power inverters for minivan

[victorylocksmith]

The 12v motors are fine for key machines and you can also purchase 12v lighting. That's fine for some people depending on what they normally work on.

We service several car auctions and dealerships. Between running computers, printers, charging batteries for tools, lighting, dremel, high security machine, duplicator and code machine, we pretty much are required to have our own power source. We also repair and install a lot of security gates for apartment complex and HOA swimming pools and tennis courts so we need to be able to run angle grinders, saws, hammer drills and a mig welder. We can do all of this with a simple inverter.

To the original poster, have you considered trying to go to work for a real locksmith company for a while to learn some skills and a little more about how the business really operates?

No offense but I've been in this business half my life. I've seen A LOT of people that start out similar to how you are explaining and very few have been able to make a profitable career out of it. I'm not saying that you can not, but it's a lot easier to watch an existing, profitable business operate for a while to see what you need to do to grow your own and build a reputation. I know a lot of people that are in the business now that know just enough to be what most would consider an entry level technician. Those guys can rekey a lock, install a deadbolt and run lock outs but it's hard to make a living doing just that. With the proper training (and a lot of money) you can tackle any job that comes in on the phone.

I'll give you an example. This week we have made keys for 11 vehicles (1971-2014), masterkeyed 32 cylinders and installed 9 panics and closers for a school, installed a doorbell for a restaurant, repaired a broken pool gate, replaced 3 ignitions, installed 2 new steel doors and knock down frames and installed a continuous hinge on a storefront door. We have a full week on the books as of now, so if the phone doesn't ring for the rest of the week, we will still have work to do. I can not remember the last time that a customer called and I could honestly say that we could not do the work for them.

I most certainly know what you are saying and where you are coming from. I am most certainly an entry level tech, however, I do possess a very relentless determination as long as i can stay focused and interested in something. in this circumstance, locksmithing has caught my attention.

my life currently revolves around a lot of different activities and i would love to be able to build experience at a legitimate locksmith business. as it stands, money is always lacking and i may in fact have to go on food stamps. the issue at hand is the lack of opportunity, recently i applied to an alarm tech/access control position, but did not possess the electrical background needed. due to the long line of applicants, i was quickly sorted out. there is the key issue of flexible hours, there are a lot of priorities in my life that force me to work odd hours. this is primarily caused by my passion for mixed martial arts and brazilian jiujtisu. i have been doing these things for a long time now and to give up on it would be crushing. however, the issue is, in order to keep improving and to keep winning, one must devote a large amount of time to it. i currently train or spend time training others, 3-5 hours a day and 6 days a week.

when i have more free time, which will probably be after june because I am fighting in may and then in june, i will relentlessly hunt down places to to learn more about the locksmith trade, and if need be, i will work for free. currently, i am 25 years of age and look forward to learning as much as i can about being a locksmith and my mind is also eager to learn about safes/vaults, general contracting, pretty much anything and everything. i was previously a junior sous chef under a james beard nominee and have a undergraduate degree in film with an emphasis in screenwriting. so for myself, it was never an issue of lack of work ethic. the issue has always, everything takes a back seat to fighting. i believe, with my current flexible hours of being a locksmith, i may be able to finally find something that can have synergy with fighting. although i may know little about being a locksmith, my greatest strength is, i deeply understand the necessities to developing high level skills in general.

i very much appreciate all advice because i deeply understand how fortunate for an individual, such as myself to given any time at all from yourselves, the masters of the trade. where i have come, this is certainly something very rare. very few people skilled at any art, find it worthwhile to teach schmucks such as myself who know nothing. who can blame them? they probably realize the likelihood of benefiting from helping an inept idiot is null. however, i can say this for certain, i am thankful for any information i get and will do my best to reciprocate my thanks. thank you for all the valuable information, if you have any more advice, it will be taken in with respect and great appreciation.

