day in the life of a locksmith

[shutterstuff]

What would that cordless die grinder do that my cordless Dremel won't?

I have a cordless dremel type tool too, but it is too slow for me.
I usually charge $9.50 to adjust a standard strike plate and I like to make the money fast
the 18vt die grinder uses a 1/4" shank or an 1/8", so I found that I just never use my
dremel (it's a black&decker Wizard) and I haven't for years. I know all the batteries are long dead by now

I have an actual Dremel brand and it has more RPM and torque than my corded knock off. With a cut off wheel, I get through padlocks in nothing.

Hmm, flat rate for a strike plate... Stuff like that I just start the clock. Maybe I should look into this further.

[billdeserthills]

My Dad is an auto mechanic as well as a locksmith, so he taught me to do everything 'flat rate'
I think it makes quoting prices easier, but I really haven't ever worked any other way

So today I wound up using my very last new schlage chassis unit. I quoted an absolutely obscene amount of money ($425) to install the chassis unit along with a new E series deadlatch and I wound up tossing the guy's 'orbit' knob and using the outer knob from a 'georgian' F series knob, the client was happy and everything worked great--I wish I could find some more chassis units for schlage

[shutterstuff]

My Dad is an auto mechanic as well as a locksmith, so he taught me to do everything 'flat rate'
I think it makes quoting prices easier, but I really haven't ever worked any other way

So today I wound up using my very last new schlage chassis unit. I quoted an absolutely obscene amount of money ($425) to install the chassis unit along with a new E series deadlatch and I wound up tossing the guy's 'orbit' knob and using the outer knob from a 'georgian' F series knob, the client was happy and everything worked great--I wish I could find some more chassis units for schlage

I assume they are the inside surface mount cassettes? I have 3 apartment buildings in town that also wish they were still available! But they are a PITA to do fast when doing a new master key system. I had 194 of them in one place back in December and gave more than one blood sacrifice taking the stupid cover plates off.

[billdeserthills]

I can usually rebuild an old one, I got some wolf springs from Brownells that fit. A good cleaning and greasing will usually put an old one back in service. Yeah they are the surface mount, and underneath is a large oval hole, made by drilling 3) 1 1/2" diameter holes, one on top another that the chassis covers up.

[shutterstuff]

I can usually rebuild an old one, I got some wolf springs from Brownells that fit. A good cleaning and greasing will usually put an old one back in service. Yeah they are the surface mount, and underneath is a large oval hole, made by drilling 3) 1 1/2" diameter holes, one on top another that the chassis covers up.

This is the one I am referring to. But they had standard 2 1/8" holes for the lever and 1 3/4" for the deadbolt.

[billdeserthills]

The one I'm referring is used by the old E series handlesets, and it's a big oval piece

[shutterstuff]

The one I'm referring is used by the old E series handlesets, and it's a big oval piece

Ok, I know what one that is now.

[billdeserthills]

The one I'm referring is used by the old E series handlesets, and it's a big oval piece

Ok, I know what one that is now.

Yours is the interconnected series, fairly rare in my town. I think I have a nos interconnected privacy knob in a 612
finish in the cabinet full of old stuff my Dad bought

[billdeserthills]

I had another very slow day, after a string of slow days, so having nothing else interesting to do,
I grabbed my 'late pay' invoices off the hook and found one that was due last month. Having called
this client in the past, for failure to pay on time, I knew I'd hafta try a new tactic on this one, as the
last time I called it took another month for the money to trickle on in.

So I made the short couple minute drive to their bar, once I gained the bartender's attention, in a very
loud voice I announced to all the folks in the room that I had an old, unpaid invoice and I'd love to get
paid on it now, who should I see for that??

Got paid in no time and cash too!

[shutterstuff]

I had another very slow day, after a string of slow days, so having nothing else interesting to do,
I grabbed my 'late pay' invoices off the hook and found one that was due last month. Having called
this client in the past, for failure to pay on time, I knew I'd hafta try a new tactic on this one, as the
last time I called it took another month for the money to trickle on in.

So I made the short couple minute drive to their bar, once I gained the bartender's attention, in a very
loud voice I announced to all the folks in the room that I had an old, unpaid invoice and I'd love to get
paid on it now, who should I see for that??

Got paid in no time and cash too!

A free drink for interest?

I have a local trucking company with an overdue invoice. I should go out the RV and get on the CB...

[GWiens2001]

I had another very slow day, after a string of slow days, so having nothing else interesting to do,
I grabbed my 'late pay' invoices off the hook and found one that was due last month. Having called
this client in the past, for failure to pay on time, I knew I'd hafta try a new tactic on this one, as the
last time I called it took another month for the money to trickle on in.

