Tools for Locksmithing

[billdeserthills]

Another tool I use a lot is a hand impact driver. Very useful for removing hinge screws and pivot screws. Also whilst not a tool, another trick is to stock a tube of oversize hinge screws, they can save the day.

Not sure if a automatic centre punch has been mentioned but I use it daily.

One of my favorites, easily removes stuck & stripped out screws right in front of onlooking clients & makes their eyes bug out too!

[cledry]

Another tool is a camera. We are required to document many jobs with before and after photos, but even if we weren't we use the photos as a memory enhancer.

[KPick]

I think you can do what your father described, but you will likely hafta start off as a mobile service provider. You can begin opening cars & doing residential/commercial lockout service, with rekeying.
Later on when you can get money together you can begin doing auto lock key making/transponder keys. I never actually started making too many of these newer style keys and I have only ever had 5 or so people even ask me to do them per year, so why even bother?

Anyhow there is no reason why you can't begin doing mobile service, even if you don't have a van or truck yet. You will need a 12volt dc key machine,some key blanks, a universal pin kit, some auto tools and some lock picking tools & a vehicle to carry it in. You can work at any level You desire, just need that internet ad and some phone skills. If someone asks "Can you install a new lock" of course you can, cause you will teach yourself to on a 2x4 until you can. On the way to the call you can buy a kwikset and a schlage lock from home depot and double the price-Or whatever You feel comfortable with. You don't need to have $20K in tools or $25K in inventory. Anything you don't have You will get--& your customer will be ok with that, most times anyhow.
The only thing You must do is Believe in Yourself. Whenever I start wondering if I can do something, I think back to a thing my Dad once asked me. We were talking about building my house, since I could not qualify for a loan, I saved up my money and bought a piece of land. Then I saved up and paid for the concrete slab, etc. I was worried cause I knew nothing about building a house. He said Billy, you have seen construction people on their jobsite when rekeying locks, did they look like rocket scientists to you? Do you think they are smarter than You are? Do You think they were born with something You didn't get?
Of course these answers are all a big No. We are all people, if you can read instructions You can do just about anything. Lots of jobs I go out on it was obvious that the people before me refused to read the instructions and messed up--which is the good news, if they had done their jobs properly I would have never been called! There is a huge amount of substandard work being performed all over our country and if you will take the time to care you can out do many who won't bother to.

[KPick]

(Accidentally posted the last message by mistake so my apologies go out beforehand.)

Anyways adding to the last post. Thanks. I needed to hear that. I should start a business and I should now!

[billdeserthills]

(Accidentally posted the last message by mistake so my apologies go out beforehand.)

Anyways adding to the last post. Thanks. I needed to hear that. I should start a business and I should now!

Get a web-site & start making money
Locked-out people don't care what you look like or even what kinda vehicle You drive,
They just want to get back in--It's the easiest of the easy money when You first start out too

[Clay-Miller13]

Heres some tools I used all the time for Euro cylinder locks. Both made by Souber and both work great especially the c clip remover.

[deblocariusi]

Heres some tools I used all the time for Euro cylinder locks. Both made by Souber and both work great especially the c clip remover.

I'm just starting my own business in Romania (locksmith)... Where could I order these tools? They might come in handy for me at some point... Thank you!

[stratmando]

May have missed, saw padlock shims, but not cylinder shims to key a lock with no key, Depth keys to decode, Schlage, Kwickset at very least, list shows SC1 blanks, I would also have SC20's, as they fit all Scklage keyways. Actually need to copy my SC1's to SC20's so To decode any of the Schlage keyways. Not sure if Tubular decoder was listed as well.