My First Re-pin

[dev070]

Hey everyone, I just attempted my first repinning and wanted to share my experience.

I went to the local hardware store and bought a cheap ($6US) "ilco replacement cylinder." When I got it home it had what the instruction manual called a "break-off connecting bar" coming from the back. There were no retaining screws and the retaining plate was latched tightly to the back of the plug. The plate was much more difficult to remove than I had anticipated and I worked at it for a good half hour. Finally, in frustration, I wedged a nail b/w the plate and the plug and pounded on it with a hammer until it came loose. After removing the plate, everything went smoothly according to Illusion's Re-pin Guide.

Thanks for all the help!

[Satan130]

this is posiblly the first story i have ever heard that had "i got mad so i hit it with a hammer" in it, and ended well.

congrats by the way

[yoyoboy]

Any photos of the "Break off connecting bar" ?

[dev070]

I don't actually own a digital camera (I know, I'm a disgrace to the age in which I live!) but it is pretty easy to explain.

If you take a look at illusion's re-pin guide, the one diagram shows a "retaining screw" at the back of the cylinder. The break off bar was just a metal bar with crimps along the length (so that you could break it off in various spots) that stuck out about 2.5 from the back.

Actually found a pic on google:

US_1596.jpg

What does the connecting bar do? No idea, really

[dev070]

A few corrections to my last post because I'm dumb:

1) the reason I mentioned the retaining screw is because the break off bar on my cylinder was where the screw should have been.

2) that was 2.5 inches

It's been a long week ::whew::

[zeke79]

Another guide to check out is in this thread viewtopic.php?f=8&t=22090 . It shows the easiest way to load top pins and springs and the repinning of a cylinder in video format. Hope that helps some.

[dev070]

oh man loading the top pins and springs was tough. I just used a pair of tweezers to first set the spring in the hole (that part is easy). Then, I aligned the plug follower right next to the hole so that i could prop the top pin against it and keep the pin upright. After that, I just pushed the top pin down with the tweezers and slid the plug follower foward in the cylinder once the pin was all the way down.

[yoyoboy]

I don't actually own a digital camera (I know, I'm a disgrace to the age in which I live!) but it is pretty easy to explain.

If you take a look at illusion's re-pin guide, the one diagram shows a "retaining screw" at the back of the cylinder. The break off bar was just a metal bar with crimps along the length (so that you could break it off in various spots) that stuck out about 2.5 from the back.

Actually found a pic on google:

US_1596.jpg

What does the connecting bar do? No idea, really

OOH you got me confused when you first described. That part is commonly called a the tail piece. it is what transfers motion from the cylinder plug to the lock, or boltwork. Its design also allows for some bypasses, a-la medecco M3. But thats a different topic for a different day.

[zeke79]

oh man loading the top pins and springs was tough. I just used a pair of tweezers to first set the spring in the hole (that part is easy). Then, I aligned the plug follower right next to the hole so that i could prop the top pin against it and keep the pin upright. After that, I just pushed the top pin down with the tweezers and slid the plug follower foward in the cylinder once the pin was all the way down.

Agreed, but starting in the middle of the shell is by far the easiest way to load top pins and springs.

[dev070]

OOH you got me confused when you first described. That part is commonly called a the tail piece. it is what transfers motion from the cylinder plug to the lock, or boltwork. Its design also allows for some bypasses, a-la medecco M3. But thats a different topic for a different day.

Oh! thanks for the info. Sorry about the terminology, not so familiar with the lingo just yet. That's just what the lock manual called it.

[raimundo]

Loading pins, start by loading the third hole from the end of the cylinder you are working on, this should be near the center of the cylinder. then do the second hold and the end hole,

After you have done that, push the slider all the way through and work from the opposite end of the cylinder. This method eliminates having to tweezer the pins deep into the cylinder while the follower is just poised on the end of the cylinder.

start in the middle and work out, then go back to the middle and work out the other end.

[poor paperclip picker]

Loading pins, start by loading the third hole from the end of the cylinder you are working on, this should be near the center of the cylinder. then do the second hold and the end hole,

After you have done that, push the slider all the way through and work from the opposite end of the cylinder. This method eliminates having to tweezer the pins deep into the cylinder while the follower is just poised on the end of the cylinder.

start in the middle and work out, then go back to the middle and work out the other end.

wow that sounds way easier, I can't believe I have never thought of that. I have repinned many locks and I always went from end to end.

[cledry]

Just a note, but in illusions guide to pinning he does something that most locksmiths do in a different manner, but since the thread is locked I cannot post a recommendation. Actually a couple of things. Ok, actually three things.

Firstly most locksmiths after shimming (if no working key is available) will rotate the cylinder and push it through with their follower thus not dropping the top pins or springs out. However sometimes if the lock is worn or has been bump picked or a pick gun used, it is wise to replace the springs. Also you will want to clear out any master pins when rekeying. When loading the top pins and springs, most find it easiest if you simply use the follower to apply a little pressure to the pin holding it in place and just use the tip of your pin tweezers to push it down before advancing to the next chamber. Hollow brass in the proper diameter is available from hobby shops to make your own followers.

One possible problem can occur if the top pin is too long in a chamber where a long bottom pin is used. It can trap a key or prevent a key from entering a lock. Ideally the length of the bottom pin and top pin combination for each chamber should be more or less the same when added together to avoid crushing the springs or making the key difficult to insert or remove. In practice, for most locks this is just an approximate value.

Once you get the hang of it you can try loading Sargent IC cores with the hollow drivers on the control chamber, these locks you also load not only the top pin but also the control pins by top loading.