Where to start....

[marky_lad]

Guys,

Firstly Imust say that this is a great site, a really greatt resource.

I'm actually a plumber working in the UK, business is great but I think that I have identified a possible way of increasing my earnings.

I'm wanting to offer a service for people who have moved house whereby I change the locks on their houses for a fixed price. While I know that this does not actually consititue lock picking I would also like to learn the basics of lock picking should there be a need to carry this out in the future.

What I'd like to know is whether or not there are any guides or courses that would offer details on changing locks in addition to lock picking techniques. I have heard mention of the Foley Belshaw courses available, having loocked at these they look pretty comprehensive, given what I have told you would something like this sound like a good path to follow?

Furthermore, being British, does the content apply to the UK as well as the US, and if so is their a UK site or office offering the course?

AnNy guidance will be happily accepted,

Mark

[ponsaloti]

what time did you get up this morning

[secondcity]

[NKT]

I'm actually a locksmith working in the UK, business is ok but I think that I have identified a possible way of increasing my earnings.

I'm thinking of offering a service where, when I go round a person's house and change the locks, I can change all the tap washers. I'm not a plumber, but I know how a set of mole grips work.

Do Corgi do a course in plumbing I can go on? I'm not looking at doing the hard stuff, like soldering a pipe, but will the Corgi course teach me this? Can I learn at weekends? I have a match, and Corgi mentioned something about gas, so I'll probably get a lesson quite quickly.

[NKT]

Oh, and I was going to do it for a fixed price, because all washers are the same, and who could want more than two taps in a house?

[marky_lad]

Hey NKT,
It’s great to see you think the same way then! I do all that fixed price stuff with washers, ball valves and bathrooms. Built my business on it and I can't complain, infact I’d recommend it. The beauty is that as a ‘mean average’ everyone is happy, some even more so then the others.
As you pointed out washers are pretty much all the same they do one thing and that’s stop the water flow from a tap, they serve little other purpose. It’s funny because some take longer to fit then others but if you can calculate the appromixmate chances of being caclled out for different type of washers and the time taken to fit them (as well as the cost) then you can pretty much offer everyone a good deal based on the ‘mean average’.
I’d not recommend CORGI registration (in terms of fixed price gas work). You’ll probably find that BG have this market stitched up! Interestingly (and no word of a lie) my laptop broke down the other day, luckily it was under warranty, if not a fixed price HP repair would have cost me £249 exc VAT, not bad when you consider that if they couldn’t fix it they’d replace it.
Thanks for your support,
Mark

[UWSDWF]

ohhh... SNAP

[Afisch]

Sarcasm just a British thing?

[Magic]

Aww - you guys now I'm in a real quandry. I install T.V. aerials and make £1000 per week. I've got plenty of spare time on my hands and was looking for a second revenue stream. Now I don't know whether to buy a Black & Decker with a selection of drill bits or a pair of Mole grips with a bag of assorted washers.

[UWSDWF]

nope and thats why i gave it an "oohhhh SNAP"

[marky_lad]

I'd personally go with locks, it's not gonna be quite as dirty

[taylorgdl]

Now I don't know whether to buy a Black & Decker with a selection of drill bits or a pair of Mole grips with a bag of assorted washers.

Get both.

[raimundo]

I don't think foley belsaw will be the best course for someone in britain, they will teach you some useful stuff, but the british locksmiths have some fairly unique locks that you will not see or learn about in fb's course, and the picking is much different with the 2in1's you won't find that at FB. theyre from kansas or somewhere.

[marky_lad]

Cheers Raimundo,

Thanks for the advice.

[taylorgdl]

Locksmithing (and making money from it) is not a part time occupation.

You need to spend all your time training, sorting your business etc etc

And unless you really do well, it will take time earn from it.

I have no idea about plumbing, but I assume it takes time and effort to master all there is to know about that trade.

I do not think it is at all possible to combine the two trades, and be competent, let alone good, at either.

If you have invested time and effort to become a half decent plumber, why waste money,time, effort etc trying to become a locksmith?

You will never achieve both.