What have you Impressioned today

[jharveee]

Found an Abus padlock in the shop rolling around without a key...So I made one.
What locks are you making keys for?
Any tips or tricks?
Lever locks or maybe tubular locks.

AbusX3.jpg

AbusX2.jpg

AbusX1.jpg

[Oldfast]

Nice job! I haven't made any keys in some time. When I ever get back in the
mood I still have a couple drawers full of locks from Jeff that need keys

[jeffmoss26]

My ears were burning

[madsamurai]

My first (serious) attempt at impressioning today... and success! Just a Schlage KIK cylinder from a deadbolt set, but got it on the first blank so I'm pretty pleased. I hadn't messed with impressioning much yet because my eyes are starting to suck and I didn't have a good magnifier. Picked up one of these $4 microscope thingies on ebay (can't go wrong for $4, right?), and it's actually pretty great... a little small, but good light and easy to focus, and you can see everything. Worth the "investment" imho.

[Oldfast]

Nice! So? How'd it feel when that key turned?!

[madsamurai]

Nice! So? How'd it feel when that key turned?!

Felt pretty nice I was getting a little concerned because there were two 9 cuts and I was afraid I had overshot, but the only marks were there so I kept going and it worked out.

I just ordered a bunch of blanks for a number of other locks I don't have keys for...

[madsamurai]

Got my blanks today (free 2-day shipping was nice), even got them all right (except one, but found it from a different supplier today)... seems I've got some filing to do

[Oldfast]

GET IT!!!
madsamurai

[madsamurai]

Triplets! Three little 5-pinners with Y1 keyway that Tumbl3r sent me a while ago... someday I need to turn them into challenge locks. Today I gave them keys... not super-challenging, but after spending a few hours failing on a 6-pin Corbin/Russwin earlier today that leaves barely any marks, I figured maybe better to start with some easier stuff.

[jharveee]

Those keys look great, how are you holding the blanks? Do you use some kind of tool?

[madsamurai]

Those keys look great, how are you holding the blanks? Do you use some kind of tool?

Thanks. Right now I don't have anything to hold them with when I jiggle... I tried vise grips but mine don't close flat enough so the key slips no matter how much I tighten them. I have a short bench vise that I put the key in to file it. Using a Grobet #4 cut tapered round file, which is a beautiful piece of work and leaves a very smooth surface, and a small flat file to taper the sides of the cuts that get deep and start catching pins. Then a little rolled up piece of 800 grit sandpaper and a piece of scotch-brite takes off the burr and makes everything sort of satiny, so shows marks a little better.
Ran across these hand vises yesterday, seems like they might be a good solution for holding keys, and useful for a bunch of other things also... thinking about ordering one. Some of my other locks don't mark the blanks well wiggling by hand...

[Oldfast]

Fantastic!

There's some nice impressioning tools for holding the key... but will run you around $40.
For a long time (even after purchasing a real one) I used the handle from an auto-tool.

I cannot find where I posted some pics of the tool in its' entirety and the packaging....
but it looks like this. Ya know the one? It's used for stripping off the seal around
the windshield. A cable runs off the handle and has a little blade at the end.

Anyway, just another option. Think it runs around $20. Upside is it leaves no marks
on the bow. Downside is that the slot will not easily accommodate some thick keys.
Also, change out the phillip screws & replace with one's that use an allen wrench.

Can't wait to see more!

[madsamurai]

Tonight's challenge was this 6-pin Corbin Russwin rim cylinder from Mastersmith:

Technically a fail for impressioning, and couldn't pick it... seemed like some of the pins weren't coming down once they were pushed up. Tried to shim it, and couldn't get the last few pins that way either, so finally resorted to prying off the spring cap. Turns out three of the driver pins were corroded (water damage, I'd guess) and weren't sliding smoothly (or at all). So I replaced all the drivers with new ones, and put new springs in since a few were slightly crushed, and filed a new key with the core removed. All told, a good amount of work for what looks like would have been a pretty quick impression... 100550 bitting. D1 keyway, Russwin DH class - pre-system 70 (based on what little I've got to go on).

[madsamurai]

Finally! whew... this one took a very long time. Yale IC 6-pin, Y78 keyway. I didn't have problems with it being IC because this one uses a 7th pin for control, so only one shear line... however it gave light to nearly invisible marks (most of the time). There were times when I couldn't seem to get any marks at all.
A good challenge, but success in the end. Feel pretty good about this one...

[ratlock]

Here is not what I impressioned, but a fellow picker managed, and very well done Locknoob.

Its stuff I had sent to him, (and forgotten about) and it landed on my doorstep today, along with a great 5 lever chubb detainer and 3 keys. (many thanks lock working great once detainers re arranged)

Many of you will know him from his Youtube channel, and hes a recent poster here.

Congratulations Locknoob on impressioning with a camera lens. Very well done.