[billdeserthills]

My battery charger is a Dewalt and it charges all my tools with a 12vt plug that goes into my lighter socket. I suppose my "get around" to a bench grinder is a dremel tool that I have several batteries for. My business is primarily residential and I don't make transponder keys because in my area the price for an auto key has actually dropped from the $125 I used to charge to make a first key (pre-transponder) to under $100 to make a transponder key. Since I never have had more than 2-3 calls a year to even make a transponder key I just figured I would let someone else do that. Anyhow I think the most important thing is to get started. You can do any residential work, but you do need a key machine if you want to look professional. I have been using a typewriter to do my invoices for almost 20 years now and it doesn't hurt anyone. The few times I was given the job to weld lockboxes into residential gates nobody questioned my need to "Plug in" my extension cord and those first few welding jobs I accomplished with a $100 Harbor Freight arc welder and took the time to file & sand & putty up the few ugly spots I made. When I got done I sprayed the gates with black primer and they looked just fine. I find that I only get 2-4 jobs a day in my area, so I have plenty of time to do things with a file that others may need to hurry along with the said bench grinder. I want you to know that you can make a very good living on just a couple of jobs a day. There is no need to spend a pile of money in the beginning trying to buy or build the perfect vehicle, it is more important that you get out there & start working Now. When those big contracts or jobs come in you will find a way and even if folks tell you "I'll let you hook up that extension cord today, but next time" Then Next time you will figure something out.

[2octops]

my life currently revolves around a lot of different activities and i would love to be able to build experience at a legitimate locksmith business. as it stands, money is always lacking and i may in fact have to go on food stamps. the issue at hand is the lack of opportunity, recently i applied to an alarm tech/access control position, but did not possess the electrical background needed. due to the long line of applicants, i was quickly sorted out. there is the key issue of flexible hours, there are a lot of priorities in my life that force me to work odd hours. this is primarily caused by my passion for mixed martial arts and brazilian jiujtisu. i have been doing these things for a long time now and to give up on it would be crushing. however, the issue is, in order to keep improving and to keep winning, one must devote a large amount of time to it. i currently train or spend time training others, 3-5 hours a day and 6 days a week.

And there it is!

You want to be a fighter for a living and work on locks on the side.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Does fighting pay well enough to support a family? How long can you continue to do something like that professionally? I fought some in college but it was usually after a few beers in a bar somewhere but I did work off and on as a bouncer for many years until I got married the first time.

I used to have a guy that worked for me. He was absolutely brilliant! We used to say that he could kick start a pine stump if he only had a little gas and a spark. He could quiet literally fix ANYTHING and was good at it. It came natural to him. He was in his 50's when he started working for me. He had been in the business for almost 30 years and had traveled the world (no exaggeration) installing bank vaults. He held a couple of patents and could build or repair anything. He loved his Harleys, Gibson guitars, old VW's and Porsches. He liked locksmithing. I had known him for years and he had done contract work for me in the past. He ventured out on his own working from a 66 VW Microbus (not really a nice one) and working out of the saddle bags of his Harley. He had moved back in with his grandmother because he was not making enough money on his own to pay rent or utilities. I bought him a new van, put about $80k worth of toys in it, paid him $35 an hour to start and gave him a commission on large jobs that he sold. I made money hand over fist the first 6 or 8 months that he worked for me and so did he. The problem was, he wanted to be a rock star. He got his old band together and started playing in bars and clubs on the weekends (they were very good). Then he started having to knock off around 3 on Wednesdays so he could get ready for band practice. Then he started having to knock off after lunch on Fridays so they could travel and set up to play for the weekend at different gig's and of course he could not work on the weekends. Turns out he was making about $75-$100 per show and all the beer he could drink but only working about 3-4 days a week for me. We run 6 days a week and emergency calls on Sundays.

The point I am trying to make is his priorities in life were not where they needed to be. He wanted to be a rock star more than a locksmith. Sadly, I had to let him go because he was not dedicated enough to actually work enough for me to use him. He went back out on his own so that he could work a schedule that worked with him being a rock star. The last time I talked with him he was fixing small engines at a lawn mower shop and living in a camper next door to the shop but still played in his band on the weekends.

People have a huge misconception about this industry. They think that we make a lot of money and that we can work our own schedules. At least one of those is not true. The sad truth is we work when the customer calls and if we can not schedule them in, they call someone else. Sometimes we are on the road by 5am and don't come in until late at night. We work weekends and holidays. We work when it's raining, cold, hot, when we are sick and even when we have family plans. I can not remember the last time that my phone was not ringing while I was out with my wife having dinner or during a childs birthday party. My family is used to it. We work when the phone rings because if we do not, then the phone will eventually stop ringing and there will be no work. I also have an hour or two of paperwork each night after getting in and normally spend at least half a day each weekend working in the office.

