Author Topic: Wife Approved Lock Project  (Read 6076 times)

Offline Bolster

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Wife Approved Lock Project
« on: November 13, 2010, 09:04:49 PM »
The wife has been skeptical of the mill purchase (Sieg X3) since it arrived last year. Too big, you don't have time for hobbies, looks like the drill press you already own, etc. However yesterday she said, with no prompting from me, "Thank goodness for the mill." And for this humble project, started and completed in a few hours.

Problem was an unusual double-sided lock on a heavy-duty screen door...no key to it when we purchased the house. When I took it to the locksmith he said, "There's no way to get those open to re-key them. You have to buy a new one. $100, and I'll order it." (The one he wanted to order had slightly different dimensions.) Problem is, you can't pick and rekey it with a follower because of the opposing cylinders. Standard follower method would work for one side but not the both simultaneously.

$100 seemed like too much expense with no guarantee of success. After contemplating it awhile, I decided to mill off the top of my existing lock, to expose the holes. Then dump the pins out from the top. That unlocked the plug from the hull. I knew I'd have to put a top back on the pin holes somehow, and decided it was easiest to sacrifice a pin hole. I chose the last pin hole because it had the most metal around it, even though choosing the middle pin hole would have been more elegant. Potentially, with a shallow-enough thread, and clever combination of pins, and a shortened spring, it's possible no holes needed sacrifice. I didn't go for elegance here, I was bent on speed, and was willing to sacrifice one pin's worth of security on a screen door.

Next came (for me) the difficult part. Making a thin top for the pin holes. I had some .030 shim stock on hand and made mine of that, cutting it out with a jigsaw and then using my belt grinder to get the final shape. Didn't seem like the best solution, what would you guys have done? I didn't machine a top because I didn't think I could put a full-width (.090) top back on it...was afraid that would put the screw heads too high.



With the plug out I chose a pin configuration that was pick-resistant (a configuration that's roughly the opposite of most lock picks) and cut my key (with a hand file...figuring out how to do it on the mill seemed too cumbersome, and I didn't have the right sized ball end mill anyway...but there's no reason a mill couldn't make a dandy key cutter). Then I filled the plug's pin holes to the top with graphite powder and slipped it into the hull. Top pins and springs went into the top, then the hole cover got screwed on. Last operation was to shave off the heads of the screws so the profile would fit into the door.



Back in action (minus one pin; it's now a 4-pin lock) and the wife approves!
a.k.a. Delmar O'Donnell, bona fide soggy bottom boy

Offline trevoratxtal

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Re: Wife Approved Lock Project
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2010, 02:38:55 AM »
Hello Bolster
Excellent peace of work, Top Bodger status.
Sorry repair, it is things like this that make mad modders so different.
 :proj:
I love the photos.
If I lived closer I would pop around with a hand cut key and let myself in for Coffee.
How? well the photo gives enough detail to copy one. Ha Ha.
Well done
Trev  :D

Offline Bolster

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Re: Wife Approved Lock Project
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2010, 11:12:22 AM »
True that, Trev. Well if you DO hop the pond, just knock, we'll give you a spare key!    :wave:
a.k.a. Delmar O'Donnell, bona fide soggy bottom boy

Offline 75Plus

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Re: Wife Approved Lock Project
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2010, 06:32:04 PM »
Bolster, Please don't think of this as critical as it in most assuredly not meant to be but you asked how others would have handled this situation. I would have dovetailed the covers saving the 5th tumbler. If you didn't have a dovetail cutter you could have used a three square file with one side ground smooth so it would not cut while you created the needed angle. I used this method many times while building muzzle loading rifles. Making dovetails for sights as well as tenons for pinning the barrel to the stock.

Joe

Offline Pete49

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Re: Wife Approved Lock Project
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2010, 12:59:12 AM »
sounds strange that a locky couldn't rekey it.....I used to do it all the time here in Oz. The follower is available, its a multi-piece unit. Over here the locks retail at about $20
but then you have justified the mill and the wife is happy (hard to do) so life is good
cheers
Pete (retired locky)
oops..........oh no.........blast now I need to redo it