So I made the short couple minute drive to their bar, once I gained the bartender's attention, in a very
loud voice I announced to all the folks in the room that I had an old, unpaid invoice and I'd love to get
paid on it now, who should I see for that??

Got paid in no time and cash too!

Bloody brilliant!

Gordon

[billdeserthills]

I had another very slow day, after a string of slow days, so having nothing else interesting to do,
I grabbed my 'late pay' invoices off the hook and found one that was due last month. Having called
this client in the past, for failure to pay on time, I knew I'd hafta try a new tactic on this one, as the
last time I called it took another month for the money to trickle on in.

So I made the short couple minute drive to their bar, once I gained the bartender's attention, in a very
loud voice I announced to all the folks in the room that I had an old, unpaid invoice and I'd love to get
paid on it now, who should I see for that??

Got paid in no time and cash too!

A free drink for interest?

I have a local trucking company with an overdue invoice. I should go out the RV and get on the CB...

I was just gonna 86 them instead.
This is the second time they were unable to ay me within the 30 day period
I normally find that folks who can't pay on time twice in a row, rarely do the 3rd time either

[shutterstuff]

Today has been the busiest Saturday I think I have ever had. The most fun call was an older gentleman that has a 100 or so year old house. Original front door, beveled glass windows and the original mortise lock with the bit key. A deadbolt was installed years ago and the original is just used in passage mode. He was messing around with it and pushed one of the buttons on the side and closed the door. Well, at this point neither the inside or outside knob turned and he could not open the door. I got there and pulled out my shrum tool and inserted it in the gap and twisted it to push the other button in and opened the door. One very happy customer! He now wants me to replace the lock with a Marks 91A mortise that will look retro enough and has an SC cylinder in it.

The rest of the day was rekeys, a couple lockouts and one broken key in a store front door.

[cledry]

Night and weekend work has been really slow here, work during the day has been crazy busy though. A bit odd to have one busy and the other slow.

Since I don't run calls in the day now I rarely comment in this section. This week was my on call week though. Nothing interesting really. Wednesday I had to do a job for a NSP, swap out an Instakey for a temp core. Easy money because they pay $187.50 plus parts. Prior to that I lost a job for another NSP, this pissed me off, it was right next door to my house and sounded like a loose set screw on an inside thumbturn. That would have been an easy $187.50! I explained that I would be at the store when they closed because that mall wouldn't allow work in the front of the store until 9.30 PM. The company got pissed off and said they wanted someone there sooner. Looking back I should have gone, had the store turn me away and charged the NSP two trips plus an hour. My honesty got the better of me.

On the way home from that I had a call from an out of town contractor. He was doing a build out on a retail space and decided to work on the new Kawneer CVR device himself, now he was desperate because he couldn't lock up. I quoted him a crazy high price hoping he would go elsewhere, but he insisted. So I went over and once I got there he said it is actually 2 doors not one. First one the top rod was not in the trigger guide or adjusted, so I fixed that. Then the cylinder wasn't spaced properly so I fixed that, lubed everything and 1 door was done. Second door the top rod was on the floor next to the door, so it was more work, everything else was the same. Charged him @$400 for my hour of time and off home. We also got about $4500 more work for Friday and Monday from him on other door hardware issues.

At 5 in the morning on Thursday I got a call from a NSP asking me to go to a neighbouring city and assess what is needed after an overnight break in at a Nike store. So I rushed out of the house only for them to cancel after I had driven about 5 miles. Apparently the store neglected to tell the NSP that there was still a car in the showroom and the police wouldn't let anyone work...

Friday night I had to go and open a door on the same shopping center for an electrician, the alarms were going off and the guy with the key was in Detroit. Hence why I asked for the Best construction keying info, to save time next time.

Saturday morning I was a subcontractor for a door company and helped the owner of the door company install a storefront pivot (top only, per his instructions) on a local auto dealership. $215 for 13 minutes of work. Later in the day had to go and open a drugs cabinet at an Alzheimer care center. Then I spent 15 minutes on the phone trying to calm down a lady who was irate because we rekeyed her condo so the master key would no longer work, but she took her key and it opened the common laundry room and pool gate. I explained that is because those locks are maison keyed and not done properly, but that doesn't mean the master key still works her condo. It isn't easy explaining this to the average person over the phone at 11PM. Long story short we will be out on Monday to install restricted key locks on her doors.

So far Sunday I have just had one call from a drunk sounding lady needing keys made to her car. Thankfully we don't do automotive.

[Squelchtone]

bill, shutter, and cledry,

Excellent write ups gentlemen, really informative and entertaining to read them.

Thank you!
Squelchtone