Our lock techs cut thousands of keys each week. Many of our machines are computerized for increased elimination of human error. While they likely work well when new, there is no guarantee that they’re regularly recalibrated or well-maintained in the long run.Īnderson Lock keeps over a dozen key machines carefully calibrated, and if cutting wheels become dulled, they are changed to maintain flawless cuts. While self-service key cutting kiosks are increasingly popping up in big box chains and hardware stores, these machines aren’t necessarily reliable over time. How long it takes to get a key copied could depend on where you go to get your key copied. Duplicating a more complicated key can take up to 25 minutes.
Copy do not duplicate key reddit professional#
How long does it take to cut a key?Ī professional locksmith can accurately duplicate a standard key in just a few minutes. This standard locksmith machine is easy to use, accurate, and dependable. He moved the guide to choose the cut depth, then clipped the key, one cut at a time. After decoding the key, Tim chose to use the “Blue Punch” key clipper, shown in the two bottom right photos. In general, however, one should not make a duplicate key without the original on hand.
The key gauge shown in the center right-hand photo was used to determine the depths of the original cuts. How accurate is the key that needs to be copied? When keys are worn down, they should be decoded before copies are cut. Tim Lankford, the lock tech shown in the top left photo, could have cut a new key on a matching “lookalike” blank, but he chose to use a Schlage original brass key blank to assure accuracy. However, the old key is still easily identifiable as a Schlage C lookalike. In the photo at the top right of this collage, the Ilco key with the blue plastic insert shows rounded cuts and years of wear. We try to choose one as similar to the original as possible to ensure accuracy and quality. At Anderson Lock, we have about a million different key blanks. Make sure the correct key blank is used.įor residential keys, selecting the correct key blank is typically easy. The final product is a duplicate key that matches the original. Afterward, the lock tech will sand the duplicate key for a smooth finish. The key duplicator is then turned on, and as the original and blank keys move horizontally across the machine, the blade cuts into the blank key, using the original as a sort of template. The key guide, or alignment bar, on your key duplicator, ensures the keys are even with one another. The alignment tool is a piece of metal that is even with the blade. Your original key is placed in a vice on one side of the key duplicator, lined up with the cutting tool (or blade), and a blank key is placed in a vice on the side of the machine that contains the alignment tool. Keys are cut with a machine called a key duplicator.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting a new key cut as part of our Chicago locksmith services. In addition, it’s important to have spare keys around (perhaps left with a trusted family member, friend, or neighbor) in case you’re ever locked out or need a friend or family member to get into your home for some reason. Over years of use, keys and pins do wear down.
Keys are typically made of brass or a nickel-brass mixture, and the pins in a lock are also made of brass. It may be time to get a duplicate key made. Or pull it slightly out of the lock before it will turn? Do you have a spare key for your home in the event that you’re locked out? An Anderson Lock security expert uses a Pro-Lok Blue Punch Machine to duplicate a key.ĭo you have to jiggle your key to get it to work?
0 kommentar(er)
