My home made barrel key collection (& how to)

[Lauren]

There are some locks that just have that nice heavy weight and crisp sound of the hasp opening. This beautiful FRAIM padlock certainly falls into this category. Only a well crafted aluminum bronze key could possibly match its quality; truly a home made barrel key triumph.

[Lauren]

I spent a few hours yesterday making a double bit barrel key blank (not finished) in anticipation of my latest Ebay purchase of another "SAMSON EIGHT LEVER" padlock. This is now my 6th lock in my collection. Just for the heck of it, I decided to try one of my factory original keys (marked P106). I choose this key because I noticed that the lock had a ward plate just above the bottom lever pair. The key turned 360 degrees, but the hasp would not spring open. I had to pull on the hasp really hard to get the lock open. I could see that the hasp was binding on the inside against the lock body. Most likely, the lock was dropped at one time causing the problem. This certainly is not the first time that I had to fix a bent hasp on a lever padlock. I came up with a clever method to expand the hasp. I used decorative chain pliers. The tool worked extremely well and left no marks. Now, the lock opens and closes perfectly. I will save the unfinished key blank for a rainy day. Had I not had a factory key to open the lock, I would have decoded the lever pairs with decoding keys. Each key is cut with only one lever pair to specific factory depths. These SAMSON locks are one of my favorite padlocks. They have a nice weight and are fun to decode. A few sellers on Ebay sell the original CORBIN keys rather religiously. I highly recommend purchasing some if you plan to buy locks without keys. Usually, I can decode a lock with only three keys, but four keys complete the entire series of depths. Sometimes, antique padlocks require more than just making a working key. This is what restoration is all about.

[billdeserthills]

I remember a locksmith telling me he could make keys from reading the depth cuts of car keys left on the car seat in a lock out situation. So, I thought I would try reading the depth cuts for a key from a picture on a current listing on Ebay. I got this lock on Ebay for $10.00 and honestly, I wouldn't pay a dime more since these locks are all keyed alike. A $148.00 "buy it now" is insane asking price for one of these locks with an original key.

I made my key from stainless steel bar stock on my drill press. It's nice to have something truly unique that will never rust and have improved strength over brass. Notice how the shaft extends into the key head. This feature was ground out, and believe me, it takes time. This key was turned with a shaft diameter of .270 inch, leaving a .035 barrel thickness. The original keys are probably .260 inch wide, leaving a .030 barrel thickness. I would make future key blanks at .265 inch for optimum fit. My finished key works great and has a nice fit inside the lock. These locks should be used with a rigid U-shaped hasp in order to re-load the locking hasp.

Thank You for the key bitting, I have one of these hanging from the ceiling in my lock shop that needs a key.
I suppose you are right that the us gov't would key them all the same. Thanks also for the key bitting on Fraim
contract padlocks. My printer refused to copy that page even with new ink cartridges installed, I haven't done
that much writing since I lost my FFL.
Your keys are beautiful, I have an old friend who makes his own brass keys, but his are all for Railroad padlocks
like the Adlake ones, often seen on e-bay and are rather clunky. He uses a bench grinder and drills the hole in the
block of brass to begin with I suppose.
I find it interesting, that you pick the lock open to begin, I generally wind up having to impression the key to fit
the locked padlock, but I will admit flat steel key lever tumbler padlocks can be quite challenging. Perhaps I would
be saving time trying your method, I don't know if I'd be that good at picking some of them tho.
I understand you find ilco's line of bit & barrel keys crude (which they got from Taylor-the crude one's anyhow)
they do make nice key blanks for the old Yale warded padlocks tho I think they just have the #1 & the #2

[Lauren]

Thanks for the heart felt reply. If I can positively affect anyone to attempt to make their own keys, then I can say I truly made a difference. I recently purchased a mini Eagle padlock with two original keys, and frankly, I'm already bored with it. The art of picking and machining a barrel key is what locksmithing is all about. This is how I connect with my hobby.

