Wow what a day

[lockstar5000]

So I dropped off a bunch of resumes a couple weeks ago and one guy had said he could show me some stuff and teach me things but couldn't pay me, as he is a 1 man operation and not expanding. So I thought this was great, as a few of the places were rather cold toward me, but still took my resume, definitely didn't get a vibe from them like "sure I would love to help"-more like "don't you dare learn a thing and take my customers and no I won't teach you a dang thing this is a private protected club and you are not invited to join"- you know what I mean.. So on Thursday I called and asked if I could take him up on his offer and he said sure come over Sunday and I will show you around my van etc... So I get there at 10AM today and didn't leave til 4:30. He showed me so much stuff I couldn't believe it, picking, drilling, extracting, on and on and on for 6 hrs. It was awesome, we get along great, and will do it again tomorrow. And then he gave me like 10 mortise cylinders to keep to learn on, 15 locksets with the knobs and keys (3 brand new in box), 2 deadbolts without the knob turn (just the keyed side to learn with- he must have just replaced the keyed side and kept the knob turn side??), about 6 or 7 picks including a couple peterson picks, a scope with a probe to look into the keyway and see the wafers, a key duplicating machine(!!!), 3 padlocks, a LAB pin kit (old but a big one .003), a little wafer lock, a bunch of keys to use when rekeying locks, 3 books, a nice mat for pinning on, even some lock lube spray, basically just a whole lot of really cool stuff to help me learn. How awesome to have a guy like this be willing to mentor me and show me so much. Can't wait til tomorrow!

[2octops]

That's pretty awesome! I've seen shops run on less equipment than he gave you

Sounds like you made a new friend.

[lockjock50]

looks like you may have hit a gold mine. i started by looking for information in the internet. i took several foley-belsaw courses and was hooked. i met a locksmith when i moved to georgia and he did about the same. i would come into the shop whenever i wasnt busy and hang out. he tought me things belsaw couldntnt. i found it much better to sit and watch it in action than to read it.

it didnt take long for him let me try things out and work on a few things for him. next thing i knew i was running his shop at times and running calls. he would help me on things i wasnt familiar with and i did him favors. i was with him maybe a month when i found myself helping him with a large master key job. and i didnt actually work for him.

even thou i had my own small business, he helped me and guided me. if i need an item i can just go and get it from him. we work well together.
its a little odd some people say. like if pepsi man helped coke man stock the shelves or if mcdonalds ran out of buns and run down to borrow some from burger king....

[Tentacle Toast]

Those are a couple terrific circumstances for you gentlemen! Congratulations; absorb as much as you can, & years down the road when you've got someone handing you their resume, take 'em under your wing;) good luck to you!

[Altashot]

That's awesome! Great opportunity!
Now this IS the way to learn! Hands on! No certification or diploma or money can buy you Experience.
He seems like a very nice gentleman and lending you all this stuff was very generous of him.
He can't pay you but he's letting you "soak up" his knowledge...Awesome!
Having been there myself, I know how nice it is to see a young "protege" excel because I thought him well...I took one "under my wing", and he was good. I know how it fells to know that he had chosen ME as his mentor.

Before long, you'll be making him money so, naturally some will spill your way.

I'm happy for you lockstar5000, Good luck!

M.

[fgarci03]

its a little odd some people say. like if pepsi man helped coke man stock the shelves or if mcdonalds ran out of buns and run down to borrow some from burger king....

I don't consider it odd at all.
I mean, yes in the usual competitive market it is. But I'm seeing more and more cooperation between companies than ever before.

This happens mostly with companies with young people running them (I'm not calling anyone oldfashioned, but I know how hard old habbits are to overcome!). Many people are starting to notice that cooperation is has more advantages over competition. We can have two shops side by side. I will do some stuff better that you. And you will do some stuff better than me.
Why can't we take that in our benefit?
It however needs to be done with care of course!

As for the OP situation, I wasn't so lucky as him, but I go to a small hardware store a friend's father owns and he now gives me locks he has around there. Most are without keys and are cheap as $#%#&$, but I enjoy to pop them no matter how easy they are. It's always a good feeling to do that to a "new" lock!
And I sometimes go to a local locksmith who already knows I'm into lockpicking (in fact, he had never seen a real lockpick set before, he only had a homebrew feeler pick to show custumers what a lockpick looks like and was amazed when I showed him some of my stuff). He has offered me a couple of locks and even taught me some bypass and destructive entry methods (not that I really care for destructive entry, but information is never too much). I don't really see a reason for him to teach that to an almost "unknown" person. But I think he got to trust me because there aren't many burglars who spend much money on locks only to pick them!

[Luissen]

And I sometimes go to a local locksmith who already knows I'm into lockpicking (in fact, he had never seen a real lockpick set before, he only had a homebrew feeler pick to show custumers what a lockpick looks like and was amazed when I showed him some of my stuff). He has offered me a couple of locks and even taught me some bypass and destructive entry methods (not that I really care for destructive entry, but information is never too much). I don't really see a reason for him to teach that to an almost "unknown" person. But I think he got to trust me because there aren't many burglars who spend much money on locks only to pick them!

haha! I guess its a good business model, then. I want to forge a good relationship with my local hardware shops, but never get around to the spare income to try

[fgarci03]

I want to forge a good relationship with my local hardware shops, but never get around to the spare income to try

Sorry about my english, didn't quite understand what you meant

[lockstar5000]

Shings have been going really well, learning a lot, did a few rekeys yesterday, picked a rim cylinder on a house today and it took me less than a minute. Yesterday he even paid me 40 bucks in cash. This is turning out really great. I told him he could have made that money without me and the experience is more valuable to me than the money, I dont want him to feel I am cutting into his bottom line, and then not want to work with me. He said he was feeling generous, and that I actually did the work, so that is fine. This is really going well, he said he had a job coming up to rekey or install a bunch of deadbolts and that he would have me help him. Meanwhile I will keep going with him on jobs and learn learn lan. This is the greatest opportunity I am so grateful to him for taking me under his wing

[scooterpower]

I have a similar situation as an apprentice. I basically work unpaid three days a week and he shows me anything needed for the jobs we do. The only drawback for me is the 2 hour drive each way. Occasionally he throws me a few dollars for gas. I was laid off in March and went to Lockmasters in Kentucky in June. A friend of a friend knew this guy and set me up. There is a lot to learn and this has opportunity so here I am with a new career. I can only do this so long since I am living on savings for now.

[bjornnrojb]

I'm no old hand at this but I think I can say that one overlooked part of locksmith work to the beginner is fresh installations. I clean up after the scammers all the time in my neighborhood and one thing they consistently get wrong is fresh installations: strikes don't line up, hole for deadbolt is crooked, hole for deadbolt is misplaced, hole for doorknob is too far from strike so latch isn't configured properly, messy woodwork putting the latch in like the guy didn't know how to use a chisel, etc. I assume that beginners would have the same issues as the scammers in this regard. So, while you are practicing picking locks, set aside an hour to practice mortising out wood for your practice locks, because nothing says unprofessional like installing a new lock that doesn't work right. Also, don't forget to clean up your sawdust after you install the lock correctly for your customer!