Issues with new BEST SFIC cores

[RedE]

I've noticed that the aftermarket cores aren't as tightly made as the real McCoys. Even some of the old Falcon cores I have are so poorly made that you can slide a #1 A4 master pin in between the control shearline. Another thing I've noticed is that when using a real Best core, it is a lot more forgiving if it's pinned with universal pins. I suspect that it's due to the large chamfer on the universals vs. the Bests. If you can hold the two different types of pins side by side, the difference is pretty obvious.

Good observations - do you know what the official tolerance is for BEST keys?

I don't have an exact number on the tolerances, but I do know that Best considers their key combinators out of adjustment if they differ from the specs by more than .001". In my experience I've found that keys that differ by <.002" should be ok, the cores can start to click and bind otherwise. And FWIW, KABA, who makes the Peaks cores for Best, says that they can withstand up to +/- .002".

Let me tell you about my experience with Best tolerances...
I used to have a Pak a Punch and it worked OK for a long time servicing 3rd party cores with universal pins, but when I tried to service factory pinned cores from Best, the keys were just not accurate enough. For example, a cut may be +.003" and in a different position it may be -.004" even though it was cut to the same depth. No amount of fiddling and calibrating was able to fix the issue, so I eventually settled on the IC cutting wheel for the Framon. Now I can cut all SFIC keys exactly on the money, because they're always within .001" of spec.

[tpark]

I don't have an exact number on the tolerances, but I do know that Best considers their key combinators out of adjustment if they differ from the specs by more than .001". In my experience I've found that keys that differ by <.002" should be ok, the cores can start to click and bind otherwise. And FWIW, KABA, who makes the Peaks cores for Best, says that they can withstand up to +/- .002".

Let me tell you about my experience with Best tolerances...
I used to have a Pak a Punch and it worked OK for a long time servicing 3rd party cores with universal pins, but when I tried to service factory pinned cores from Best, the keys were just not accurate enough. For example, a cut may be +.003" and in a different position it may be -.004" even though it was cut to the same depth. No amount of fiddling and calibrating was able to fix the issue, so I eventually settled on the IC cutting wheel for the Framon. Now I can cut all SFIC keys exactly on the money, because they're always within .001" of spec.

I kept my Pak a Punch, but for cutting Schlage keys. I too got the Framon IC cutter. My experience has been that keys cut to within 0.001 of the numbers in the Framon blue book are good. I was using the standard cutter for a while, but I prefer to use the specific cutter rather than widening the gap. Also, the SFIC specific key jig is great - there's a spacing tool that works well, but it's much faster just to push the key into the tip stop rather than use the tip spacing tool, plus the official clamp also holds PKS keys.

Since I don't have a supplier of BEST blanks, I use JET blanks. They work well, the JMA blanks are too thin.

[RedE]

I kept my Pak a Punch, but for cutting Schlage keys. I too got the Framon IC cutter. My experience has been that keys cut to within 0.001 of the numbers in the Framon blue book are good. I was using the standard cutter for a while, but I prefer to use the specific cutter rather than widening the gap. Also, the SFIC specific key jig is great - there's a spacing tool that works well, but it's much faster just to push the key into the tip stop rather than use the tip spacing tool, plus the official clamp also holds PKS keys.

Since I don't have a supplier of BEST blanks, I use JET blanks. They work well, the JMA blanks are too thin.

Yeah spacing and the root width of the cuts are definitely important when dealing with Best. I've been using the spacing clip OK, but I'll definitely take a look into the IC vise. One thing I forgot to mention is that the root width of the cut is very important too. The Pak a Punch and the CW-90MC for an HPC blitz cut each depth to .046" wide. This works OK for new cores, but the keys become problematic if the tip stop gets bent back a bit, which means the pins no longer sit in the centers of the cuts. Keys that are cut to the factory spec of .053" don't have this issue in my experience.

Jet's my favorite mfg. of aftermarket blanks. I typically use either their keys or Best brand keys for SFICs if they have nickel silver pins. For cores with brass pins, I use Ilco NP brass keys to cut back on pin wear. And I agree with you on JMA keys. I have some of their stuff but prefer not to use it, because the quality just seems lacking compared to other brands. Though they do make several Medeco blanks that no one else does, and I happily buy them.

[tpark]

Yeah spacing and the root width of the cuts are definitely important when dealing with Best. I've been using the spacing clip OK, but I'll definitely take a look into the IC vise. One thing I forgot to mention is that the root width of the cut is very important too. The Pak a Punch and the CW-90MC for an HPC blitz cut each depth to .046" wide. This works OK for new cores, but the keys become problematic if the tip stop gets bent back a bit, which means the pins no longer sit in the centers of the cuts. Keys that are cut to the factory spec of .053" don't have this issue in my experience.

Jet's my favorite mfg. of aftermarket blanks. I typically use either their keys or Best brand keys for SFICs if they have nickel silver pins. For cores with brass pins, I use Ilco NP brass keys to cut back on pin wear. And I agree with you on JMA keys. I have some of their stuff but prefer not to use it, because the quality just seems lacking compared to other brands. Though they do make several Medeco blanks that no one else does, and I happily buy them.

That's good to know - my pak a punch IC kit came with a cutter, but I had to get the die from CLK. I didn't realize that the root depth was narrower. I'd purchased two kits, one for modification for cutting PKS keys, but even for standard keys, neither did a perfect job for cutting depth. It's odd, since the depth for schlage was fine.

--Ted

[averagejoe]

I love my old red Best punch. That thing is a tank. When calibrating it, 1/16" turn on the adjustment wheel moves the cutter 0.001" so you can get very precise with it.