Impressioning ABUS 83/45 S1

[aviator411]

I have succeeded in producing my first key for a ABUS 83/45 S1 with series 700 cylinder (Sargeant). The key, however, does not permit the plug to rotate freely within the cylinder; it tends to "catch" and requires some force to unlock the lock. I would like to fine tune the key I made to enable the plug to rotate smoothly without catching.

I am looking for some advice on whether it is safe to rotate the plug 180 degrees with the key in the plug and with the cylinder removed from the lock. I've read such horror stories about the bad things that can happen when rotating the key and plug beyond the normal rotational range I want to be sure I'm doing it right before I begin. The plug of the S1 lock has a pin protruding from the back of it which prevents rotating the plug the 180 needed to visualize the position of the driven pins relative to the shear line so that adjustments can be made to the key after removing it. Is there a way to remove/defeat this pin which limits the rotation of the plug? And if 180 degrees of rotation can be accomplished, is it safe to rotate the plug the 180 degrees needed to see the driven pins through the holes in the cylinder?

Sorry if I am using any terms improperly. New at this and enjoying the learning experience.

[GWiens2001]

Congratulations on impressioning the key!

To fine tune the key, look for more impressioning marks, just as you did to make the key in the first place. Turning the key in the plug, if the filed bittings are not deep enough, will force the key pins onto the key even more than the wiggling you used to get the marks in the first place, making good marks where the key is not filed deep enough. If the problem is that the key is filed too deeply, you can use a punch to peen the key directly below the filed area on both sides, raising the metal.

Gordon

[aviator411]

Gordon,

Many thanks for the advice. For the moment I have chosen not to do additional filing of the new key out of fear for making it worse. It works pretty well now so I'd hate to mess it up since it is my only key. I'm still not very good at reading the marks. What I have done is taken the key to a store and had them make two copies of it. Neither of the two new keys, however, worked even after numerous attempts at filing the pin marks on them. Comparing the two new keys (after filing the marks) with my original with a dial micrometer reveals that following the marks on the two new keys has taken me far below the depths on my original key. Live and learn; I will have a couple more copies made and I will carefully compare them with my original with my micrometer before I begin filing the new copies.

Thanks for the advice on peening. Many years ago when I pursued this hobby I also had good success using solder to build up a key that had been cut too deep. Might give that a try as well if necessary. Of course one would not want to put a soldered key into regular service because of the softness of the solder but the solder makes an acceptable pattern for dupicating new keys. I just hate to put my original key at further risk (at least until I have several working copies) since it works fairly well.

Still wondering if there is a way for me to visualize alignment of the pins with the cylinder/plug shear line without really screwing up, possibly destroying, this old series 1 lock. It does not have a "pinning window" like the newer series 2 ABUS 83/45's but there are pin holes 180 degrees from the normal position of the bitted edge of the key. Again, the issue here is how to defeat the pin which deters rotating the plug 180 degrees and whether, if I can manage to do so, I will be risking having pins go someplace they shouldn't as many who have preceded me seem to have done. On the newer series 2 locks the pin which limits rotation of the plug is spring-loaded and can be depressed to get to the pinning window which is more like 90 degrees from the operating position instead of 180 degrees. Still curious about all this. Sort of looks like the rotation-limiting pin at the back end of the plug might force me to remove the plug from the cylinder with all the related tools it takes to do this. Not sure, just trying to be cautious and do no harm.

Thanks again. I really appreciate the advice.

John

[GWiens2001]

John,

If the place you are having your key duplicated has a manual duplicator, or somebody that actually knows what they are doing, you can have them shim your original key up a little higher using a thin strip cut from a business card. (Maybe even two strips.). This will make the copy they are making a little 'taller'. It sounds like, from your measurements, their duplicator is cutting too deep, and this method would help.

Gordon

[aviator411]

Thanks once again Gordon,

I'm heading over there now. It's the only good, old-fashioned "real" hardware stores left in town (Ann Arbor, Mich.) So they are pretty knowledgable and, yes, they use a manual machine.

I'm taking my micrometer along and will compare the depths of the first key they make with my original. Will then have them shim as/if needed.

Will let you know how it turns out.

The object lesson here may be that when making a key by impressioning, it needs to be cut toward the lower end of the tolerance range so that it can be duplicated.

John

[aviator411]

Gordon,

You were right on the money!

I had them cut one key. It measured .004" too low. We shimmed the vice holding my original with a paper strip measuring .008" thick and cut another key. It came out .004 high. I had them cut 3 more keys that way. One of the keys worked on the first try but binds a little like my original. I can now fine tune it and the other 3 new keys with no worry. Will aim for the high end of the tolerance range so they can be copied easily.

Thanks again for sharing you insight & experience!

John

[GWiens2001]

Glad that I could help.

Gordon

[GWiens2001]

By the way... I learned that business card tip from other from other members here. keep reading, you will learn!

Gordon