mind at ease, should anything go wrong with this little learning experience, I would just replace the locks. I'm trying to see if I'm going to enjoy this as a career, and when it comes to that, sometimes, you just gotta get your feet wet.

Start practicing installing various types of auxiliary locks and deadbolts on all kinds of doors... That is the bread and butter of most locksmiths' work... Simple re-key jobs don't make much money and most people won't replace a lock that can be re-keyed... In fact a lot of people will have locks re-keyed by handymen who sometimes do a crappy job... But people will call a locksmith out to install additional locks on existing doors... The quicker you can do customers you can serve in the same day...

Also: I've given many times to my local locksmiths. I would never have attempted to make a key for my motorcycle from the locks alone. It was money well spent....

Automotive locks take a lot more experience to do properly than residential and commercial locksets... You can usually find the mounting screws on door hardware a lot easier than you would ever know where to look for the screws holding a car door panel on the inside of the door without having a service manual handy...

~~ Evan

[RossD]

@RossD:

You never had a key to a deadbolt lock installed on your front door ?

Is this a house you own or a rental of some kind ?

Nope and Nope. Just don't anything of value and had a key for the knob. I signed my life away for several reasons, but do not like the house or where I live. I plan to move back to where I should be in the first place. I appreciate the concern but if someone wants my things that bad, I'll give them to them. It's just stuff. I'm a little odd that way.

[quote="Evan"] Nope, not going to find a Kwikset compatible cylinder that will go into a residential grade Schlage OEM lockset... Replace the knob if you want to use the same key with the same bitting on both locks...[quote]

That's next! I'm guessing the locks were never changed and maybe the orginal knob broke or something. The deadbolt was installed backward so the handyman theory is pretty solid.

[quote="Evan"] Start practicing installing various types of auxiliary locks and deadbolts on all kinds of doors... That is the bread and butter of most locksmiths' work... Simple re-key jobs don't make much money and most people won't replace a lock that can be re-keyed... In fact a lot of people will have locks re-keyed by handymen who sometimes do a crappy job... But people will call a locksmith out to install additional locks on existing doors... The quicker you can do customers you can serve in the same day... [quote]

This is awesome advice. Thanks! I see lots of negative talk about the biz of locksmithing on here, but I recently ran into a former locksmith who raved about the job. He only moved on because the business was sold. He shared some real interesting things about safe breaking and classic automotive work.