Decoding Keys

[faeastflip]

Hi... this is my first post here...

I've read about decoding keys... how does that work? is there a machine that i put a key in and out comes a code that I can give a locksmith or put into a key cutter? What is the code supposed to mean and look like?


Faeastflip

[CaptHook]

There are gauges out there, imagine a spark plug gauge in reverse (instead of measuring a gap, they measure a thickness). They are credit card size and have slots that are calibrated/marked to the bittings the different manufacturers use. Or you can use any number of different measuring tools from dial/vernier calipers to job dedicated key micrometers. As to codes, there are books, charts and software packages that convert codes to bittings and vice versa.
Chuck

[faeastflip]

Do you have any examples, recommendations, or websites where I can find these?

[Grudge]

The lockpickshop has several. You can find them in about the middle of this page:

http://www.lockpickshop.com/Merchant2/m ... mith-Tools

To understand decoding you need to think of a key as a password, and the height of each flat spot on the key as a secret number. A key decoder allows you to measure a key's flat spots one at a time and finally get all of the password (like 3,2,4,4,3) which can be plugged into a key cutting machine to create a duplicate key.

To use a decoder, you must first determine what sort of key/lock you have since manufactures often use different sizes for each password number. You place the key into the widest part of the gap of the decoder over one of the little flat spots the pins rest on. Then you slide it down until it can't go any farther. The number above where the key gets stuck is where this part of the key should be cut to. You repeat this process until you know the size of all of the places the pins rest (the bittings). These numbers can be plugged into a key cutter (with translation, as necessary, as the good Capt'n mentioned) and a key cut, without use of the original key.

[Chucklz]

You can also do alot by eye with a little bit of practice. I down own a set of Schlage depth keys, nor have I ever bothered to use any measuring devices, but I can decode a fair lot of Schlage keys by eye. On the lettered Schlage keyways (C,D,E,EC, etc ) and on many other keyways from many different manufacturers the 0 and 9 (or whatever the deepest cuts are) are quite distinctive. If the key you are trying to decode has either (or both) of these cuts you can make a fair bit of progress. Let me walk you through my mental process for familiar keys, and then unfamiliar keys.

1.) Identify the keyway and manufacturer. This may be alot harder than you think, but generally is fairly easy.
2.) How many pins? If the key is quite worn, this can be hard to determine.
3.) Make a chart, for each pin position and for all cuts. Do this either mentally or on paper. Results are almost always better when done on paper, and I whole heartedly recommend it in the beginning. If there are any cuts that are to the same depth put a star on each column and connect them with a line. Also make note of cuts that are "close" I do this mentally, but you may want to write it down somehow.
4.) Any 0 or 9 cuts? Circle them and your done with those columns. If your not sure, also circle the 1 or 8.
5.) Shallow cut? cross of 7,8,9 maby 6, 5, 4 in the column. Crossing off the 6, 5, 4, you may need some time to learn to judge this.
6.) Repeat the above for deep cuts. Deep cuts are sometimes easier to judge, especially relative to a 9 cut.

7.) Now this is where experience really helps. You need to use the data you have to make judgements about other cuts. For example, if you have a 0, 1, or 8 or 9 cut, depending on the lock, you can generally easily judge a 1, 2, 7, 8 etc. Of course, on some keyways there are features on the key that you can easily map to particular cut.
8.) Make educated guesses abou the other cuts. Generally you can narrow it to 2 or 3 depths.
9.) Measure the remainder if you need to. Or just progress it.

More on this later.

[_Ethereal_]

If you have all pins and know what they are ( colour coded pins from LAB are the best ) you could probabley make your own gauge.
I have thought about making a lockwood gauge for a while but have been to lazy to try.

I Will try to make one tonight and post my results either later or tomorrow morning, with instructions.

[jayson44444]

we have a key machine at our shop that has an optical reader (i think its an hpc ultracode??) that can read the key and cut it back to how it was when it was new. if you trying to get a replace ment of a worn out key, one of the shops in your area might have the same machine.