Brass padlock cutaway advice

[Baloopaloop]

Thanks everone for all the info, I think that my friends dad should be able to explain the rest of the machine operation. Any last advice for a first time miller?

[adrenalynn]

Yup! Buy cheap solid body locks that you don't care about 'cause you're going to destroy a BUNCH.

[Baloopaloop]

Yeah, I kinda figure that, but is there any safeguard method that is pretty much sound to try the first time?

[Baloopaloop]

Hey peoples, I worked up some courage and used my dremel to make a mul-t lock nock-off cutaway. Not as pretty as snowboy's but not bad for a dremel cutaway. Here's some pic.s

So here's what the system looks like

[SnowyBoy]

Wow..... that's errr, different

I'd have waited for the machine personally. I would never have dreamt of doing a dremel job on my ASSA Twin

[unlisted]

You know, for doing that totally freehand, its not that terrible of a job IMHO...


Heck, I would of butchered it!

[Baloopaloop]

Actually with a bit of sanding and polishing all the wierd looking spots on the lock would smooth out, but I haven't spent much time on that yet. I've gotten a deal set for buying 14 six pin cylinders and I'm going to hand cut them or machine them depending on when I can get access to the machine and sell the nicer ones on ebay

[SnowyBoy]

Actually with a bit of sanding and polishing all the wierd looking spots on the lock would smooth out, but I haven't spent much time on that yet. I've gotten a deal set for buying 14 six pin cylinders and I'm going to hand cut them or machine them depending on when I can get access to the machine and sell the nicer ones on ebay

Please wait for the machine dude, once you get your first run of locks off the machine you will never touch a dremel again.

There's a good market for the nicer locks, I've had offers on my ASSA Twin and Biaxial of over £90 but I'll never sell them since they are my first cut. I think when you do your first nice lock on the machine you will also keep is for your collection

[tballard]

Actually with a bit of sanding and polishing all the wierd looking spots on the lock would smooth out, but I haven't spent much time on that yet. I've gotten a deal set for buying 14 six pin cylinders and I'm going to hand cut them or machine them depending on when I can get access to the machine and sell the nicer ones on ebay

Please wait for the machine dude, once you get your first run of locks off the machine you will never touch a dremel again.

There's a good market for the nicer locks, I've had offers on my ASSA Twin and Biaxial of over £90 but I'll never sell them since they are my first cut. I think when you do your first nice lock on the machine you will also keep is for your collection

If you really can't wait, a large file works wonders when it comes to making nice, flat edges.

[Baloopaloop]

Yeah, that one was more of an experiment than anything, it's kinda hard to file cause I didn't cut the mortise face, If I did I could make it look much better. Should I cut a quarter out of the housing to make it look better? Yeah, I also thought that I should wait for the machine too, it increases the worth of the sale on ebay.

[drop dead fred]

Hey thats cool !

[SnowyBoy]

Yeah, that one was more of an experiment than anything, it's kinda hard to file cause I didn't cut the mortise face, If I did I could make it look much better. Should I cut a quarter out of the housing to make it look better? Yeah, I also thought that I should wait for the machine too, it increases the worth of the sale on ebay.

Ahhhh some competition. I thought you only wanted my advice for yourself

Well, it'll be a battle of the cutaways! Nothing like a bit of competition to spice my designs up :p

[exspook]

please make sure you wear goggles when using the machine....

sound like the Dad I am I know but it is all to easy to get carried away and little bits of brass smart a bit!!

and try marking out the locks on the outside with marker pen and do get advice on speeds etc and cutting depths as the thinner cutters will snap if you go at it!!!

Dave

[Varminter]

Ahhhh some competition. I thought you only wanted my advice for yourself

Well, it'll be a battle of the cutaways! Nothing like a bit of competition to spice my designs up :p

You should hold a competition you know. Then I could sit on my ass and look at the many beauties without getting up...
Not that it would have any point, we all know who would win

[SnowyBoy]

Ahhhh some competition. I thought you only wanted my advice for yourself

Well, it'll be a battle of the cutaways! Nothing like a bit of competition to spice my designs up :p

You should hold a competition you know. Then I could sit on my donkey and look at the many beauties without getting up...
Not that it would have any point, we all know who would win

Like I said, we all got to start somewhere. I had to..... but the problem with Baloopaloop is he can't wait to get down and dirty with his nice HS locks, and it breaks my heart to see them in that condition

All he has to do is relax, take it 1 cut at a time & use the right tools, then I will start worrying. I've chatted to him about it already anyway, he knows my opinion on dremel work. He just reminds me of myself when I was his age, I used to jump in without any plan because I wanted an immediate result.... and I was happy with the result too, which was the main thing, but now I know what can be done, I wouldn't do it any other way

I've got a few designs in the pipeline to try and mix it up a bit since I use similar cuts on all my locks & it's boring me keep doing them.

I've got a totally mental idea where I want to drill holes all over the lock in a grid pattern so it looks like its been attacked by woodworm, the holes of course will be perfectly lined up. I'm hoping to get a lock that is more or less totally see through, but still functional!

Also, a KABA lock turned up in the post this morning that has about 13 pins in it, 3 of which are diagonal! It's going to be a challenge

Anyway, especially for Baloopaloop, here is that picture I held back on last night of the cuts on my EVVA DPS cylinder. You said you were having trouble visualising the cuts and how it looks like I've cut the cylinder to bits yet still the top pins stay where they should.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4526/cimg6132v.jpg
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4493/cimg6133o.jpg

That's why