Copying lockpicks with key machine?

[pickmonger]

This maybe idiotic, but can a keyduplicator either copy lockpicks or be easily modified to copy lockpicks the way it will copy a key?

[toomush2drink]

It sounds quite a feasible idea but my only concern would be what you expect the cutter to cut. It may reduce the life of the cutter quite quickly or even damage it.

[raimundo]

It would probably be possible, if you want to waste a sharp mill wheel on the project, to get a somwhat rough edged copy, also, depending on the sort of blank you use, it would certainly go slower. If you found a mill wheel that has the type of shape of the keycutting mill wheel but many more fine teeth, (like a file) it could be done better. remember that the wheel should be a compliment to the stylus that follows the shape of the object being copied, ultimately, I think that it would be a lot of unnecessary effort, unless you are planning small volume production of picks for sale, if you really want to make picks commercially look into having a die made for punch pressing. Punching makes picks that have a cutbreak edge, (the punch starts to cut the metal, then it fractures through the rest of the way) This is a rough edge, and has to be deburred in a tumbler. If I were makeing picks this way, I would look into a coining die, (the sort that presses the surface into a coin) and make a pick that has the edges rounded somewhat by coining, this would have the advantage of making sand finishing less extensive, and also workhardening some of the metal, along the edges. so that the work surfaces would be harder than the interior of the pick shaft. (casehardening by workhardening)

[Kith]

You may also look into using a grinding wheel/stone instead. It would be easy to set up a home-made guide mechanism like is on your key-cutting machine (sorry but the correct terminology-if any- escapes me atm)...

...all you really need is a stable platform to mount the pick on that can move against a guide (think of a piece of wood with two pair of vice-grips held down by tie-wraps sitting on a hinge mounted on something that only moves forward and backward)

If you already have a grinding wheel/stone then chances are it's mounted on a workbench like a vice, shouldn't take too much effort to remount it with a little table space in front of it to allow for your custom apparatus.

I'd recommend against using your key cutting machine unless you have a newer one you are using for keys, it will get blunted rather quickly doing this type of work.

(( note - it all really depends on what you are using to make your picks from. A denser/stiffer/harder material will wear whatever tool you use to shape it down more quickly.

Also noteworthy would be if your 'blank' pick will have a lot cut out of it, you could use a regular file (please, not one you use for impressioning) to take some/most of the useless metal off before you take it to the grinder, this will also increase the life of your grinder since you will be using it against less material))

Hope this was useful.

[Romstar]

Trying to use a key machine for copying any type of lock pick is going to drive you nuts.

The first problem is that you will chew any HSS milling cutter to pieces using any sort of metal that would be suitable for a lock pick. You could try to retrofit a small drill type grinding stone, but as it wears, the alignment will get worse and worse.

The second problem is the distance between the two jaws. The piece of steel that will become the pick will overlap the part that you want to duplicate. This is because the jaws are too close together for anything other than keys.

Now, if you are really interested in this technique, try to figure out something like Kith said, and make a sort of duplicating machine for picks using the same IDEA as a key duplicator and a small cut-off wheel as the cutter/grinder.

Romstar

[Peaky]

The cutting of the material wouldnt be too much of a problem as you could buy a better horizontal milling machine cutter which would do the job, the problem lies in the fact that the speed would be incorrect, the cutter would need lots of coolant (key machine parts wont take it and will corrode) and you would not be able to clamp enough material to take the torque produced.

As a thought, if you decide to go down the route others have already suggested with grinders, you will have to make a recalibrating copier as grinding wheels reduce in size, also you wouldnt get very good reasults if an angle is needed, a curve is needed or a rake is needed as the blank can only move 2 dimensionally and dont forget you shouldnt be grinding on the side of a wheel.

Follow raimundo's advice if you want to bulk make picks, a word of warning though is that a die can be expensive to have made.

If you want an easier and less time comsuming way of making a few picks, sorry there isnt one, perhaps a piece of steel machined on a miller with carbide tips then the width guiliteened off would be less messy but would only give you the simple pick shapes and wouldnt be worth the hastle.

Great idea though, i like your thinking, it might have worked, keep the ideas coming.

[Varjeal]

Hmmm...along this same idea, how about a setup similar to the machine used for flat steel keys. The cutter is squared so you wouldn't necessarily be able to use for "detail" tip work.

Just a thought since those setups are quite a bit wider than standard key machines. A simple change and realignment of the cutter to a different type I would think would work well unless you're churning out a couple hundred/hour.

[RichVR]

I would think that a simple paper or thin cardboard template traced off of a pre-existing lockpick in the following manner might be easier:

1. Apply template to lockpick material.

2. Clamp into vise.

3. Use Dremel tool to remove excess metal.

You might even be able to avoid the template part and clamp the original to the blank. But you wouldn't want to accidentally grind the original.

Of course the whole concept of overheating the blank comes into play here. Dremels can turn hardened steel into crap if you over rev the tool. As a long time Dremel user I can attest to how hot 30,000 RPM will get a piece of steel. Dremel user guides can only bring you so far, as far as speeds for materials is concerned. The rest is trial and error.

Good luck.