by Bill R. 22 » 28 May 2008 17:39
Hi--
You guys have helped me before (on a different topic), and I'm asking for help again. It's a very basic question, but I can't find the answer in any books. In Bill Phillips' book, Locks and Locksmithing, he lists two ways to drill a pin tumbler lock: (1) drill the plug below the shear line, and (2) drill just above the shear line. I'm thinking drilling below the shear line would result in less damage to the lock, and, if I had to drill, would use that method. However, Phillips says that after you drill below the shear line, "Insert a key blank and a wire through the drill hole to keep the upper pins above the shear line and the destroyed pins below it." This is a little confusing to me. What should be the diameter of the hole? What kind of wire? Do you just insert a key blank into the keyway, then kind of stuff the wire into the hole you've drilled? It would have to be a very stiff wire. Do you attach the wire to the key blank in any way? I realize these are a lot of questions. I'd be grateful for any help you can give me or if you could refer me to a book or manual that goes into more detail. Thanks in advance.
