Calibration issues

[lokpikr999]

Hey guys,

With money I got for Christmas I got myself an Ilco 045HD key machine.But anyway I carefully calibrated it and even though I was able to successfully duplicate a key for a Brinks Padlocks(An M1 5 pin),when I tried duplicating the key(A KW1)for the knob on my garage door(Which is not an original but a copy that works perfectly)it didn't work.So I inspected the copy and noticed that it was cut a hair too deep so I checked the calibration again(Put 2 identical blanks in and turned the cutter by hand to see If it just barely grazed the blank)and it indeed was in seemingly perfect calibration.But just for the heck of it,I tried the same procedure with pairs of a few other different blanks and I noticed that on some,(Like the first)would just barely come into contact with the cutter as I turned it whereas some made no contact with the cutter as it was turned.Is this normal and are some keys(Particularly duplicates)impossible to duplicate and if not any tips?

Alex.

[Wizer]

Sounds like your blanks are not very precice.
For calibration, choose the highest quality blank you can find.

[cledry]

I would pick original blanks, I use Schlage Everest because that is what I have. Instead of turning by hand, cut as though you were making a copy so that you duplicate the pressure applied normally. On that machine for a Schlage you should aim for at least 3 generations.

[GWiens2001]

Don't forget to check calibration from shoulder to shoulder and first cut. That spacing has caused more than one machine to be 'cutting wrong', even when the depths themselves were perfect.

Gordon

[DennisK]

Didn't you get calibration keys with the machine? Sounds like you have the guide too loose.

[lokpikr999]

No this machine didnt come with any calibration keys,although it did come with some sample keys which were cut on the machine to make sure it was in working order and no I tightened the guide clamp down very well.

[DennisK]

No this machine didnt come with any calibration keys,although it did come with some sample keys which were cut on the machine to make sure it was in working order and no I tightened the guide clamp down very well.

Sure as long as the two keys are good matches,that should work. Perhaps I didn't explain myself too well in my last post.What I meant to say was,not that you didn't tighten the clamp that holds the guide,but that in may not be set tight enough to the cuts in the sample key thereby allowing the cutter to dig too deep in the blank.Was that clearer?

[thelockpickkid]

This happened to me once when some supply house sent me JMA blanks, instead of Ilco, as another poster said, it may be your blanks. Also, it may seem stupid, but make sure that your jaws are the same settings on both sides, I have a person who cuts keys on my machine sometimes, and jacks around with the jaws. I love my ilco cutter, it's easy to calibrate, check your spacing, that can be an issue, sound to me like your have your depth set good, I would lean more towards space issue.

[lokpikr999]

This happened to me once when some supply house sent me JMA blanks, instead of Ilco, as another poster said, it may be your blanks.

Yes they are!I got them from lockpicks.com.Say lemme ask everybody,if they're gonna pose problems when used to calibrate machines,could they result in inaccurate duplicates as well?

[GWiens2001]

If both the blanks you are using are identical, there should not be a problem.

Have an HPC Speedex and calibrated it with 'aftermarket' keys/blanks. First, used the shoulders to make sure my spacing would be correct, then adjusted depth using a micrometer to get the depths of the cut key to within .001" of the original.

Went to five generations of key to test it once had the machine fine tuned, and the fifth generation key still opened the lock, though with a slight catch.

It all comes down to consistency.

And yes, some aftermarket blanks do not work too well, but many work just fine.

Gordon

[Wizer]

...could they result in inaccurate duplicates as well?

Yes for sure. Say, if the warding-groove on the blank is a little too high or low the keyway will guide the key bitting too high or low. Just for example.
I have not had many problems using JMA steel blanks. Manytimes I even calibrate my cutter with a JMA blanks for Assa.Just 2-3 blanks I rather order from Silca. Oh, and all Abloy blanks too.