Magnetic Pins?

[jeffmoss26]

Awesome! Looks to be a gutted and repurposed Sargent Keso!

[phrygianradar]

Very cool. I have heard of magnetic keys being used in Asian countries but have never seen any.

[PinPopper1]

The pin from the 5th chamber of my medeco biaxial is magnetized. It hangs from the ends of my tension wrenches. I don't know if it is intended to be magnetized or if this is a result of coincidence. Maybe one of our other members can offer more insight into medeco using magnetic pins. Looking at the color of the pin, I believe it is a hardened steel pin meant to prevent drilling so that probably has something to do with it.

[ARF-GEF]

Whoever is interested in mangetized locks should check out the EVVA MCS.
http://lockwiki.com/index.php/EVVA_MCS
I start salivating even just thinking about it...

PS. this is necroposting: but despite the common disbelieve no Multilock interactive has magnetic parts in the key. I tested at least 20 of them myself.

[IndigoChild]

Dangit man! Now I have to spend money again!

[ktech]

The reason these locks arent very popular is because you can strike it with a hammer and that will usually demagnetize the magnets in a way that you can pick it like a normal lock.

Now I realize you're talking about a specific design, but wouldn't it be possible to correct that flaw by making the magnetic pins physically inaccessible from the keyway?

[ARF-GEF]

magnetic keys being used in Asian countries

I think you mean MIWA EC
Or possibly the newer version: MIWA 3800
It has a dutch lock of the same design too. It's called Anker 3800 and is made by Ankerslot.

Ther is teh MIWA VM99 which is a combintaion of pins and magnets.

Dangit man! Now I have to spend money again!

Be prepared to shell out serious money. EVVA locks are very well made and many have amazing designs but they are expensive too.

Lastly:

srike it with a hammer and that will usually demagnetize the magnets in a way that you can pick it like a normal lock

How is stricking by hammer demagnetise magnets? I'm not gettting that one. :S

[gunny]

I finally got some pictures of those magnetic keys I was talking about. I have plenty of pictures for you to see what I see and this is all we have at the shop so your guess is as good as mine. I am thinking the cylinder is like that to master key these magnetic keys because I imagine a magnet system doesn't play nice with regular cylinders.

View Gallery

I remember this lock growing up. I use to show off the key to all my friends. I thought it was the coolest.

Semper Fidelis,

Gunny

[boogietoot]

A pin (b) within a pin(a) on a very soft spring, sort of like how kaba expert counter pins allow the spring to sit inside them. Having pin b magnetized in a way that either with the key in the lock would be magnetized either just enough to withdraw pin b, or with no spring and the magnetic key pushed the pin away.

A pin within a pin within a pin.... o_O mind blown..

[IndigoChild]

How is stricking by hammer demagnetise magnets? I'm not gettting that one. :S

Actually you can demagnetize any magnet if you strike it. You know those rattler snake egg magnets? They will lose their potency every time you drop them together, the vibration is rapidly shaking and scrambling the polls inside of the malleable material. To think of this in terms of quantum physics, you must understand that everything is vibration. In fact matter does not exist. These specific vibrations create the illusion of magnetism. However a traumatic shock applied to the magnet sends powerful vibrations deep within the atomic structure canceling out, or negating, the vibrations that the magnet is producing. It permanently disrupts the atomic structure of the magnet. However you can ramagnetize a magnet in several ways.

[ARF-GEF]

Actually you can demagnetize any magnet if you strike it. You know those rattler snake egg magnets? They will lose their potency every time you drop them together, the vibration is rapidly shaking and scrambling the polls inside of the malleable material

Interesting. Never knew that

[cuttinedge1]

That could open up the possibility of some one putting an electromagnet on top that turn on and off very quickly which would be like a pick gun for a magnetic lock. This could in theory work on any lock with steel pins. Just an idea

[1leafclover]

How is stricking by hammer demagnetise magnets? I'm not gettting that one. :S

Actually you can demagnetize any magnet if you strike it.

This isn't true with all magnets. My research has only come up with older AlNiCo and some magnetized steels that are susceptible to shock.

I've been using neodymium magnets for well over a decade in high impact and repetitive shock environments (millions of cycles) and this has never been an issue with any of them. Now heat on the other hand...that will quickly and permanently destroy the magnetic strength (of neodymiums in particular) and does have some adverse affects other magnet types as well.

I am by no means an expert on magnets, but my experience with them shows that they can be wildly useful in doing unconventional things, but they can also be very tricky to get to work reliably since each magnet tends to be unique from one to the next in terms of strength. That may be why it's not more prevalent in lock design.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the EVVA MCS locking system as that is serious advanced magnetic interactions that they are somehow able to reliably and repeatedly control.

1LC

[billdeserthills]

Seems like Miwa used to make a magnetic lock, I had to fix one years ago that a bug had crawled into & made a nest, which kept the key from entering all the way into the lock. I just used my extractor to pull out the bug nest, which was mostly powder by the time I got to it and once it opened I was able to remove the lock and dump out the rest of the bug powder, as I was afraid to take it apart. Anyhow it worked fine after that.

[DrDave-USA]

I worked at a Radio Station in the early 1970's, and the offices had a MIWA Lock, I STILL have the Key. It was the first Dimple AND Magnetic Lock I ever saw !!! I'm going to attempt to embed the Pix of the key in this Post: Well, that does not seem to work.... If I can figure it out, then you'll see the Pix.

BUT YES Magnetic Locks have been around quite some time !!!