So I was in the shop today, cutting a load of keys, everyone seemed to come at once lol, and there was two of use at it !!!!!
Anyway, back to the point . . . . . We had reached a quiet point and then a customer came in and explained to us that she had moved into a new house and every window in the house was locked apart from one! So she visit the shop a couple of weeks previous to borrow our big bunch of window keys to see if she could find the one that worked so we could order some in, with no avail.
So today she comes in with the handle from the unlocked one to see what we could do. The job was promptly passed to me as I quite enjoy doing things like that (and had nothing to do! ). I tried the window key board as it had recently been updated (no avail still). After having a look at the lock, it was clear it was a sealed unit and required something a little more down my street . . . . . . . .
OK, so the first thing I did was establish what blank it was and after having a quick look at the keyway I had established it was like an inverted " F " shape, to the L & F blanks ! First one I picked up fitted but was slightly too small, so I moved on going and found JMA LF 1I .
So I then assembled my version of Kit X :
And here's an option preference :
I then prepared the blank by filing the blade with the large file and covering the blade and the sides of the blade in blue permanent marker:
Next I inserted into the lock and began the impressioning procedure, place in, tension, wiggle, relive tension, remove, file, repeat until works.
After a while the blank turned but was very stiff and a crack had began to show because of my perhaps over motivated attitude:
I then copied the bitings onto a new blank, made sure it worked the same and continued.
As the key was turning but still stiff, I then half turned the key and started to continue by hand, wiggling and rotating at different angles etc. It had left some lovely marks on the forth and second bitings so they got filed until it was acceptable.
Viola, It was now complete, so as the customer wanted five keys, I copied the original, checking each key worked every time, so if it went wrong it would only be one key rather than a batch.
Here's the result and a few nice piccies I couldn't find a place for:
Just to prove, you don't need posh tools to do a good job
Scott.
For instance, the man who taught me to impression swears by round files but I only bother using one if it is all I have on hand. And I hate round files for pin tumbler locks. Keep impressioning!
It works for me, the thin point centers the file cut from the beginning and opens it up to a nice round scoop, when the edges of the cut become steep, the round file can address this by the way you slip it up the edges as you finish the cut. I do not need another file to slope the edges, as I know how to do it with the rattail. 
