master locks and my File ;-)

[Craig1959]

Hello all < my first post , first off id like to say ive had my share of useing a file and some keyblanks, ive got one small master padlock thats giving me a run for the money,
stamped china.. and a bit bigger then a master # 1 , Its got like a Blue case and its starting to slid off from being in the vise once to many times lol
Ive been useing a M13 key blank, but its tight so i have to file (mill ) it down a bit in order for it to slide in to the stop.. starts marking and then ...... notta..
gone thru about 15 key blanks no lie..
my question is this.. ive never really learned how to read the pins and would like to..
ive been locksmithing since the 1980's
any help would be great
Craig

[jharveee]

Welcome.
There is a ton of great info on impressioning here. Very talented people as well.
Spend of time reading through the posts and you will pick up all sorts of tips and techniques.

[GWiens2001]

Try filing down the shoulder of the key on top. Not all the way to the top of the key blade, but about half that distance. If you are using the lifting technique of making the marks, sometimes on Master locks the top of the shoulder hits the metal plate surrounding the plug, causing you to lose marks.

If you are levering downwards to make the marks, file the bottom of the key blade where it is hitting the same metal plate surrounding the plug. Be aware that this will weaken the key blank a bit.

Good luck!

Gordon

[Papa Gleb]

Hey Craig, welcome to the site. I have recently learned the skill and a lot of that has to do with the posts I read here. There are really great threads discussing and showing every technique and style from A-Z.

There are a few ways to address your problem but first let me answer the decoding questions. Take a look at this picture: download/file.php?id=12470&mode=view you see that drawing? That is the decoding. First pick the lock then take your pick and from back to front feel the different pin tights. I try to associate the last pin relative to the keyway which will tell me approximately how deep it is then work from their. Need I always check the pins to see their condition. On old heavily used locks, the pins round off and if the lock originally had rounded pins then they become like a square which will barely leave marks at all. If this is the case, then I recommend doing the angled foil technique. Sorry dont know the name for it technique but take a look at this tiny WB that was giving me the same issue from the start: viewtopic.php?f=34&t=9953&start=75

What I missed to mention in that post, is that you have to start of knife edging the blank. Once that is done you continue to file at an angle making the blank as thin as foil so ultimately you are foil impressioning except you yield a working key right. Because the cuts will be super thin, this takes dull pins out of the equation.