Do we make a lot of money? That depends on your definition of a lot. We make enough to pay everyone a salary where they can live comfortably as long as they are earning it. However, in tough times I've gone months without paying myself a dime just so the business can survive. We work mainly with commercial customers so it's rare that we ever get paid for a job until 30 days later. Large jobs ($5k-$10k) are wonderful as long as you have enough capital to purchase all of the parts and work for a week, but wait for a month to get paid for it all and put that money back in the bank. If you are borderline on going on an assistance program, how will you be able to afford parts for a job that might cost you $2,000 (or more) and take up all of your time for several days, only to have to wait on the payment for a month?

I know this was a long and drawn out post, but I hope it was beneficial to at least someone here. This industry is tough, but there is a lot of money to be made in it. You just have to work hard, have a lot of dedication and make sure that your priorities are in line so that your business comes before your hobbies.

To the original poster, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do. You are still young enough to be able to do whatever your heart desires. You just need to step back and look at the bigger picture and get your priorities in order. Look long term at what you can start doing now that will be profitable enough to pay for your family for years to come and retire. Locksmithing can do this for you. I'm not sure that fighting can.

I just talked with an old friend the other day. He was a trucker all of his life and retired from a large trucking company. His wife retired from the local school system. He is 82 years old and did not retire until he was 70. Their land, cars and house have been paid off for many years. He is now driving a dump truck full time because he could not survive on social security alone. He had to go back to work to pay for their utilities, taxes and medical expenses. Sadly, I know many that are in his situation because they did not prepare for their "golden years" properly. 80 is the new 60. Do you really want to be working 40 hours a week when you are 80 years old? I don't.

[billdeserthills]

Just a note to the OP, that Speedex machine you got will tell you in the instructions that due to the machine being fitted with "oilite bearings" it never needs oil. This is a complete and utter lie. Be sure to unscrew the hex-head screw between the cutter & the deburring brush and place oil in that hole everytime you use the machine. The bushings (and cutter shaft) will burn up in no time if you don't use some light spindle oil. If your machine is still like new maybe you can swap it for the same machine with a 12vt DC motor, they are manufactured with that as an option.

[victorylocksmith]

Just a note to the OP, that Speedex machine you got will tell you in the instructions that due to the machine being fitted with "oilite bearings" it never needs oil. This is a complete and utter lie. Be sure to unscrew the hex-head screw between the cutter & the deburring brush and place oil in that hole everytime you use the machine. The bushings (and cutter shaft) will burn up in no time if you don't use some light spindle oil. If your machine is still like new maybe you can swap it for the same machine with a 12vt DC motor, they are manufactured with that as an option.

which screw is it exactly? there are a lot of screws and i am not certain which one. will wd40 be alright? my speedex is like my baby, it keep it in pristine condition. although i primarily use a pair of pak-a-punches which i rarely oil. i have one that i bought last year and one that i got used from another locksmith. ironically enough, i see a big difference in quality between the two. the older, used pak-a-punch is much sturdier than the newer one. if you have any advice on maintenance for the pak-a-punches, it would be much appreciated. i called the people at A1 who make the product and they said to just spray some wd40 and your good.

by the way, thanks for all the advice, the last thing i need is to have my equipment which i really have yet to break even on, break down on me.

[billdeserthills]

The screw you want is easy to find if you look down upon the cutter shaft housing. If you place your finger upon the cutter shaft nut and now move your hand to the right you will touch the cutter itself, then the cutter shaft housing and the screw is right in the center of that housing, between the cutter
itself and the deburring brush, on the top of the housing. Mine was a hex head screw and I actually believed those lying liars and 3 months later my machine needed a new cutter shaft and bushings installed as that stuff had all burned up without any oil. You cannot use WD-40 if you go to a home improvement store they will sell you a small bottle of spindle oil it is more like the 3in one oil is. You can also use some 20 weight oil but it is easier to get a small bottle with a pull spout

It looks like the same screw that holds the safety cage around the belt. Unscrew that screw and see if you can see the cutter shaft move when you turn the cutter by hand, if so, that is the place that needs oiling. Older key machines all have a little flip cap in that hole because those manufacturers were not crooks like some of todays are.

