Master Pining

[zerojoecool]

I am a tenant that has been turned into a Manager!! WOW FREE RENT IS COOL.

We pay a lot of money for a LS to come out and repin/rekey a lock when a tenant moves out and it cost a good bit of money. The owner wants me to learn how to do this. I have repined a regular lock but I have never done a Top Master key before. I know it has to do with the top set of pins and some math.

I have the code for my master and I have the codes to all of my Units on paper. I need to learn how to re-key a lock if someone moves.

Please advise. Note I have the 127 topic already printed out and have it in hand

[Safekey]

Do you know what kind of lock it is ?
Posting a picture would also help.

You will also need a pinning set and tools, depending on what kind of lock it is.

[zerojoecool]

Just your standard Kwikset lock that u get at lowes. Not the high security locks. 5 Pin

[Chucklz]

Kwikset and high security.... those terms don't work well together at all.

Heres my advice.

You are going to need to dump all of the pins when you do this, because you dont want to trap an extra master pin above the shear line, resulting in nasty cross keys etc.


Go to your lowes, and grab a Kwikset lock. Dissassemble as usual, but take the top retaining clip off and dump everything. Now you have a cylinder with no pins and no springs. Of course you can reuse the springs

Compare your Master to whatever tennant key you wish to pin up. Write down the bittings for each. Find the shallowest cut in each position, and pin that as the bottom pin. Add the appropriate master pin so the deeper cuts will work, and add top pins and springs.

[HeadHunterCEO]

always dump all the pins when yopu are remastering a lock so they don't stack out in the sping housings

it is real simple addition

you know the cuts for the master
you will need to create a new key and cut it to code.

simply add or subtract pin heights to the master pins and bottom pins so that it adds up to same biting

exp:

mas biting
22131

original

Ind Key
53421
top pins
3131x
bottom pins
22121

new key setup

mas bting
22131
ind key
43321
top pins
2121x
bottom pins
22121





or the dirty method will need a big lab kit for this.

take the individual keys you already have for the lock and take your file and just deepen two of the cuts

add a couple master pins of the correct height and bam you have just rekeyed it

[CobraOne]

I am willing to come down and work with you for mmmmm ........
FREE RENT

[zerojoecool]

Head hunter Please respond to this

Ok I see where u are getting with this.

post this again and step it out for me. I see what u mean but am still lost

lets take this for example: I have 1 lock to pin, I have the master code and the Unit code. lets say there are no pins in the core. What are the steps. Subtract what from what, Add what to what???

I am dsylxic and looking at the numbers above throw me off. SORRY!!!! You have to write it out.

[Varjeal]

Alrighty zero...here's how it works.

Let's say your master key is 25343.

Your unit code is 27345.

And there are no pins in the core.

For each position, the bottom pin you put into the plug will be the shortest of the two comparable positions of the keys.

In this example, in the first postion of each key, the number is the same "2". So, you put a number two bottom pin into the plug.

In the second postion, the master key has a "5" and the unit has a "7", so you put a "5" bottom pin into the plug.

In order to make the unit key work though l need to add a "2" MASTER pin. Thus allowing a "5 pin + 2 pin"=7.

.....and so on.

The method that Headhunter was showing you is the "taught" example of how to write down what I've just explained in words.

Another try at explaining....

Master Key: 25343
Change key: 27345
...............................
Bottom pins: 25343
Master pins: X2XX2

Where x=no master pins added.


Btw, don't forget to add standard top pins and springs to the shell or body before you insert the plug.

You may find in some instances that you won't be able to have a key in the plug when you insert it back into the shell, so make sure you have your keying right (try both keys in the plug with the plug held in your hand or a proper plug holder clamped in a vise). Insert each key verrrry slowly, and make sure a set of pins lines up flush with the shearline for each key. Once you've checked both, you know you're good to go.

[WhiteHat]

hey, that was a very good post varjeal, any chance of sticking that into the FAQ's somewhere?

[Chucklz]

I would recommend practicing a few times, just so that you are comfortable with the procedure. Even though I've only been involved in one "real" master keying project, I have a few tips Id like to share.

1.) Write everything down before hand. Have a bound notebook, that is one in which you cannot remove pages. I am partial to laboratory notebooks, but a good ledger or similar would work well. Write only in pen, and document every job you do. While this may seem overkill, you end up being rather forced to keep careful, centralized records. This will make fixing things, or redoing things very easy.

2.) Get a whole bunch of precut "change keys" for your system, so you always have a good number on hand. Of course, with your fastiduously kept records, you already have the math done, so you can repin the lock in a few minutes..

Finally, I beleive the current recommended "shelf life" of a master key system to be about 10 years. You may want to consider "redoing" the whole thing depending on the age of the system.