ERA Fortress

by **pinpusher** » 22 Dec 2005 2:11

I paid 11.00 + vat from local merchants for mine (spend lots with then & get looked after well).If order in moor would get better price.Get Union Yale Chubb list less 45%.Also able to get Corbin 40 X 40 Brass Euro for Â£ 1.40 + vat from differant merchant.Also handy as they have large stocks & close to me. & get work from then (Yeys to cut key alikes).

Eddie

by **Shrub** » 22 Dec 2005 8:34

I can beat you all, i got mine free from ERA as samples :wink:

by **NKT** » 23 Dec 2005 17:36

Lucky you! Duffells charged me a whacking Â£22.22 ex. VAT yesterday! Oh well, it's Christmas!

Chris, can you send me the mod details for the CB pick? I want to get my monies worth out of this lock over the break!

by **acl** » 24 Dec 2005 5:55

Eddie whos your local merchants?

by **pinky** » 24 Dec 2005 7:34

NKT

aldridges are Â£22 less your 40% discount if you have an account with them ?

by **NKT** » 24 Dec 2005 9:51

Pinky, I'll have to get a (non-cash) account then!

Happy Christmas, all!

by **nicholls** » 24 Dec 2005 12:14

OK so the FORTRESS lock now has:

* 4 roller bolts
* new lever pack
* 20 mm bolt

my questions are:

* what arrangement are the levers in the new lever pack, are they just as easy to lever pick via a poke wire?
* what colour is the cap? Is is still sprayed champaign gold?
* what is the key hole identification marks, what is the shape of the hard plate, is it still spot welded on?
* could someone email me a picture of the inside of one??

by **Shrub** » 24 Dec 2005 12:19

Thats a lot of info for a public disscussion on what is the new standard.

The case is red, you cant see the curtain.

Easy to lever pick with a poke wire???
You can still use a curtain pick but modifacations will have to be done, the Chris Belcher pick does them with ease (and skill of course) after a small mod has been done to the turner which wont be discussed here.

A lot of questions from a noob without any please or thankyou's, i must be in a good mood

by **nicholls** » 24 Dec 2005 12:30

sorry where are my manners??

thanks and please!!!

Ive been fitting the eras for 1 and a half years and have just got into the picking game, i just got taught the poke wire way to pick locks open but any advice on picking locks with curtains are appreciated!!

by **Shrub** » 24 Dec 2005 12:34

Have a good search around this section but to be honest the best thing you can do is to get some proper training (not ebay stuff) in the new year.

There are also various decoders etc that help open locks as well.

by **pinky** » 24 Dec 2005 17:16

you will find alot of advice on picking curtain locks as well as ERA specificaly.
If when you mention picking with a poke wire , you mean the 2mm drill template kit, then this isnt picking.

I may be wrong but your questions seem to relate to destructive opening, which is not what this site is about,

* is the h/p still spot welded ( is this the famous anvil punch it off with a screwdriver)
* will it still work with a poke wire ( sounds like the 2 to 3mm drill template kit, which like it or not its drilling and destructive, as once a hole no matter how small is placed in the h/p it loses its bs3621 rating)

We have put alot of advice on site on picking the ERA range as well as others, maybe a good read is necessary, investment in a good curtain pick and a shed load of practice, you will then learn that not only is it far more proffessional to use a pick to pick this lock, but with the right curtain pick its actualy quicker too.

to use a curtain pick takes practice, but once practiced and skilled with the tool, the ERA range of locks become a 2 minute opening, as do the legge bs , union bs etc.

by **pinky** » 24 Dec 2005 21:22

The new BS3621 standard has only covered the following main changes;

* 20mm Bolt Throw
* Latch operation with 10 Newtons Sideload
* 40N Follower force
* 25N Closing force
Old standard locks are still to be recognised for many years to come, as will old standard locks be available to buy and stock still with a compliant kite mark.
Although manufacturers stopped making the old bs3621 lock this month it will take another year or more to sell off stocks, and this will not affect your customer as the old standard will still be recognised for insurance purposes for alot of years to come.

by **nicholls** » 27 Dec 2005 10:05

Sound,

Considering my firm has about:

500 x 2.5" era sash profits,
300 x 2.5" era dead profits,
250 x 3" era sash profits and 'bout 200 x 3" era dead profits,

in stock ready for fitting, it is best that we run them down for the fortress.......YAY!!!

by **chrisjc33** » 9 Jan 2006 8:57

Is that another hardplate on the inside of the cap?

by **nicholls** » 15 Jan 2006 17:10

Just had a look at the fortress on friday.

Its a bit fiddly. I kind of like the idea of them putting a sticker on saying:

'warning do not open. lock smith tool required.'

I take it the hidden curtain isn't part of the new BS??

Still, after a few years the edge will scratch with the key turning, will make it easier to identify.

I think the locks lever idea is good and the hidden curtain is a good innovation as well as its triangular shaped anti pick notches. Nasty.

ERA Fortress

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