First Key Impression

[billdeserthills]

I'll tell ya another thing that really works & that is filing the key like a razor blade on top. This works because anytime you make the key thinner than the tumbler, the key will physically squish, and that squish is your mark. Many times I will save making my key so thin, until I stop receiving any marks at all, at least with a pin tumbler lock. Anytime I impression a wafer lock I like to thin my keyblade down right from the beginning as many of the wafer locks I make keys to can't be dissasembled, so bending up the wafers must be avoided.

[phrygianradar]

I'll tell ya another thing that really works & that is filing the key like a razor blade on top. This works because anytime you make the key thinner than the tumbler, the key will physically squish, and that squish is your mark. Many times I will save making my key so thin, until I stop receiving any marks at all, at least with a pin tumbler lock. Anytime I impression a wafer lock I like to thin my keyblade down right from the beginning as many of the wafer locks I make keys to can't be dissasembled, so bending up the wafers must be avoided.

That is a great idea, and I have heard it before but never tried it. How do you like to thin the blade down? Do you have a method that works well for you; like filing both sides of the key blade to a 45°, or something else. I am more interested in impressioning since I actually did it for the first time! Gordon mentioned a great book on the topic a while back and I'm sure if I searched I would find it, so I know a lot of this info is already on the forum... but if you want to add your personal expertise to the conversation, I am surely not the only one who will love to hear! Thanks!

[GWiens2001]

The book is "Impressioning", by Oliver Diederichsen. Originally written in German, it is available in English now. When I got my copy it was rather expensive, but the link above has had the price plummet, so it is now pretty reasonable.

Gordon

[phrygianradar]

I figured if I mentioned your name and that book that you would somehow answer the question… Thanks Gordon!

[billdeserthills]

I'll tell ya another thing that really works & that is filing the key like a razor blade on top. This works because anytime you make the key thinner than the tumbler, the key will physically squish, and that squish is your mark. Many times I will save making my key so thin, until I stop receiving any marks at all, at least with a pin tumbler lock. Anytime I impression a wafer lock I like to thin my keyblade down right from the beginning as many of the wafer locks I make keys to can't be dissasembled, so bending up the wafers must be avoided.

That is a great idea, and I have heard it before but never tried it. How do you like to thin the blade down? Do you have a method that works well for you; like filing both sides of the key blade to a 45°, or something else. I am more interested in impressioning since I actually did it for the first time! Gordon mentioned a great book on the topic a while back and I'm sure if I searched I would find it, so I know a lot of this info is already on the forum... but if you want to add your personal expertise to the conversation, I am surely not the only one who will love to hear! Thanks!

I like to use a smooth flat file, or a #4 machinist file, just so it is smooth. Then tip the file on like a 45 degree angle, as you suggested and file about the same from each side of the keyblank. Many locks that I impression will give good marks throughout, so I reserve this for the tough locks that stop marking your key, those tough locks cannot resist making a mark, when the key blade is thinner and easier to squash a mark into. Of course I also thin my keyblade whenever I impression a wafer tumbler lock as well, to keep from bending the wafers.

[silvfox1200]

Making a impression of a key is no fun unless you are very experience. The way I do it is I file a knife blade like it was said before. I use a gauge and start off by filing to the first depth on all locations. Then when I get another impression, I do the same thing. I file at that spot to the next depth. Of course I have only filed for keys. It worked for me at the time. May not work the nest time.Of course you can only hope that the pins are standard size.

[GWiens2001]

Making a impression of a key is no fun unless you are very experience. The way I do it is I file a knife blade like it was said before. I use a gauge and start off by filing to the first depth on all locations. Then when I get another impression, I do the same thing. I file at that spot to the next depth. Of course I have only filed for keys. It worked for me at the time. May not work the nest time.Of course you can only hope that the pins are standard size.

Or overly worn.

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

Making a impression of a key is no fun unless you are very experience. The way I do it is I file a knife blade like it was said before. I use a gauge and start off by filing to the first depth on all locations. Then when I get another impression, I do the same thing. I file at that spot to the next depth. Of course I have only filed for keys. It worked for me at the time. May not work the nest time.Of course you can only hope that the pins are standard size.

I don't cut for depth, I take a stroke or two off. It makes for a longer session at any given lock but I don't like to start over from scratch, so I won't file too deep. I find impressioning much surer a science than manipulation is.
Anyhow my Dad used to constantly remind me that the guy who works at the lock distributor isn't a locksmith because he never mastered impressioning. I guess he was full of it, just like when he used to say "you & your brother aren't gonna inherit anything, me & your mother are going to spend it all before we die." Still waiting to see, on that one.