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by MrB » 21 Feb 2005 20:03
Kevin, sorry to say this, but you sound like you are a bit hopeless when it comes to mechanical things.
If I were you, I really wouldn't take the lock apart, because based on what you have posted so far you are going to have terrible trouble putting it back together again.
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by toomush2drink » 22 Feb 2005 7:58
Mrb i think you should remember everybody starts somewhere and this no exception. Has it occured to you that once hes done it couple of times he will have learned then he could do it time after time. By asking the question he has at least hes trying to help himself. Give the guy a break we all have our own skills and weaknesses but above all we were all beginners once. 
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by Kevin63 » 22 Feb 2005 10:34
Hahaha I love those last 2 posts. First of Mrb is tottaly correct about the mechanical side of things and the fact that am going ot have problems taking thi slock apart (read on because yes i'm having more problems  )
And as for toomush2drink's post i think hes a great bloke/lady for it. I was expecting to be flamed for my stupidity but al you guys have done is helped me along, Thanks alot!
Now as for my problem  :
Ok i've now managed to take the the lock apart with the help and 2 screwdrivers and my to cupped hands to stop everything from flying everywhere (I lost a spring as at first i never thought the peice would fly out of every crevice. But later i found it). But the prblem is now i can put the lock back together now so it has 1 or 2 pins set  But like toomush2drink said i'll soon find it easy once i know howto do it. So does anyone know howto put this lock back together again so theres only 1/2 pins set? I think i need a speacial tool as there is no way (i think) of putting this lock back together with my hands and general things around the home.
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Kevin63
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by MrB » 22 Feb 2005 12:15
Kevin, you need a thing called a plug follower. Take the outer shell of the lock to a hardware or DIY store and find a wooden dowel that's just the right size to fit inside. Very often half an inch is the right diameter.
When you get home, cut a short length of the dowel, say four inches long, making sure you cut the end square not at an angle. Then use a file or something to make a shallow notch across the widest part of each end. Sand all the sawn parts smooth.
Now you can slide this follower inside the shell. Put a spring and driver pin in one of the holes with tweezers, using the notch in the follower as a guide. Push the pin down into the hole and slide the follower over the hole to keep it in place.
Hopefully you can work the rest of it out from there.
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MrB
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by toomush2drink » 22 Feb 2005 12:21
Ok i've now managed to take the the lock apart with the help and 2 screwdrivers and my to cupped hands to stop everything from flying everywhere (I lost a spring as at first i never thought the peice would fly out of every crevice.
Now kevin did i or did i not advise you to put the thing in a bag before pulling it apart  Now go to your room 
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by MrB » 22 Feb 2005 13:49
By the way toomush, in my earlier post I was quite sincere. I really wasn't being sarcastic even thought it might seem like it.
Personally, I hate to let all the pins and springs out of a lock, because I know I am going to have the damndest time putting it all back together again.
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by Kevin63 » 22 Feb 2005 14:21
Lol, i thought my two cupped hands would be sufficient (they were to a point)
and as for makng my own plug follower!!!!!!!! I'll only make a mess of it and have been doing some shopping, am going to order a set of 4 plug followers (various sizes - one of them should fi tmy lock) and the price of them is £20.00 (is this a bargain - any other sites were there cheaper)
Once again thanks for all your help.
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Kevin63
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by vector40 » 22 Feb 2005 21:38
Oh, I don't know. On one hand, if you find yourself disassembling locks with any kind of regularity, a follower is an integral and vital part of the process.
On the other hand... it's just a tube.
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by MrB » 22 Feb 2005 21:50
In fact the plug followers you buy may not be as good as a home made one.
The mass produced ones tend to be a hollow tube rather than a solid rod, and may not have the nice groove in the end that makes it easier to get the springs and pins back in the chambers.
This is because the normal use of a plug follower is to prevent the springs and driver pins coming out at all, not to help get them back in again after the lock has gone sproing.
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by digital_blue » 23 Feb 2005 0:49
I use a sharpie marker. Works for me, cost me nothing ('cause I still use it as a marker) and I didn't have to make it.
As someone once said... it's just a tube.
db
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digital_blue
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by Kevin63 » 23 Feb 2005 10:46
If its just a tube how do i use it then cause i'm sure i can find a tube.