[victorylocksmith]

my life currently revolves around a lot of different activities and i would love to be able to build experience at a legitimate locksmith business. as it stands, money is always lacking and i may in fact have to go on food stamps. the issue at hand is the lack of opportunity, recently i applied to an alarm tech/access control position, but did not possess the electrical background needed. due to the long line of applicants, i was quickly sorted out. there is the key issue of flexible hours, there are a lot of priorities in my life that force me to work odd hours. this is primarily caused by my passion for mixed martial arts and brazilian jiujtisu. i have been doing these things for a long time now and to give up on it would be crushing. however, the issue is, in order to keep improving and to keep winning, one must devote a large amount of time to it. i currently train or spend time training others, 3-5 hours a day and 6 days a week.

And there it is!

You want to be a fighter for a living and work on locks on the side.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Does fighting pay well enough to support a family? How long can you continue to do something like that professionally? I fought some in college but it was usually after a few beers in a bar somewhere but I did work off and on as a bouncer for many years until I got married the first time.

I used to have a guy that worked for me. He was absolutely brilliant! We used to say that he could kick start a pine stump if he only had a little gas and a spark. He could quiet literally fix ANYTHING and was <censored> good at it. It came natural to him. He was in his 50's when he started working for me. He had been in the business for almost 30 years and had traveled the world (no exaggeration) installing bank vaults. He held a couple of patents and could build or repair anything. He loved his Harleys, Gibson guitars, old VW's and Porsches. He liked locksmithing. I had known him for years and he had done contract work for me in the past. He ventured out on his own working from a 66 VW Microbus (not really a nice one) and working out of the saddle bags of his Harley. He had moved back in with his grandmother because he was not making enough money on his own to pay rent or utilities. I bought him a new van, put about $80k worth of toys in it, paid him $35 an hour to start and gave him a commission on large jobs that he sold. I made money hand over fist the first 6 or 8 months that he worked for me and so did he. The problem was, he wanted to be a rock star. He got his old band together and started playing in bars and clubs on the weekends (they were very good). Then he started having to knock off around 3 on Wednesdays so he could get ready for band practice. Then he started having to knock off after lunch on Fridays so they could travel and set up to play for the weekend at different gig's and of course he could not work on the weekends. Turns out he was making about $75-$100 per show and all the beer he could drink but only working about 3-4 days a week for me. We run 6 days a week and emergency calls on Sundays.

The point I am trying to make is his priorities in life were not where they needed to be. He wanted to be a rock star more than a locksmith. Sadly, I had to let him go because he was not dedicated enough to actually work enough for me to use him. He went back out on his own so that he could work a schedule that worked with him being a rock star. The last time I talked with him he was fixing small engines at a lawn mower shop and living in a camper next door to the shop but still played in his band on the weekends.

People have a huge misconception about this industry. They think that we make a lot of money and that we can work our own schedules. At least one of those is not true. The sad truth is we work when the customer calls and if we can not schedule them in, they call someone else. Sometimes we are on the road by 5am and don't come in until late at night. We work weekends and holidays. We work when it's raining, cold, hot, when we are sick and even when we have family plans. I can not remember the last time that my phone was not ringing while I was out with my wife having dinner or during a childs birthday party. My family is used to it. We work when the phone rings because if we do not, then the phone will eventually stop ringing and there will be no work. I also have an hour or two of paperwork each night after getting in and normally spend at least half a day each weekend working in the office.

Do we make a lot of money? That depends on your definition of a lot. We make enough to pay everyone a salary where they can live comfortably as long as they are earning it. However, in tough times I've gone months without paying myself a dime just so the business can survive. We work mainly with commercial customers so it's rare that we ever get paid for a job until 30 days later. Large jobs ($5k-$10k) are wonderful as long as you have enough capital to purchase all of the parts and work for a week, but wait for a month to get paid for it all and put that money back in the bank. If you are borderline on going on an assistance program, how will you be able to afford parts for a job that might cost you $2,000 (or more) and take up all of your time for several days, only to have to wait on the payment for a month?

I know this was a long and drawn out post, but I hope it was beneficial to at least someone here. This industry is tough, but there is a lot of money to be made in it. You just have to work hard, have a lot of dedication and make sure that your priorities are in line so that your business comes before your hobbies.

To the original poster, I wish you the best of luck in whatever you do. You are still young enough to be able to do whatever your heart desires. You just need to step back and look at the bigger picture and get your priorities in order. Look long term at what you can start doing now that will be profitable enough to pay for your family for years to come and retire. Locksmithing can do this for you. I'm not sure that fighting can.

