ACE tubular rekeying questions

[Nasydave]

OK, I'm lost. (vending machine repairman (loves Sheryl Crow!))

Supposedly, there are 3 possible drivers (.180, .140, and .125)

7 possible cuts. (.020-.110)

And as far as I can determine, 19 followers (.025 to .295)

I'm just not getting it. AFAIK, the driver is the pin that is against the front of the lock. But if that's true, the combo of driver and cut only leaves a few possible combos.

Or is the driver the pin against the spring?

How do I calculate the key cut from knowing the pin combos? If, for example, I put in a .175 follower and and a .140 driver, what cut do I need?

I guess I'm just missing the whole point here. Is there a total that the driver + follower - the cut need to add up to? Because otherwise, I don't see any way to figure it.

(My apologies, I'm trying to learn from books!!)

[Nasydave]

PS> Supposedly, according to the instrucs I have, I need a .180 driver in pins 1,2,3 - a .140 driver in 4 + 5, and a .125 in 6 + 7

Is that right, and how does it affect the possible followers?

Do I need any special springs to match those driver?

[Chucklz]

I'm not sure what you are really asking, your terminology is a bit screwy. You have 7 "bottom" pins and three "top" pins. The "top" pins are of different sizes to compensate for the lenght of the "bottom" pins to keep spring compression about equal

[keysman]

>Supposedly, there are 3 possible drivers (.180, .140, and .125)

Yes OK

>7 possible cuts. (.020-.110)

Depending on the manufacturer may be called 1-8 or 0-7


>>And as far as I can determine, 19 followers (.025 to .295)

followers ????????? do you mean bottom pins?
I have never heard them called followers

>>I'm just not getting it. AFAIK, the driver is the pin that is against the front of the lock.

NO, the driver is the pin that touches the spring

>But if that's true, the combo of driver and cut only leaves a few possible combos.

IF that were true , but you answered your own question.



>How do I calculate the key cut from knowing the pin combos? If, for example, I put in a
.175 (follower????) Bottom Pin and a .140 driver, what cut do I need?

Ignore the top pin ( the 1 that touches the spring) it has nothing to do with the key cut.
I don’t have a chart handy so my #’s are made up for this example.
For example a #1 cut on the key = a # 1 bottom pin. Look on the chart and you will find a
pin length that corresponds to the #1 pin . That pin may be a ..025 pin. The same for # 2
pins may = .037 and so on.


>I guess I'm just missing the whole point here. Is there a total that the driver + follower -
the cut need to add up to? Because otherwise, I don't see any way to figure it.

Yes you are trying to make much more out of this than is there. The Bottom Pin (the pin
that touches the key) = the key depth. the other pins don’t have anything to do with it.

>>>(My apologies, I'm trying to learn from books!!)

mmmmmm I would throw that book away, It doesn’t have very good information and the
terminology is different from standard terminology. It makes it difficult to answer a
question when you are using incorrect terminology.
Perhaps the author was not really familiar with Ace locks .

[Nasydave]

Thanks for the help, that makes it a LOT clearer to follow. And I think I may toss that book out.

I'll give it a try today and see what happens...

[Nasydave]

Amazing how much easier to understand with the lock open. Thanks for the help.

One final question, though. The driver for pin 1. It has a small wire coming out the back that fits into a hole in the stationary part of the lock.

What it that for?

[keysman]

The driver for pin 1. It has a small wire coming out the back that fits into a hole in the stationary part of the lock.

What it that for?

It is a "anti-pick pin" actually helps with some picks.

I can only be used with certain pins , I don't remember which right now.

[Nasydave]

Strange.

Thanks again for the help. I feel a lot more confident now that I've done one without losing any parts!

[vector40]

o_O

I'd like to hear more about that wire thing.

[Nasydave]

Hard to describe. Pin 1 has a small diameter (smaller than a mechanical pencil lead) rod coming out the back. As far as I can tell, it doesn't push anything, connect to anything, or do anything. All that is visible in the hole is the spring itself, and that comes out. The pin does have a couple ridges in it. About the only thing the ridges can catch on would be the spring itself.

[Chrispy]

I saw the tubular re-pinning set the workshop uses the other day. It looks like it's from the '60s. You know that old type lettering on the tin box? That's what it looked like.