Impressioning

[Spot]

I have recently started impressioning locks and was supprised how easy it was if you could see the key blank in the right light. I have only opened the locks whilst in the workshop at the moment, and don't know whether there is a real call to open them this way when out on site.
Anybody got experience of opening locks this way whilst out on a call out or general routine work?

[digital_blue]

Ok, for starters, I'm not a trading locksmith, so take what I've got to say on the matter with a grain of salt... but...

I would think that in a lockout situation where somebody has lost their keys and you know that once you're in, you'll need to be cutting new keys for them, that impressioning would be just what the doctor ordered for that moment. If you pick the lock, have to disassemble to get code, then reassemble and re-install, surely it will take more than the 10 or so minutes it's going to take for you to impression the lock. Once impressioned, you can obviously read the code and cut the key pretty quickly, so I would think that would be a time efficiency thing.

But... again, not a locksmith, so I'm only speculating.

Cheers!

db

[vector40]

I'd guess it depends mostly on how fast and comfortable you are with impressioning. Unless you're quite good, I'd suspect you'd avoid it unless it was necessary.

[Varjeal]

Being able to impression keys is a good skill to have when a customer has lost all keys to a particular lock.

When a customer has left their keys in a vehicle, impressioning is not generally used as the vehicle can be opened and an extra key duplicated faster than the lock can be impressioned.

It's also a handy skill to have at commercial business' for filing cabinets and other such devices as well when codes are not available.

[Pickermeapie]

I have tried to impression on occasions, but I just can't do it. Can't see any marks on the key and I don't know where to file. For me, it is taking the lock apart and looking for codes. Customers don't like it when it doesn't look like you know what your doing, or what your doing isn't very technical.

[davidgjr]

I agree with varjeal. I impression all the time in the field. Did 2 Ford 5 pins, a tool box, and a toyota camry in the past few days.

[Shrub]

I find its easier if i rough up the surface a little with some emry paper, its a lot easier to see the marks that are shiney as opposed to the dull roughed up part.

Fileing cabinets are a great example.

[digital_blue]

I have found the same thing, though a quick and gentle pass of the file accomplishes the same thing for me.

db

[raimundo]

I learned impressioning long ago, before the pippin file was all the rage, and a second cut ten or twelve inch rattail file was the thing to use, while taking care to dress the slopes so the pins can ride the right angle. I also learned to use a mill file to cut a knife edge on the blank to weaken the edge for the first impressions. Any key made by impressioning should be considered weakened by the work, and locksmiths I knew, always used the impressioned key to make a copy from for the customer. Sunlight is the best light to impression in, but with a ten power loupe, I have done the job with a flashlight on half gone batteries, there is a type of box that may have a three power lens, and some leds of various color and placement that is made for impressioning, you put the key in the box, and look through the lense while twiddling with a switch that lights the key from various angles with various colored lights, I have only seen this in catalogues, but it seems like something one could easily build for yourself. a sharpie black marker will also help in impressioning, you can blacken the working edge, and then see the drag trails of the pins as you insert, and the marks of various degree of binding. The sharpie marker is not routine impressioning help, but when things get difficult, it can help.

[Shrub]

I make the billy box for sale ive not got any made at the moment though

[raimundo]

after haveing impressioned keys for over 30 years, yesterday I learned a new wrinkle. for the first time, I charted each impression as i identified them so that i had a record of the cuts i had made in succession. all you need is some paper with five lines verticle, then after spotting your mark, and cutting it you mark the column for that pin column. you could make different marks to indicate a heavy dimple or a light impression.
The utility of this is that one of the mistakes made in impressioning is misreading a mark and going past the shear line. If you do this and have to start another blank, you can chart it on the same paper in columns beside the first attempt and this will allow you to see if the marks are appearing in the same sequence, an indication that you are on the right track, or if they are not, you will be alert to the possibility that something has changed.
Normally imprssioning is a sure thing on locks susceptible to it, but it is fraught with broken blanks and restarts. persistence is the key to getting the job done, (yes I know some of you claim to get it on the first blank in twenty minutes on every lock, but I just dont' believe that, have you impressioned a best sfic with the index on the tip not the shoulder?)

[taylorgdl]

I know of someone who used to impression while out on warrant runs. I can see the benefit as a 5 pin yale is not to hard, (although its quicker to slip the latch), and you've always got a (rough) key should you need to open the lock again.
I haven't done a warrant run, so this is all just heresay, and just my 0.2 euro . . .

G.