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by toomush2drink » 23 Feb 2005 11:10
Kevin heres what you do to replace the pins get yourself a piece of dowel or other rod a few inches long and cut a small slot in the end of it. Now take your lock body and insert this rod as far as the last hole or the one nearest the back (5th pin).Line up the slot with the hole then drop in a spring, this should fall into the slot then if you tilt the lock a little it should fall into the hole ( see the reason for the slot now ?). Next take a top pin and repeat but this time you have to push the pin down onto the spring a slide the follower over as you do so. A diamond or ball pick is great for this job of pushing down the pin. Now repeat this until all the pins and top springs are in place (depends how many your fitting). Now take the plug or core of the lock (the bit the key goes in) and put the key into it. Insert your pins so that they sit flush with the key inserted and ONLY fit the pins you have already fitted top pins and spring for already. Now take this plug and turn it to about 2oclock as you look at the lock and push it through the lock pushing out the follower as you do so. Now reinsert the retaining clip at the back and withdraw the key.
It probably took longer to write this than the whole process takes in reality so dont be daunted its not too hard even if your not this way inclined (mrb  i know what you meant).
Good luck
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by Peaky » 23 Feb 2005 11:34
Kevin you really are hard work,
READ the guides, read the site and read this thread and you will learn somthing.
You have been told by the people who sold you the lock and by others on here how to do this, if you dont understand it then you shouldnt do it until confident (sorry miss toomush)
As a quickie to get you going.........
Take the clip off the back of the lock and if present remove the tang,
Insert the key and turn it off centre,
Get a piece of round material, this can be made of anything and may be hollow (tube) or solid, as already suggested a piece of solid may be better and a slight grove filed along the centre would be benefitial, marker pens, woodern dowl, a whittled down carrot anything that will fit into the hole where the plug fits, this is usually 12.7mm / 1/2" diameter but 12mm will do,
Push the plug out of the lock body with the 'plug follower' this will take the place of the lock plug and keep all the top pins and springs in the lock body,
You can now re-key/ service the lock,
Repeat the above steps in reverse to put the lock back together,
If you want to take out the top pins and springs as well, repeat the proceedure as above and then carefully pull out the plug follower a bit at a time, pull it out until ONE PIN AND ONE SPRING come out, put these on one side, continue until all the pins and springs are removed putting your finger over the open hole in the lock body when pulling the follower out will stop the pins and springs flying out,
When you put the lock back together in this way it is still all the steps from above in reverse,
Using tweezers, carefully put a spring and top pin in the first hole,
Insert the follower, when the follower gets up to the pin you have just inserted push the pin down with a pick or your tweezers and push the follower further into the hole, this will keep that pin and spring in while you do the next one,
Repeat this procedure until you have all your top pins and springs in place,
Insert the key into the plug and while keeping it turned off centre insert it in to the plugs hole and at the same time pushing the follower out the other end, DONT PULL THE FOLLOWER let the lock plug push it out,
Put the clip back on the end and thats sorted,
If you want to have less pins in your lock for practicing then you only fit the top pins and springs along with their opposite bottom pins you want and leave the others out,
It shouldnt matter in your case which top pins and springs go into which hole but if you mix up the bottom pins you insert your key in to the plug and insert the bottom pins in each hole individually until you find the top of the pin to be flush with the plug diameter, then start again with another pin until you have all the bottom pins in the plug and the top of the pins are all flush and not protruding or too low.
I think i have been very good to you here i must be in a good mood,
Use the search button for any questions before you ask them no matter how excited or lazy you are i think all neccasary info is now in this thread so have fun.
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by Peaky » 23 Feb 2005 11:36
 It obviously took me a lot longer to write mine than you toomush, double posting isnt it great.
Ther really is no excuse now Kevin.
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Peaky
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by Kevin63 » 23 Feb 2005 12:52
 mY heads battered, ive cut 2 fingers and a thumb getting that circlip thing off (stiff as hell) and now i can't put th elock back together again.
Maybe i should tell you peeps i'm a visual learner (took some test in schoool and its so true) Any chance of anyone posting pics of this home made plug follower? Sorry but i dont get this at all!
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