Clasp Lid Locks for Wooden Machinist Tool Chests

[toolboxted]

I’ve been studying old clasp lid locks on vintage and antique wooden machinist tool chests for some time now. Eagle Lock Co. are the most popular. Gerstner used them with key numbers A41Nxx and A50Mxx. The locks had 3 lever tumblers.
I’ve been able to chart how to cut all 48 of the A50Mxx keys. I’d like to do the same for the A41Nxx keys, but I simply don’t have enough sample keys or pictures to establish cutting patterns. Anybody have some useful input?

[toolboxted]

Here is my website for 20th Century Wooden Machinist Tool Chests. Clasp locks and keys are on Pg 260 thru Pg 263 –
https://sites.google.com/site/theguideforwoodmachinistchests/home

[Squelchtone]

I like your site! Easy to follow and understand.

As to your question, when I need to find the bitting (the cuts) for a specific key code, I head over to ebay to look for the exact key code and see what I can glean from the photos in the ebay ads. Or search for Gerstner chests on ebay and see if the ads show a key, if the key code is not visible, contact the seller and ask nicely if they wouldn't mind sharing the key code and photo of the key cuts with you.

Thanks for sharing,
Squelchtone

[toolboxted]

Thanks much! Good suggestion. I do this also on 2 machinist tool chest forums. I'd like to find an older locksmith that had some of these worn-out locks around. I take them apart for accurate key dimensions and then analysis the dimensions to come up with manufacturing standards. It's a challenge.

[toolboxted]

Might any of you be able to post a copy of an Eagle catalog page, from the mid-30’s thru mid-70’s, showing the pictured lock. It has 3 lever tumblers and uses a brass key with a full-length groove on each side. The Eagle brass key blank number is 08792M & 08792MR (opposite M). Therefore, I believe the Eagle lock number could be 8792M & 8792MR. Thanks much……Ted

[toolboxted]

Thanks to an old-fashioned anonymous, even to me, locksmith, I’ve received copies of Eagle’s original key cutting codes for all A41N1 – 60 and A50M1 – 48 keys. Thanks much to that person.....Ted

[Squelchtone]

Thanks to an old-fashioned anonymous, even to me, locksmith, I’ve received copies of Eagle’s original key cutting codes for all A41N1 – 60 and A50M1 – 48 keys. Thanks much to that person.....Ted

If you could share this we would love to keep it on hand for future use.

Thank you and glad you got the info you were looking for.

Squelchtone

[toolboxted]

Sorry, part of the deal I made with the locksmith was that I wouldn’t publicly publish the key cutting codes. I think this has to do with locksmith’s standards. Should you need to cut one of the those keys and need the cutting dimensions, let me know.

[nothumbs]

https://archive.org/details/illustratedcatal00eagl/mode/2up

https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/SILNMAHTL_14091

https://search.library.wisc.edu/catalog/999593908402121

Don't know if any of the above may be useful, but posting just in case.

[toolboxted]

Thanks for the leads nothumbs.

[toolboxted]

I have received confidential copies of the key cutting codes for Eagle A50Mxx & A41Nxx. I have defined the codes for Excelsior KYxx & 400 Series.

I’m still looking for the key cutting codes for Eagle 49Yxx, National 56-E-xx, Yale HGxx, KFxx & 4Xxx and Corbin OXxx & NOxx. I’d sure appreciate getting confidential copies of any of these. Thanks very much…….Ted

[RaisinMombassa]

Just joined. Hope this works.
I have an old Army signal corps chest for which I lost the key about 30 yrs ago. It is a Corbin Cabinet lock with code T121.
How can I get into it? Can I order a key from somewhere?
Picture uploaded. Appreciate any help.

RM

https://ibb.co/vsvYQbh

[toolboxted]

Hey RM, you got lucky. This site has your T121 key for $35. Antique Vintage Flat Keys (islandtrunkshop.com)

Another way is to take your trunk to a locksmith shop that can cut the key by the impression method. Hard to find them though. The cost would probably be around $35 - $50.
Good luck…….Ted

[toolboxted]

LID-LOCK KEY REPLACEMENT
Here’s a new option for replacing some of the missing machinist chest lid-lock keys.
I now have full key dimensions using alternative blanks, including the lever-tumbler’s tab depths, for the following key numbers–
Eagle A50M1 thru A50M48, Eagle A41N1 thru A41N60, National 56-E-1 thru 56-E-19, Corbin 0X1 thru 0X12, Excelsior KY11 thru KY98 and Excelsior 411 – 493 Series.
When someone posts on a Forum that they’re missing one of the above key numbers, I can reply with a sketch of their numbered key. They can take a copy to a locksmith for a new key. An example is attached……..Ted

All chest lid-lock manufactures also supplied an identical (to their line) lock assembly that contained only one lever-tumbler. Those locks didn’t use key numbers, and they all used the same key. Generally, those were not used on machinist chests. Little is known about those keys.