Lock impressioning and what key way?

[NNFAK]

I don't know if this is the place to ask this question (sorry if it's not) but I have seen a lot of lock impressioning videos around Youtube and I though I would give it a try. Now I was going through my locks and was going to try a WB which is a five pin but then I was thinking about trying a 6 pin BEST and I was wondering if it is one of those things that takes a lot of practice and maybe I should start out on a WB or would another pin really make any difference?

Oh and what key way is this?

[quabillion]

Prolly a W keyway.

[NNFAK]

Prolly a W keyway.

Thanks man. Is there any website or any shop that you know of that would sell blanks of that kind of keyway?

[quabillion]

http://www.clksupplies.com/shop/ic-core ... 00&sort=3a

Here are some blanks, dosent look like any W blanks though.

[quabillion]

i dont think you should try to impression that Best. It has multiple keys that work it, such as the regular change key and the control/service key, as well as a master and grandmaster possibly. This means there are many spacers in the pin stacks, as well as 2 shear lines. So you might end up making a 1/2 control 1/2 change key, which will not work the lock at all. I suggest you try a regular single key lock to impression, like a Master no3 for example, or your WB as long as you know it isnt master keyed as well.

[NNFAK]

i dont think you should try to impression that Best. It has multiple keys that work it, such as the regular change key and the control/service key, as well as a master and grandmaster possibly. This means there are many spacers in the pin stacks, as well as 2 shear lines. So you might end up making a 1/2 control 1/2 change key, which will not work the lock at all. I suggest you try a regular single key lock to impression, like a Master no3 for example, or your WB as long as you know it isnt master keyed as well.

I think I will just try and pick the best to control when I am good enough to do that and then key it. I think I will go for a Master or the WB and see how it works out.

Thanks for the help man.

[femurat]

I bet you'll never be able to make a key for a BEST lock

It has an unusual design which requires special tools to disassemble/reassemble. Even if disassembling is possible without dedicated tools, reassembling it may be very difficult.
Also, one of the reasons why they're considered secure is the difficulty in finding blanks...

I suggest you to keep that lock intact and just pick it. It's a fun lock to pick, don't ruin it

[NNFAK]

I bet you'll never be able to make a key for a BEST lock

It has an unusual design which requires special tools to disassemble/reassemble. Even if disassembling is possible without dedicated tools, reassembling it may be very difficult.
Also, one of the reasons why they're considered secure is the difficulty in finding blanks...

I suggest you to keep that lock intact and just pick it. It's a fun lock to pick, don't ruin it

Well damn it! That's cool though. I have had the lock for a month now and still haven't been able to get it open and every time I look at it I feel like it is flipping me off.

[Oldfast]

Mathias, good to see ya made it to the forum friend.

Although I've only impressioned a few locks myself, it's certainly fun. It's a whole nother aspect to this hobby, & really is an art, in and of itself. If you're interested, there's a great deal of literature on the subject if you search 'key impressioning'. I'm with quabillion on this one though... I think you'd be much better off to start out with one of the laminated padlocks from Master (ie #1, #3, #5, etc.). There's no sec pins & the blanks will be easier to obtain.

As far as obtaining blanks... alot of stores will not sell them to you. So you might be better off purchasing them online. Although it never hurts to try some of the stores in your area. My local hardware store (ACE/ True Value) will sell me any blanks they have on their rack for .75 each, no questions asked. In fact, they're usually interested in what my latest project is. I once told them I was going to make some bump keys... lol... they happily sold me several blanks for Schlage & Master, and wished me luck. lol

Check out Jos Weyers creating a working key in under 2 mins.! It literally took me HOURS on my first try. lol
There's also some more informative vids on his channel that might help you as well.

http://youtu.be/Bj9KEmLWRek

[rai]

Why impressioning a best lock is different.

these locks do not have shoulders on the keybow, they are indexed/register at a stop on the end of the keyway all the way down the tunnel in the plug,

In normal impressioning, the shoulder is at the face of the lock, and you bump down the tip of the key fulcrums from the front of the keyway and the tip of the key lifts up against the deepest pins

in best impressioning, the fulcrum is at the tip of the key where the indexing occurs you get less force applied to the blank in spite of how much you apply.
Best also are closely machined and there is just not the slop in the keyway that many locks have.

Look for renegade keyblanks to impression a best, look for off brand yellow brass keyblanks,
the renegade blanks can often be thinner than the OEM blanks and this gives you a little advantage also made of brass while the OEM blanks are nickle silver which is not the preferred metal for impressioning.

a best plug has a cap on the interior end that is secured by two pressed in pins that I think go rather deep.
however, I have heard of experiments at bumping them that caused the cap to bend or the presspins to come out a bit so that the true key no longer indexes cuts under pins correctly.

[Oldfast]

..... these locks do not have shoulders on the keybow, they are indexed/register at a stop on the end of the keyway all the way down the tunnel in the plug,

In normal impressioning, the shoulder is at the face of the lock, and you bump down the tip of the key fulcrums from the front of the keyway and the tip of the key lifts up against the deepest pins

in best impressioning, the fulcrum is at the tip of the key where the indexing occurs you get less force applied to the blank in spite of how much you apply.
Best also are closely machined and there is just not the slop in the keyway that many locks have .....

Great info on the fulcrum point Rai! Although I'm familiar with the mechanical differences and how the key stops...
I'll bet you 10 to 1 it would not have occurred to me the afffect it would have on impressioning. Not until I had gone
through some trial & error anyway lol. When I finally attempt a BEST, you'll have shortened my learning curve. Thanks!

[selim]

NNFK, get the core out of the padlock and send it to me. I can take it apart, and make key's for it. I can even take picures of the way the pins are set up in the core.

All it will cost is what I pay for the blanks , and shipping .

Oldfast must be respected in his town, as well as here

[Oldfast]

..... Oldfast must be respected in his town, as well as here .....

I assume you're referring to this? lol

..... I once told them I was going to make some bump keys... lol... they happily sold me several blanks for Schlage & Master, and wished me luck. lol .....

I hadn't seen this thread in a while til Rai brought it up. I had a good laugh re-reading
through it & recalling that day. Really though, I suppose that's one of the advantages
of a small town - people get to know you, and know what you're all about.