the mysterious cuts

by **p1ckf1sh** » 23 May 2006 13:46

Dang, this bothers me.

Atrix, is there any brand name on the lock (not chinese characters, something you and I can read)?

I am ready to track down the manufacturer and email them for an explanation.

I can't really believe that a company would bother to add another production step for saving such a bit of metal. I know that China is eaing metals like nothing else currently, but come on, this is brass. It is not stainless steel or gold or something...

by **Raccoon** » 23 May 2006 14:27

Ancient Chinese Secret.

They know something we don't. :shock:

Can anyone identify that keyway?

by mh » 23 May 2006 15:56

Ancient Chinese wisdom.
He who saves the manufacturing steps will not save the money, because the work is cheap. And maybe he will have many enemies, because his family does not have the work.
But he who saves the material will be happy and can make more products and will have the many happy customers.

mh

by **pinsetter** » 23 May 2006 16:16

I have seen that keyway used by two companies:

Chateau, and UHP

by **toomush2drink** » 23 May 2006 17:23

It could be a way to prevent a plug pulling attack. The plug would shear at the cuts rather than completely pull out and it seems a very cheap of preventing it.

by **p1ckf1sh** » 23 May 2006 17:42

mh wrote:Ancient Chinese wisdom.
He who saves the manufacturing steps will not save the money, because the work is cheap. And maybe he will have many enemies, because his family does not have the work.
But he who saves the material will be happy and can make more products and will have the many happy customers.

Jajajaja, work is cheap. Machines are not. And I don't think there are chinese people hand-filing the notches and carefully brushing the shavings into little containers. It takes a machine. The machine will have to be bought, maintained, the shavings have to be recollected etc. That is so much hassle that I can't believe it is the true reason.

I know that there seems to be no real reason for these notches, and around here most seem to agree the reason is saving material, but think about this:

If they want to save material big time why just so thin notching? They could basically make an continuous notch along the entire plug, minus a few millimeters back and front. The plug will still fit fine of the rounding of the remaining stuff is accurate. But there are 4 notches to each side, and one of them is even just half as deep. What about this? The chinese guy hand-filing the notch died? Broke his file? Was arrested for political agitation?

I am not seeking to troll around or start a flame war, but I thikn the Occam's Razor is not applicable here. The easiest reason might be saving material, but I think there is something we don't think about here.

by **cracksman** » 23 May 2006 19:09

Is it possible that plug was originally a die cast, then drilled? That would save material without a further process.....

by mh » 24 May 2006 0:39

p1ckf1sh wrote:If they want to save material big time why just so thin notching? They could basically make an continuous notch along the entire plug, minus a few millimeters back and front.

Well, short 'top' pins would fly around inside the housing in this case.

But I like toomush2drink's idea as well - an anti-pulling protection mechanism.

mh

by **keysman** » 24 May 2006 1:31

I don't know , I am just guessing.. I agree that the cost of machining those slots would not be cost effective just to to recycle material,

but if the part was orginally designed and manufactured for another unrelated product, then adapted for use as a cylinder plug it might be cheeper.

The mystery continues.

by **Raccoon** » 24 May 2006 2:39

I really like that; anti-plug-pulling mechanism. Such a brilliant idea from such a random Chinese company... it's too good to be true.

atrix, could you tell us where to get one of these locks? Would you send us one or two? I want to try pulling one to see what it does. :twisted:

by mh » 24 May 2006 2:55

Raccoon wrote:I really like that; anti-plug-pulling mechanism. Such a brilliant idea from such a random Chinese company... it's too good to be true.

Yep, and that might even explain the offset of the cuts; they cover the thinnest part (where the pin holes are widest), yet block the 'top' pins properly...

We should really try pulling one; this could be the new 'pull-to-secure' concept

by **p1ckf1sh** » 24 May 2006 8:09

mh wrote:Well, short 'top' pins would fly around inside the housing in this case.

Dang, had not considered this. I stand corrected. But it still does not explaing the different depth of that one lonely notch in relation to the others.

Anti-pulling sounds actually kinda nice to me. I never pulled a lock, but woudn't the burglar get around this "feature" by using a screw that goes throught he entire plug? Or is it too hard to screw the holding screw in that far?

by **n2oah** » 24 May 2006 8:12

mh wrote:We should really try pulling one; this could be the new 'pull-to-secure' concept

Designated break-off points are already in use as an anti-pulling feature.
I was thinking about getting/making a slide hammer and trying some of my old cyliders out.

by **digital_blue** » 24 May 2006 9:53

You guys are all way off. Clearly the cuts are there for aerodynamics.

by **pinsetter** » 24 May 2006 12:24

could it be something so simple as to reduce friction in the cylinder?

the mysterious cuts

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