Difference between yale and medeco keymark?

[Bowtieman]

Hey everyone, first post on the forum. I'm kind of in a rut right now with the sport so I hope this place can help.

I was wondering if anyone could explain the concrete differences between the "Yale Keymark" and "Medeco Keymark". My school uses the Yale Keymark for the whole system, but I can find barely any information on it that's not from the company itself. All they really say is that it's *not* the same as the medeco version, and that the keys won't work for it. I haven't compared the keys side to side, but the shape looks pretty much the same to me. But the bitting on the yale version looks... funky. As in, much more erratic than the medeco ones I've found. The cuts aren't angled, so that's the same.

From what I've found, the key blanks are restricted to one locksmith who has to order them each time. And that broken or removed cores are immediately thrown out, so the janitors didn't have any I could have. Other than that though, I really don't know much about them except that they're ridiculously hard to pick and they thwart all attempts at my making a copy of a key. That's my current obsession, but the lack of available blanks means I have to make them out of plastic or aluminum, but all of my attempts have so far failed. I've even tried making an impression out of clay and melting solder into it, but the copy turned out miserably.

Any info that could shed some light on this lock would be great.

Thanks!

[Squelchtone]

That's my current obsession, but the lack of available blanks means I have to make them out of plastic or aluminum, but all of my attempts have so far failed. I've even tried making an impression out of clay and melting solder into it, but the copy turned out miserably.

You've come to the wrong forum friend.

We are not here to help teenage boys circumvent their high school security by helping teach them how to pick, clone, impression, or cast keys to the high school. Having a master key to ones high school is an old obsession, and one I'm sure we all had growing up, but it would not be in the true spirit of hobby lock picking to break our ethics and help with any kind of instructions that could result in shenanigans. It doesn't matter if it is just to see if it can be done, or for bragging rights to say you have a master key, or in order to pull off a Senior prank, this is simply not what we are about.

And If I somehow misread your line about making keys out of plastic and aluminum and this question of how the Yale and Medeco Keymark technologies differ purely as a mental exercise, then all apologies, but I get the feeling this isn't just for mental gain.

Your quest is fraught with peril.
Squelchtone

[Bowtieman]

One: I didn't watch a couple of Youtube videos yesterday and think I was "1337" because I picked a file cabinet. I've been in the hobby for a few years and I have respect for it. I'm not good, but I do have experience.

Two: I have permission. I'm completely open about what I'm doing to multiple faculty members. All of this started when my AP bio teacher was annoyed about how he needed a bunch of different keys for the school, and that got me interested in the master key system (You were right about that part). The key would be for him, anyway.

Three: 99.9% of this IS for the mental exercise. That's what got me interested in the hobby in the first place, the creativity that people needed to even come up with all the aspects of picking, key making, and everything else. I enjoy researching about locks/key design in general, not just getting around them.

Still, yeah, I DO enjoy the thrill of getting around security. I'm not going to pretend that I don't (and I'm sure most of you would be lying if you said you didn't, too). But this isn't to pull a senior prank/brag I have a master key or anything like that.

I'm glad this forum has ethics and morals. But for the purpose of this post, I just want information on a lock.

Thanks.

[EmCee]

Hi Bowtieman

When you're enjoying the thrill of the chase and moreover you are a genuine and innocent person, it can be hard to see the issue objectively.

Your first post on the forum asks questions about a specific lock (system) and how, essentially, to overcome the security it offers. That always raises questions in the minds of site members. If you were a long time member with multiple posts, people would have come to know you a bit and, through your questions and responses to threads, understood that you have been in the hobby for some years and have some knowledge and experience. That isn't the case with one or two posts.

So, don't take offence if your motives are challenged - here are some reasons why:

You might well be genuine, but help given to you on a public forum becomes available to anyone who searches for similar information. And yes, there might already be information available on other forums or in YouTube videos, but that doesn't mean this site should add to the volume.

You might well be genuine, but if you were not you would say the same sort of things you are saying now.

You might well be genuine but I have to say that the idea that you have permission from teachers is...to say the least...disturbing.

Firstly, just because they are a teacher does not give them the right or authority to tamper with the school's security system - individual teachers do not own those locks.

Secondly, if those teachers are, by giving 'permission', encouraging a pupil down the dangerous path of trying to circumvent a restricted key security system they, too, are treading a dangerous path - dangerous to their careers.

Thirdly, if your bio teacher is eligible for a master key to the system then he or she can obtain one from the head teacher/facility manager/security office - the fact that the bio teacher does not have a master key means he or she is not eligible and is therefore knowingly encouraging you to do something wrong in order that he/she can obtain an illegal copy of the master key - again, potentially career threatening and edging into areas such as 'corrupting a minor'.

Those teachers, all of them, should know better that to do what you say they are doing. They are not doing a good job for you as a pupil whose welfare they are charged to protect, nor for the school that employs them and pays their wages for doing a good job. If I was the head teacher of that school and this all came to light, I'd sack all those teachers if possible, and if not legally possible, enter strongly worded negative reports to their records. A teacher that can't be trusted is a teacher with limited employment prospects.

Restricted key systems are restricted in order to enhance security. If information about them was widely available they wouldn't be so secure, would they? And, yes, one aspect of such a system is that blanks are controlled and hard to obtain.

A final comment - this site is mainly about hobby picking. A tenet is that members do not pick locks they do not own and do not pick locks that are in use. Your quest falls foul of both parts of that. One reason for the latter is that it is possible - I don't say probable - that picking a lock could damage that lock. If the lock in question is part of a master keyed system, the likelihood of damage is increased.

Good luck, however, and if you are a genuine hobbyist and stick with the forum for a while rather than disappearing because your first, suspicious, question was not answered, you'll find the site has a great deal to offer.

Cheers...

[Bowtieman]

In that case, If I'm able to get a core, I'll be sure to ask for help.

Thanks.

[DarbyGloss]

We've heard so many shooting incidents, especially in schools. Government should reinforce gun control and measures needed to be taken. Maybe install metal detectors at the entrance and have security guards.

[zeke79]

We've heard so many shooting incidents, especially in schools. Government should reinforce gun control and measures needed to be taken. Maybe install metal detectors at the entrance and have security guards.

Yeah that will fix the issue .

1. Please do not necro old posts.

2. Try thinki.......... Never mind, typing this will be 40 seconds of my life I will never get back.

[dll932]

One: I didn't watch a couple of Youtube videos yesterday and think I was "1337" because I picked a file cabinet. I've been in the hobby for a few years and I have respect for it. I'm not good, but I do have experience.

Two: I have permission. I'm completely open about what I'm doing to multiple faculty members. All of this started when my AP bio teacher was annoyed about how he needed a bunch of different keys for the school, and that got me interested in the master key system (You were right about that part). The key would be for him, anyway.

Three: 99.9% of this IS for the mental exercise. That's what got me interested in the hobby in the first place, the creativity that people needed to even come up with all the aspects of picking, key making, and everything else. I enjoy researching about locks/key design in general, not just getting around them.

Still, yeah, I DO enjoy the thrill of getting around security. I'm not going to pretend that I don't (and I'm sure most of you would be lying if you said you didn't, too). But this isn't to pull a senior prank/brag I have a master key or anything like that.

I'm glad this forum has ethics and morals. But for the purpose of this post, I just want information on a lock.

Thanks.

Wanting to keep things secure is why there is a need for all those annoying keys. Your school paid $1000's to have that system set up, maybe as much as the cost of a decent used car. If it gets found out that unauthorized keys are being made (with the subsequent possibility of having the change ALL the locks it works), you can imagine what will happen.