How do I obtain cutting codes from a key number

[psehorne]

I have an Alcoswitch 2SWK132AL101 lock with no key. I believe the last 5 digits of the part number is the key number, AL101. If so, how can one determine the key cutting code for the key? A Yale Y13 seems to fit in the keyway properly.

Thanks,
Paul

[Evan]

I have an Alcoswitch 2SWK132AL101 lock with no key. I believe the last 5 digits of the part number is the key number, AL101. If so, how can one determine the key cutting code for the key? A Yale Y13 seems to fit in the keyway properly.

Thanks,
Paul

Take the lock to a locksmith shop... They can attempt to look up that code series and cut a key... Not all code series to all locks are available...

Worst case scenario the lock shop has to impression a key for you...

~~ Evan

[psehorne]

Take the lock to a locksmith shop... They can attempt to look up that code series and cut a key... Not all code series to all locks are available...

Worst case scenario the lock shop has to impression a key for you...

~~ Evan

I want to do this myself and, in fact, I am impressioning it now. (my first attempt at impressioning)

Thanks,
Paul

[psehorne]

One other thing, I would like to have the specs for the Y13 (center to center spacing, shoulder to first cut distance, ect.), but online I can only find the specs for the larger Yale keys.

Can someone point me to the specs for the Y13?

Thanks,
Paul

[Squelchtone]

Would an image of this bump key help at all with at least the space part of space and depth?

http://www.bumpkeyshop.com/images/P/Yal ... -5-pin.jpg

Squelchtone

PS. For anyone looking for that old online Space and Depth chart from 2006 that was posted on blackbag.nl, here it is: http://web.archive.org/web/200502151024 ... pacing.htm

[Wizer]

I assume you are in USA, so against my principles I post these in thousnds of an inch:
Spacing, first cut from shoulder 125, then 94,94,94,94.
Depth: 1=250,2=230,3=210,4=190,5=170.

Hope this helps!

[femurat]

IMHO if you're trying lo learn impressioning and you care about space and depths, you're starting out the wrong way.
Just look for marks! If you see a mark, file it down. If you don't see a mark, don't file. That's it.
Good luck and let us see your first key, no matter if it works or not.

Cheers

[psehorne]

I assume you are in USA, so against my principles I post these in thousnds of an inch:
Spacing, first cut from shoulder 125, then 94,94,94,94.
Depth: 1=250,2=230,3=210,4=190,5=170.

Hope this helps!

Yes, it does help... and BTW, although in the USA, I prefer metric.

I have a Y13 for a different lock than I am impressioning, and I have a Y13 bump key. Using these I had come up with the following:
Depth: 250, 230, 190, and 170, others assumed to be .020 increments.
Cut to cut: .090
Shoulder to first cut:My sample key has a 1 (no-depth-cut) first cut; so I could not directly measure the shoulder-to-first-cut distance, but working backwards using .090 from the second cut I computed 130 (the second cut is at ~220).


So I am very close.

Thanks for your help.

Paul

[psehorne]

IMHO if you're trying lo learn impressioning and you care about space and depths, you're starting out the wrong way.
Just look for marks! If you see a mark, file it down. If you don't see a mark, don't file. That's it.
Good luck and let us see your first key, no matter if it works or not.

Cheers

I understand and agree to a point.

Using impressioning I can determine 'where' to make the cuts, and through taking off small amounts of metal at a time I can eventually get to the correct depths. However, I am not a gluten for punishment; so knowing the cut dept in advance will allow me to take off metal in correct increments.

You've probably seen advice to help learn lock picking that advises to have some locks that you know are easy to pick and revert to them when frustration sets in - confidence builders. I'm wanting to use all available information (in this case cut depth) to make my first attempt more likely to be a success.

Knowing the cut-to-cut distance will allow me to confirm that the mark I am seeing is in fact a correct mark and not just a false shiny glimmer.

With that said, I understand that some crutches can be a hindrance to the learning process and appreciate your bringing this to my attention.

Paul

[psehorne]

I assume you are in USA, so against my principles I post these in thousnds of an inch:
Spacing, first cut from shoulder 125, then 94,94,94,94.
Depth: 1=250,2=230,3=210,4=190,5=170.

Hope this helps!

Where did you get this information? And, could I have found it myself on the internet somewhere?

Thanks,
Paul

[psehorne]

Would an image of this bump key help at all with at least the space part of space and depth?
http://www.bumpkeyshop.com/images/P/Yal ... -5-pin.jpg

I'm sure it would help, but I actually have a bump Y13 bump key.

Thanks for posting.

Paul

[MacGyver101]

Just to double-check...

Those Alcoswitch / Tyco Electronics switch-locks are wafer locks. So, while the blank may fit, the depth/spacing specs for a Y13 blank are going to be for a pin-tumbler cylinder... so I'm not convinced that using the Y13 depth/spacing is going to give you what you're hoping for? (Of course, I may have missed something here, and may just be confused about what you're trying to do?)

[psehorne]

Just to double-check...

Those Alcoswitch / Tyco Electronics switch-locks are wafer locks. So, while the blank may fit, the depth/spacing specs for a Y13 blank are going to be for a pin-tumbler cylinder... so I'm not convinced that using the Y13 depth/spacing is going to give you what you're hoping for? (Of course, I may have missed something here, and may just be confused about what you're trying to do?)

Thank you. I was probably headed down the wrong path with the Y13 specs. Glad you pointed this out to me before I wasted too much time. So I will have to start from scratch to determine the proper blank and data. So I am pretty much back to square one.

Would you think that the Y13 blank would still be usable, that I just need to determine the specs.... or just continue with impressioning and forego the actual specs? Or is it likely that I will need a different blank altogether?

Now I know that I can buy the lock and two keys from Digi-Key for $19.50, but I want to learn this subject; so I'm trying to learn rather than just buy the lock and keys. It is not a matter of trying to save ~$25.

Thanks,
Paul

[MacGyver101]

Would you think that the Y13 blank would still be usable, that I just need to determine the specs.... or just continue with impressioning and forego the actual specs? Or is it likely that I will need a different blank altogether?

If the blank fits, it should certainly be usable: there's nothing that would prevent you from impressioning with it, and the impressioning may (or may not) actually be a bit easier if the blank has a little more wiggle room... it's just that the impressioning marks from your lock probably aren't going to show up in the same place as the pins of an original pin-tumbler lock that was designed to take a Y13.

[Evan]

Would you think that the Y13 blank would still be usable, that I just need to determine the specs.... or just continue with impressioning and forego the actual specs? Or is it likely that I will need a different blank altogether?

If the blank fits, it should certainly be usable: there's nothing that would prevent you from impressioning with it, and the impressioning may (or may not) actually be a bit easier if the blank has a little more wiggle room... it's just that the impressioning marks from your lock probably aren't going to show up in the same place as the pins of an original pin-tumbler lock that was designed to take a Y13.

I haven't ever seen a Y13 lock that wasn't wafers...

MacGyver101 have you seen the Y13 keyway used with pin tumbler locks ?

Yale did have a set of smaller format keyways and cylinders used for pin tumbler cabinet type locks, but none of those keyways are the Y13... Another known hardware maker which has used keyways which can be either pin tumbler OR wafer depending on the application is National Lock (NA12 keyway)... I am not 100% sure if some of the CCL stuff could go either or, as most of the CCL products are application specific...

~~ Evan