My home made barrel key collection (& how to)

[Lauren]

Bring it on....

[raimundo]

Wow, I cant believe that I just now found this thread.


great work.

you must have some skills in fitting and cutting the keys too. do you use sacraficial blanks to learn the actual cuts or do you do them on the high quallity blanks your makeing?

totally love your work.

I want to see photos of that homemade lathe too.

I'll copy it if I do see it.

[Lauren]

Rarely, do I make mistakes on the blanks. Not to say it it hasn't happened. My first mistake was making double bit barrel keys from brass. The material is too soft and I ended up breaking the key in the lock. Another mistake I've made (but have fixed the problem) has been turning these washer-like key heads. Sometimes the head will slip and the piece will counter rotate where the carbide cutter bites into the shaft. I've fixed the problem by placing a thin protective collar around the shaft. Those newer, steel railroad padlocks (circa 1930's) made by Adlake with the pressed machine rivets have caused me problems also. This lock is dual levers and is little trickier than some other locks. I have had damaged locks because of my impatience. It's critical that the outer diameter and inner diameter of the barrel key be within spec. A couple of times, I've broken the center pin in locks because I forced the key in and out of the key hole. Lesson learned....never force your keys in or you'll pay the price, especially on the smaller brass cast padlocks.

My lathe is nothing more than a stand alone drill press made by Rigid available at your local Home Depot for around $350.00. The cross vise is a Harbor Freight model at a cost of about $89.00. I wanted to inspire others following this thread that one doesn't need super expensive equipment to produce a cool working key. Most of the skill in my opinion, rest with the ability to grind the block at the end of the key to fit the lock (see my diagram posted earlier in this thread). This is done visually, while holding the key in my hand. The other skill rest with the ability to make your own lathe bits (the tips have to be just right for smooth cutting). I grind mine from old used end mills. If any one is serious about making keys like the ones I've done, ask me lots of questions. Every detail is critical to your success.

[Lauren]

All right... so I've watched this You Tube video uploaded on Oct 17, 2006 by Dieselducy, titled "Unlocking the US MAIL Street Letter Box padlock VERY EXCITING". This guy probably had every profanity thrown at him as if he was teasing the viewing audience for showing off his prized padlock, and showing how the key works with some mechanical insight. One person in the comments seemed hungry for wanting the knowledge to make a key for his or her lock, and believe me, it's something you won't read about in AntiqueLocks.com. Nevertheless, I bought one of these obsolete padlocks off of Ebay for about $40.00 without a key just like the one shown in DieselDucy's vid, thinking I could bring some better insight to the mechanics of this lock, shown below.



When I first got my lock, I thought that I could decode the lock using the same exact processes that I described in one of my way earlier threads about decoding the "Champion pancake padlock". Well, I was wrong. I ended up taking my lock apart, making a push key and rebuilding it right down to the rivet; even the specially slotted one for the coiled hasp spring, shown below.



Now, I don't want to tease anyone, but these keys are actually really easy to make with the use of a special tool that I made. And, I'm not going to post the how-to, just to have it removed by a moderator. So, if you want to see it, I need a moderator to give me permission, otherwise the buck stops here.

[unlisted]

Do you have advanced access? Maybe you can create a thread over there for the more "detailed" stuff... ?

[raimundo]

When you had that apart, did you take photos? Your photos are really high quality.

isn't that essentially a miller push key type?

some of that type is still in use, but the post office also sells off lots of equipment, a friend of mine bought a bank of Post office box pidgeon holes with all the doors and locks but no keys, I rekeyed about a hundred of them for him. he was going to rent them in some coffeehouse he was going to open, but that never happened.

[Lauren]

Yes, I got pictures of the lock apart and it is simuliar to the Miller, but it is not probed the same way. I really wanted to post these pictures of the key making process, but it should fall into the advanced area I'm told. I really don't want to post it there, but I have to respect the wishes of the moderators, so I probably won't post it at all. Too bad.

[unlisted]

I probably won't post it at all. Too bad.

QFT

[raimundo]

You've got a hundred and seventy posts and have been on the forum since 06 and your not in the advanced group?
didn't you make a request like 4 years ago?
the moderators have to start responding to these things
Your posts have plenty of quality, the only thing that keeps people out is sketchyness, which I don't think applies to you. I think its time to get you into advanced,
If this site is going to continue to grow and advance, it needs members like you.
keeping you out is a disservice to the other members.
I protest.

Rai

[unlisted]

You've got a hundred and seventy posts and have been on the forum since 06 and your not in the advanced group?
didn't you make a request like 4 years ago?
the moderators have to start responding to these things
Your posts have plenty of quality, the only thing that keeps people out is sketchyness, which I don't think applies to you. I think its time to get you into advanced,
If this site is going to continue to grow and advance, it needs members like you.
keeping you out is a disservice to the other members.
I protest.

Rai

Uh, no one ever said they were excluded from advanced.. the OP said they did not want to make a second thread in the advanced section.

[Lauren]

I have to defend the Moderator, I really don't want to post in two different places. One has to be sure that information that could be considered advanced is kept in the proper area. I do have advanced access. I just don't consider these old locks as advanced being that many of them only come to life when collectors like myself talk about them in detail. I'm sure that this is not a new discussion to this forum; after all, someone might have one of these locks on their garage with a high strength brass shackle like this one. Who really determines what is obsolete security, anyway? I think of these old locks as puzzles and emblems of our once great American industry, many of which are no longer produced.

There's so little information out there for collectors in the antique lock realm. Many diehard collectors aren't willing to destroy and restore a padlock like I have done. I've seen the few teaser sites like Antiquepadlocks.com that show a few mechanical insides. Some people are content owning antique locks without keys. I find that boring and a dead end hobby. Anybody can buy a lock on Ebay with a key...so what. It's about dollars and who can outbid you in the last three seconds. How many collectors can pick, decode, or turn out a key? Not many is my guess. Over 4000 hits on this thread... the audience is hungry for more.

Just my opinion.

[stratmando]

Hey Lauren, hope all is well, I won 1 of those Locks on Ebay without a Key, they are just cool looking, This one is a 6 Lever Corbin "Old Ironsides".
A couple of questions, Can the lock be picked open with 2 L shaped tools?
If the Lock is bypassed Open, Can a Key be made by looking inside, I believe you mentioned something about this?
I am also waiting for some 6 lever Keys, I won, Hoping to get Lucky?

[Lauren]

If you can shim/pick the lock open through the hasp using the tools I used, it's a piece of cake. In the event that there's simply not enough space for shimming, I've been able to read the movement at least through the shackle for key making and/or shimming. Once the lock is open (which is desired) a key blank can be inserted and made to work quite easily. I like to use those mini cut off wheels from Dremel while the key is in my cross slide vise. When preparing the blank, one has to make any necessary warded cuts first. Often these locks have one warded plate between lever stacks.

Hope this helps.

[stratmando]

On the 6 and 8 Lever Locks, Do they really need both sides, or is that so the Key can be inserted either direction?, Thanks, It "Appears?" you would only need 1 side?

[Lauren]

If you look at some of my pictures that I've posted, you'll notice the hasp has locking plates on both sides; so therefore by design, both sides of the key are used to expand the levers away from the hasp. It's somewhat of a scissor action that takes place.