Construction keying, PK balls

[the lockpickkid]

Was thinking this morning, but haven't played around with them at all. I can't figure out how the pk balls work as far as depth of cut, seems to me like you can put one or more Pk balls in a chamber or chambers and make a construction key for a property, my question is this, how can a pk ball make the cut depth one more size up when they are so so small when making a construction key? Do ya understand what I am saying? They are so small in relation to even the thinnest wafer used for masterkeying.

[magician59]

Tpically, three balls are deposited into a pin chamber in lieu of a master wafer. The other four chambers are master keyed in the usual manner. The depth added by the construction balls is half a depth.

Usually, the key is cut to a five depth. The construction master is cut to a 5-1/2 depth. As soon as the end user's key is turned in the cylinder, the balls are raised to the bible, and then re-deposited into the appropriate dimple in the plug, where they remain, usually, until the lock is re keyed (which should be done; because of the remaining active master pins in the lock).

[pistolnoon]

Yes he right alot of times you will be rekeying a cylinder and you will find the dimple in the cylinder plug.I have found whole subdivisions still using the same master keys in a part of a city years after it was completed, so quite a good idea to use construction balls.I use alot of the Corbin -Russwin balls that they used to put in pin chambers in alot of weiser locks and schlage locks I do as an upsale.A few years ago I had to find away of upselling when that was just not possible so I purchased the balls .118 in diameter and where I can change 5 pin to six pin for more securtiy and add a spool or two and a ball bearing for upsell.Extra ten dollars. Problem is sometimes if you have a few to do you have to use a caliper to find the lenght of top pin or master pin on top of ball bearing and can cost time.