Kirk Interlock

[T-Real]

Has anyone here encountered a lock labeled Kirk Interlock with a Yale cylinder?
http://www.kirkkey.com/typefinterlock.html

I encountered one in a demolished (at least mostly) buildings electrical room. Wasn’t in use anymore (as the equipment it was attached to was under rubble), so I grabbed it. Has the key still in it which also says Yale. I believe that Kirk Interlock makes lockouts with numerous different types of cylinders.

I just thought it was strange as I haven’t seen anything like it before. It doesn’t seem to be too high security, as the mounting screws are very prominently displayed just below the lock, but it would serve its purpose.

At the same site I also encountered a number of Yale locks which was the first time I’ve picked them (or ever actually seen them). They didn’t seem much more difficult than my Kwiksets. Schlage seems to be more difficult to pick than Yale (at least more restrictive in the keyway than the Yale, which is wide-open.

I found a number of medico locks as well. I was unable to determine how to remove them from the doors, so I couldn’t save any. I was also very unsuccessful at picking them, although I would love to try (with the bent half-diamond that I believe Romstar suggested). Do these remove with some sort of control key, or am I just an idiot?

I’m surprised that there’s not some local locksmith collecting these locks before this material is loaded into dump trucks and hauled to the dump. It would seem that they would still have some value (I’m not sure if you can actually re-key a medico, but for the price one would think; unless it’s restricted by the manufacturer).[/url]

[randmguy]

Don't let the crappy Yales we have in the US fool you into thinking these are easy locks to pick. Yale makes a lot of nasty keyways for "high security functions" in the US and (unfortunately for Americans) for residential use in Europe/Australia/the rest of the world.

You can go to Target and buy a Yale lock but they are the cheaply produced lines that everyone in the US seems to be fine with. We get crappy keyways like that because they are cheap to produce and that's what folks in the US seem to want... Something cheap.

Take a look at the new X5 stuff that they get overseashttp://img68.photobucket.com/albums/v208/lordofbaal/Yale_002PB.jpg and you'll see what I mean. Sadly, as long as US insurance companies continue to think of locks as a secondary security concern, we'll continue to see Yales similar to the one you found...Along with Kwickset, Weiser, Dexter and all their cheaper (can you believe they get worse) Foreign knock-offs.

[hzatorsk]

I'd presume most locksmiths would only want to sell new locks and not 'reclaimed' ones. Also, compare the new sale margins against labor to reclaim old locks.

Warranty and liability issues also come into play when you offer a used lock to a customer and 'know' there is an unidentified person with a key to it.

Some of these locks (Medeco) also have owner keycards that must be represented to obtain copies of controlled keys. Without the keys, even a locksmith would find these locks of little use.

Hobbiests on the other hand... well... now that's a different story. You'd find a ready market for reclaimed salvage locks in the hobby field!

BTW: I'm sure you meant to say: had permission as opposed to encountered when you 'grabbed' these locks. We wouldn't want to promote any suspicious activities.

[Chucklz]

On the site, they mentioned that Interlocks up to 15 cylinders were available. I think that would make a heck of a great practice set up.

[T-Real]

So can anyone tell me if I'm just an idiot, or if there's a trick to removing Medicos? Is that sometihng that takes a control key (like an interchangable core)?

[DanD]

Lock removal depends on the type of lock (mortise, key in knob, deadbolt, etc.). If it is interchangeable core, the keyway will be in a piece of metal shaped kind of a figure eight, and this case is removed with a control key. If it is a mortise lock, the cylinder can be removed (with or without an IC) by removing the scalp (the plate on the edge of the door) and loosening (but not removing) the cylinder retaining screw (about a third of the way down from the top, on the side where the cylinder is, and set back from face) and then unscrewing the cylinder. Sometimes Medeco ICs have a security screw that prevents them from being removed without the key. Most non-mortise locksets have to be taken apart to remove the lock.