I just talked with an old friend the other day. He was a trucker all of his life and retired from a large trucking company. His wife retired from the local school system. He is 82 years old and did not retire until he was 70. Their land, cars and house have been paid off for many years. He is now driving a dump truck full time because he could not survive on social security alone. He had to go back to work to pay for their utilities, taxes and medical expenses. Sadly, I know many that are in his situation because they did not prepare for their "golden years" properly. 80 is the new 60. Do you really want to be working 40 hours a week when you are 80 years old? I don't.

OH NO! The truth comes out!

Yea, you hit the nail on the head. Although I wouldn't say I am 50 years old and still trying to be a rockstar, it is a fairly accurate description, other than me living a very plain and spartan lifestyle. the issue is having a flexible schedule, my training sessions are also very flexible as well but they occur at odd hours. I primarily train from 10:30AM to about 1:30PM and/or 5:30PM-7/9PM during the week days and only train on saturday from 11AM-2PM. all the other hours, are wide open for work. it is very common for me to work at 12AM, you will certainly hear no whining from me because, sacrifices must be made in order to find success. although fighting does not pay the bills, i see it as a trade as well. it is something i have been doing for a while now and i currently train with quite a few high level competitors. one gentleman being ranked 3rd in the world by the UFC and a lady who will be fighting in a tournament hosted by the UFC to decide who will get the inaugural 115 pound belt. i also take an active approach to learning how to become a high level trainer as well and have very skilled mentors.

i understand, that in order to be a high level locksmith who can take numerous jobs, it will take incredible effort. however, i honestly believe that, i can achieve that in addition to fighting. although it may take longer, the desire is strong. i understand that similar to fighting, despite all the frustration, success will come. the time spent training, 3-5 hours a day is surely not something so costly, for there is another 19-21 hours left in the day. at one point, i was on the fast track to becoming a high level chef. this however, became to draining because the intensity of the work environment was brutal. if i had to compare which was harder, fighting or cooking, i honestly had to say cooking at a reputable restaurant and feeding close to 300 people in a shift was much harder. with locksmithing, i find the pace to be less excruciating and i honestly believe that i can find success with it.

the main factor that i am fortunate to have, is i dont have kids or a wife. with that, i can have a lot more free time to become skilled in many areas.

thanks again, 2octops. i will continue to try to scrape by and improve. any further tips or interesting life experiences that are off the topic of locksmithing is much appreciated. i recently got into lock bumping and while, i can bump open any kwikset lock, i am still trying to master bumping schlages open.

[victorylocksmith]

The screw you want is easy to find if you look down upon the cutter shaft housing. If you place your finger upon the cutter shaft nut and now move your hand to the right you will touch the cutter itself, then the cutter shaft housing and the screw is right in the center of that housing, between the cutter
itself and the deburring brush, on the top of the housing. Mine was a hex head screw and I actually believed those lying liars and 3 months later my machine needed a new cutter shaft and bushings installed as that stuff had all burned up without any oil. You cannot use WD-40 if you go to a home improvement store they will sell you a small bottle of spindle oil it is more like the 3in one oil is. You can also use some 20 weight oil but it is easier to get a small bottle with a pull spout

It looks like the same screw that holds the safety cage around the belt. Unscrew that screw and see if you can see the cutter shaft move when you turn the cutter by hand, if so, that is the place that needs oiling. Older key machines all have a little flip cap in that hole because those manufacturers were not crooks like some of todays are.

i am still not certain which one because there are quite a few screws but, i have an idea of what you are talking about. i think you are talking about big screw that seems to connect to the housing. all the other ones look like they are just there to bolt in a metal support plate. however, this one screw seems to hold the circular covering, next to the wheel brush. from what you say, i will attempt to unscrew the hex screw and then drip some oil in the hole where it came from.

[billdeserthills]

That circular covering is the blade guard, I think the screw to the right of that screw will be the hole that you can see the cutter shaft through.

[2octops]

OH NO! The truth comes out!

LOL....I'm glad you did not take that post the wrong way. I have a bad habit of being brutally honest sometimes, but that's what some people need to hear....the truth.

If I can do it, anybody can do it. It just takes dedication, time and experience.

You might have to adjust your training schedule to accommodate your customers. If you plan on dealing with mainly commercial customers you will have some luxury of being able to schedule your jobs around your training. If you plan on dealing with the general public, they will call somebody else if you can not respond quickly.

