I cleaned and soldered the blank again. I started by putting some solder in the flag groove, then secured it in place with some metal wire and heated a lot. When the solder melted I added more solder on the sides and then let it cool. It took me 3 or 4 tries before getting it properly attached, but in the end I was happy with the result.
Finally I was able to start impressioning the blank, as you can see from the pictures above:
1 the blank before impressioning;
2 the blank smoked with a bic lighter;
3 after inserting and turning the blank I got the first mark, in the center of the flag;
4 after some impressions and filing the key opened the lock but was still a bit rough. You can see the big drag mark on the left and a little mark at the center;
5 the key works but it doesn't retract the right part of the locking mechanism, just the left one;
6 the key operates both left and right locking bolts.
I still need to clean the key and sand it smooth, post a picture of the finished key, will do after I switch that 5 cents coin with a brass washer.
Here you can see it in the lock. The key pushes up a lever on the back, this lever releases a spring loaded bolt on the left side of the shackle.
There's another bolt on the right side of the shackle that enters the same rectangular hole on the shackle, this is pushed right by the center part of the key. The shackle opens before this is all way to the right, that's why the key worked before I thought it was finished and went on filing. Hope this makes sense.
The key stops at 180 degrees, dunno if I still need to file or if it's how it works. If I remove the key the two bolts go back in the locked position. To close the shackle I need to insert the key and turn it 180 degrees, then close the shackle and keep it pushed down, then I can rotate the key back and extract it.
This is a simple but interesting padlock.
Cheers
I had to play with a wire for a few minutes to get the broken flag out of the lock. I must improve my soldering skills. The flux was still in the gap and the stain was just around the corners... I'll try to repair it and start again.
