Why don't locksmiths design locks?

[ccmmyy25]

Something else important to add is how often do criminals actually break into somewhere with lockpicks? They often resort to smashing stuff (windows, weak doors, ect) with stuff (fist, stones, bricks, ect) before they sit there and practice the fine art of lockpicking. Plus when in such a stressful environment as breaking into a house it would not be easy to concentrate.

[Safety0ff]

You could have the corkscrew part of the key free to rotate on the handle so you could literally push the corkscrew into the key way

I hadn't thought of that! The one in my head was a slower screwing the key in design. Good idea though!

then when the handle gets close to the cylinder and the key is fully inserted it could have some sort of raised ledge/little legs that lock in to the cylinder to rotate.

But you'd still need a turning motion to turn the plug right? I don't think the force applied by pushing would be the best solution to turn the plug. I think the simplest design would probably be the best as far as turning the plug.

Then to remove its just a case of pulling the corkscrew out with the cylinder being sprung, it would be reset.

Hmm, the key would start to come out but the key pins will slide up untill they hit the housing then they would bind the key in place untill the plug is turned to align the pin stacks. I think the best motion is rotation directly applied to the plug.

But good idea for insertion/removal of a such key!

[SnowyBoy]

Didn't think about the key binding upon removing it.

I've whipped up a simple diagram in photoshop, Its nothing special, but it shows you what I had in mind from your idea.

Add me to msn lightside55 AT hotmail DOT com can discuss it there further.

[SnowyBoy]

I Just made a cast mock up of the rotating cylinder, the corkscrew goes in fine but i've just realized a potential problem with regards to the pins.

Because there is no ward below the pins, normal pins won't have anything to sit on. Only two ways I think it can be solved:

1) Let the pins be long enough to touch the opposite side they come in from & have a wedged slant on the end of the key so it can push them up.

2) Have the pins with little legs sticking out the side (like you see in wafer locks) to stop them falling into the cylinder.

[Safety0ff]

Couldn't you just shallow drill in the plug so that the bevel of the pin sits on the bevel of the hole to solve the problem? If you don't know what I mean them check out Deviant Ollam's site on bumping countermeasures.

That's awesome that you've made a cast mock up! I was thinking that I could make a 3d solid model in either Pro-E or Inventor. But I don't know all the parts assembly functions so it could take some time for me to learn them.

[WOT]

I think locksmiths are practical skilled lock technicians.

Good hand eye coordination needed for picking, manipulating, pinning locks per the book takes different skills than say designing the algorithm for a master keyed system.

Put an ASE certified mechanics through physics and calculus classes and many of them will struggle.

Then, put the design engineers into the shop and tell them to fix it and they'd struggle as well.

[Ofnir1]

No, if man put it together then someone can defeat it. I mean.... we are cloning sheep these days.

Cloning has been around for a lot longer, modern science just took a long time to catch on to it

My first thought of locksmiths being involved in making locks, is that they would make the "perfect" lock that couldn't be circumvented, so then there would be no need for locksmiths anymore if they couldn't open the lock if you happen to lose your keys.