I wish you the best of luck with your endeavor and if you have any questions please feel free to ask, just be prepared for an honest response from someone that's been there.

On a side note, bumping is cool and lots of fun for hobbyist. It's rarely a tool that we use in the field, especially in front of customers. Practice learning actual picking and bypass techniques that will make you appear the professional that you aspire to be.

[cledry]

Just a note to the OP, that Speedex machine you got will tell you in the instructions that due to the machine being fitted with "oilite bearings" it never needs oil. This is a complete and utter lie. Be sure to unscrew the hex-head screw between the cutter & the deburring brush and place oil in that hole everytime you use the machine. The bushings (and cutter shaft) will burn up in no time if you don't use some light spindle oil. If your machine is still like new maybe you can swap it for the same machine with a 12vt DC motor, they are manufactured with that as an option.

You've got to be kidding. I hate HPC Speedex machines with a passion but you can't be serious about them needing oil each use. I don't Iike them because they are slow, have poor vices etc. I oil my machines perhaps every 6 months and I cut probably 100 to 300 keys a day. So between the two Bravos that is a whole lot of keys without oiling.

[2octops]

You're supposed to oil them?

I've seen Speedexes that ran for years and years without ever seeing a drop of oil. Doing it daily is simply a waste of time, money and oil.

[billdeserthills]

You're supposed to oil them?

I've seen Speedexes that ran for years and years without ever seeing a drop of oil. Doing it daily is simply a waste of time, money and oil.

Since I first started rebuilding my Dad's old key machines I have been careful to oil the moving parts on any key machine I use daily, before I turn it on. I wouldn't oil the motor that often, but then I don't suppose you ever bother with the motor. Still and all it seems like in this growingly ever restrictive world we live in I should feel free to waste my extra money on oil, and thereby get every bit of use that I can from my 4th+ generation key cutting machines.

[billdeserthills]

Just a note to the OP, that Speedex machine you got will tell you in the instructions that due to the machine being fitted with "oilite bearings" it never needs oil. This is a complete and utter lie. Be sure to unscrew the hex-head screw between the cutter & the deburring brush and place oil in that hole everytime you use the machine. The bushings (and cutter shaft) will burn up in no time if you don't use some light spindle oil. If your machine is still like new maybe you can swap it for the same machine with a 12vt DC motor, they are manufactured with that as an option.

You've got to be kidding. I hate HPC Speedex machines with a passion but you can't be serious about them needing oil each use. I don't Iike them because they are slow, have poor vices etc. I oil my machines perhaps every 6 months and I cut probably 100 to 300 keys a day. So between the two Bravos that is a whole lot of keys without oiling.

My brand new 9160 burned up long before I was ready to throw it in the trash. I learned about rebuilding the machines after taking one to a machine shop and getting charged a lot of money for a machine that wouldn't even cut a third generation key. Have you ever checked to see if your machines will cut a third generation key?

[victorylocksmith]

Just a note to the OP, that Speedex machine you got will tell you in the instructions that due to the machine being fitted with "oilite bearings" it never needs oil. This is a complete and utter lie. Be sure to unscrew the hex-head screw between the cutter & the deburring brush and place oil in that hole everytime you use the machine. The bushings (and cutter shaft) will burn up in no time if you don't use some light spindle oil. If your machine is still like new maybe you can swap it for the same machine with a 12vt DC motor, they are manufactured with that as an option.

You've got to be kidding. I hate HPC Speedex machines with a passion but you can't be serious about them needing oil each use. I don't Iike them because they are slow, have poor vices etc. I oil my machines perhaps every 6 months and I cut probably 100 to 300 keys a day. So between the two Bravos that is a whole lot of keys without oiling.

My brand new 9160 burned up long before I was ready to throw it in the trash. I learned about rebuilding the machines after taking one to a machine shop and getting charged a lot of money for a machine that wouldn't even cut a third generation key. Have you ever checked to see if your machines will cut a third generation key?

I still havent figured out which screw you are talking about, but, i assume i just have to unscrew a screw and lubricate the shaft that turns to operate the entire machine. that being said, yes indeed, the speedex does have a difficult time cutting third generation keys. it was pretty depressing when i realized i blew so much money on it, to have it be so inaccurate. looking back, i would have rather just saved up a big more money and waited to score on a used HPC blitz on craiglist. hey, you live and you learn i guess. with a blitz, at least one could be able to cut high security keys with the right add-ons.