Folger Adam Breakdown (Mortise Cylinder)

[Urbex]

Folger Adam locks are typically used in detention centers, I'm not going to lecture you about the company history. It's pretty much a beefed up version of a standard mortise cylinder, meant to withstand physical attack and picking. Keep in mind that this thing is alot larger than a standard cylinder. Thats right ladies, your standard picks are no use for this lock! This version contains five chambers and two separate shear lines. Each chamber contains a spring, security driver, bottom pin, and a ball bearing.

If enough people are interested, I'll restore a few more cylinders and throw them up for sale.

I have a Folger Adam lever breakdown coming within a few days!

[MacGyver101]

If enough people are interested, I'll restore a few more cylinders and throw them up for sale.

I would certainly be interested -- and I suspect that several others here would as well.

[lunchb0x]

depending on price i will be interested as well, how many keys will they come with?

[Urbex]

Right now, I have no keys.

I may be able to score a few and I'm working on that now.

[Squelchtone]

Right now, I have no keys.

I may be able to score a few and I'm working on that now.

I'm interested in a cylinder and key.



Squelchtone

[fsdhy]

Folger Adam locks are typically used in detention centers, I'm not going to lecture you about the company history. It's pretty much a beefed up version of a standard mortise cylinder, meant to withstand physical attack and picking. Keep in mind that this thing is alot larger than a standard cylinder. Thats right ladies, your standard picks are no use for this lock! This version contains five chambers and two separate shear lines. Each chamber contains a spring, security driver, bottom pin, and a ball bearing.

If enough people are interested, I'll restore a few more cylinders and throw them up for sale.

I have a Folger Adam lever breakdown coming within a few days!

Looks like a standard yale #9 keyway. Does this thing take a standard IlcoEZ# Y1 blank, or are you saying even they keyway is oversized?

I've never seen a detention lock that wasn't a lever lock.

[Squelchtone]

Looks like a standard yale #9 keyway. Does this thing take a standard IlcoEZ# Y1 blank, or are you saying even they keyway is oversized?

I've never seen a detention lock that wasn't a lever lock.

Check out this comparison to a regular sized mortise cylinder.







Squelchtone


btw.. in the course of writing this and putting up the picks, I decided to try to pick it.

and I did. =) wow. must be heavily master keyed or something.




*not sure if this lock is in use anywhere in the penal system so I blurred out the numbers on it, in case you were wondering whats up with the photoshop blurries*

[Squelchtone]

ok, some research since my last post.

I held the picked Folger Adam up to the light and rotated the core Counter clock wise but the right side of the cylinder wall is solid, no secondary pins. This leads me to believe that the little graphic I nabbed from the internet is of a Maxi Mogul cylinder, while the one I have is a standard Mogul. Maxi Mogul was granted a patent in 1992/93. My locks cam actually has black marker on it that says "12-1-93" so it was already in use at that time, and it received that mark when it was installed, serviced, or removed from service.

Perhaps to upgrade it to a Maxi Mogul.

perhaps the original poster has some more info.

Thanks
Squelchtone

Springfield, MA

[mkultra23]

It shouldn't be too hard to pick. I believe the ring that surrounds the plug is used for master keying; it doesn't look to have the two adjacent rows of tumblers which looks more difficult.

[digital_blue]

Add me to the list of people who would be interested in one of these (depending, again, on price).

[Urbex]

It shouldn't be too hard to pick.

It is in fact easy to pick, the problem is the warding.

I believe the ring that surrounds the plug is used for master keying; it doesn't look to have the two adjacent rows of tumblers which looks more difficult.

Sorry if my explanation wasn't clear, theres two shear lines but only one set of tumblers. Your absolutely right about the master keying, thats what the second shear line is for, or it may be for some type of key control system.

[Squelchtone]

It shouldn't be too hard to pick.

It is in fact easy to pick, the problem is the warding.

I believe the ring that surrounds the plug is used for master keying; it doesn't look to have the two adjacent rows of tumblers which looks more difficult.

Sorry if my explanation wasn't clear, theres two shear lines but only one set of tumblers. Your absolutely right about the master keying, thats what the second shear line is for, or it may be for some type of key control system.

It reminds me of the Corbin Master Ring cylinder system. This is actually supposed to make picking more difficult because you have 2 different shear lines so you may feel pins setting, but they're not necessarily setting on the same shearline, so you may pick 4 to the lower shear line and 1 to the upper shearline and the lock still wont open.

for more information on the Corbin Master Ring, I direct you to Eric343's nice photographs:

http://ericschmiedl.com/locks/large-59.html

and here I thought I picked a difficult lock....

Squelchtone

[mkultra23]

Exactly. I thought I was looking at one of the old Corbin master ring cylinders when I first checked this thread, Perhaps FA leased the idea or adopted it once the patent expired.

[mkultra23]

It shouldn't be too hard to pick.

It is in fact easy to pick, the problem is the warding.

Now I am confused: If the warding of the keyway is a problem AND its east to pick. Though this confusion reminds me of another innovative Corbin product, the interlocking pin system, where they need to be twisted in order to align the joint of the top and bottom pins with the shearline and the plug's axis of rotation. In order to accomodate the locking projections of the top pins, both the plug and bottom of the key have grooves milled into them. First time I saw one of the keys I thought their might be some warding in the shell to prevent unauthorized blanks in a fashion similar to Best's Flexcore. Then I remembered reading about these interlocking pins

[Urbex]

Your confusing the hell out of me here

I'm going to shoot you a PM.