[Paleo123]

Cool post Lauren and nice locks

[Lauren]

Imagine trying to make a key for this Eagle padlock made for the U.S. Navy. I don't doubt why the lock was made available for sale in the first place. The key blanks are most likely unavailable if not completely non-existent. This lock was the perfect match for my skills. The task of making a key is probably insane, especially with such a complex keyhole pattern. The key hole is only .240 inch tall. I have to say, the cuts on the key I made for the bottom pins are so deep that I can't imagine how an original key withstood the test of time. This would certainly explain a lock that looks like it hardly saw any use due to a broken key.












I had to sand down a piece .125 thick brass plate down to .100 inch. The cuts made to the key were done on my drill press. The key was mapped out on the brass stock piece for placement of cuts prior to machining.

[billdeserthills]

I don't want you to feel bad but those keys are still made. I buy locks off e-bay all the time and older eagle blanks are in stock in my shop, just like older car keys and older cylinder lock blanks. I think you did a heckuva a job making that key blank tho in the future you might give Ilco #1014DX a try. You didn't say, but did you impression that key after you made the blank?

[GWiens2001]

Beautiful work, as usual Lauren.

How did you know the bitting on the key?

Gordon

[Lauren]

I was looking at the 1014DX blank, but I didn't explore it enough. I took the lock apart and made cuts to the key. Well, this after all is a homemade key thread.

[billdeserthills]

I was looking at the 1014DX blank, but I didn't explore it enough. I took the lock apart and made cuts to the key. Well, this after all is a homemade key thread.

I think it's cool that you made everything you needed,
Just makes me feel spoiled that I can walk over and pick the blank right off the wall
I did buy some bar brass last year, but my milling machine is in storage until I buy another house, and I usually find a blank that is close & then just add a milling (or a few)

[billdeserthills]

I was looking at the 1014DX blank, but I didn't explore it enough. I took the lock apart and made cuts to the key. Well, this after all is a homemade key thread.

I checked using an Eagle lock I have and the 1014D has the same bitting as the 1014DX.
I think the 1014D keys were cheaper last time I was low, so I got them instead. Either
would work for your application tho I am sure what you get out of putting in the time
to make your own key, plus knowing that You made that sob, far outweighs the con-
venience of picking one off a hook on a keyboard.

I always wonder how the locksmiths around when those padlocks were new could earn a
living and having to rekey those padlocks musta brought in very little money for them.

Your pancake picking tool looks very similar to a tool sold by one of the padlock collector
magazines I used to subscribe too, when I saw yours I was very happy to have not paid
the $100+ that Mr. Dix charges for his.

[Lauren]

BilldesertHills, I appreciate your insight and it prompted me to purchase some EA13 Curtis key blanks. The key I made was by far the most complex geometry that I have ever done out of raw materials. I like the challenge and this is the way I connect with my collection. Anyone can purchase an antique lock with keys, but I find that extremely boring. Gordon has impression these type of locks, something that I wouldn't and shouldn't do, because it marks up the cylinder and my key couldn't handle the stresses. I can sense that you have some skills to offer to the table. I would be interested to see what they are. I always like to see what other members are proud of.

My version of the Dix Pix was made to test the concept into something I could call my own. I would not call it a pick. The tool will not do that, not like an Ace pick. It merely takes an impression of a picked lock, or can be set to any desired setting based on measurements taken from a probed pancake lock. I also have done magazine articles.

[Lauren]

I doubt that I will be doing any professional writing in the future (I mean getting paid for it). I started doing short videos of my work. All my friends and family say, "don't just give away your intellectual property". So far, I have about 6 videos (high definition 1080) about antique padlock restoration. Much of the video content has been discussed in this thread to some degree.

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I don't like the idea of You Tube. Somebody else always gets a piece of me. I thought about selling a DVD, but it wouldn't be long for someone to pirate it.

[Lauren]

I just got done mastering the picking of a popular "EAGLE 6 LEVER" (not a double bitted lock!). Ironically, I used my own post to do it. I made a special tool as well. I did a video on the topic. Each tumbler is only .050 inch thick. I doubt anyone has ever done this before on a systematic level.

[GWiens2001]

Congratulations on the success of your diligent work.

Gordon