Free Locksmith Lesson #3 - Shimming Open the Cylinder

Sometimes, when you have to re-key a lock cylinder that does not have an operating key, you must either pick it open - sometimes very difficult - or you can shim it open. In this lesson, I will teach you how to shim open a cylinder.

What you will need:

1. A standard Kwikset knob with the cylinder taken out.
2. A package of steel lock shims.
3. A Kwikset key blank.
4. A lock pick with the tip ground off.
5. A follower.
6. Lesson #1 and #2.

Our goal here is to get the plug in the shell too turn a quarter turn. We cannot do it without a key. So, we will stick a thin piece of shim in the rear of the cylinder and, using a pick in the front of the cylinder, lift the last tumbler up until it reaches the shear line. During this time, we will be pushing in on the shim, but lightly, so that, when the shear line is reached, the shim will slip forward and separate the bottom pin from the top pin. We will proceed then to the next pin, and the next, until the shim has separated every top and bottom pin in the lock cylinder. Then, after that is done, we can use any flat-bladed object to turn the plug.

Insert the shim between the bottom and top pins at rear of cylinder

If you do not want to use a pick, you can use a key blank. When you insert a blank, all of the pins are raised up into the top portion of the shell. 

Insert your shim in the rear of the lock and maintain a little pressure. Then, slip your key out slowly until your shim shoots forward. Sometimes, you will have to do a little back and forth with the key and the shim.

Using a pick to lift the tumblers

Once the plug turns in the shell, make sure it is turned a quarter turn. Then, insert your follower, and push the plug out of the shell.

Now, let's look at some facts about shimming. 

1. If you are working on a commercial lever and need to get the cylinder out, you must either have a key, pick it open, or use a lever removal tool (do a search for A-1 locksmith tools). Once the cylinder is removed, you can shim it.
2. Do not try to shim open high-security lock cylinders.
3. The Kwikset cylinder can be taken apart by removing the top cap. You won't be so lucky and the vast majority of lock cylinders. Schlage's residential cylinders have a floating cap. If you remove it, which I think you should try, you could damage it.
4. Most commercial lock cylinders, if they cannot be shimmed open, must be replaced. Also, it is worth noting that some higher-quality lock cylinders like Corbin-Russwin have spool-shaped top pins which will make it hard to shim. What happens is that your shim will advance and jam because it didn't find the shear line, instead it got caught on a spool. If you suspect you are shimming a cylinder with spool top pins, just be sure you raise the bottom pins up all the way so that you shim gets into the sheer line at the top of the bottom pin before your shim hits the spool top pin.
5. Be sure to practice this and get a feel for it. It won't take you long to learn this trick. Be sure to try doing it with the pick and the key blank.

Key Doesn't Turn Properly in Dor-O-Matic Exit Device

I'm going to have to say it. The Dor-O-Matic 1690 exit device is built cheap, sold cheap, and needs ongoing care in order to work properly. You have loose and lost screws, caps falling off, pinion gears breaking, and dogging shafts stripping out like butter under a hot knife. I've made a lot of money servicing these devices as a result. If you're a handyman, you can, too - as long as you know the tricks.

If your key doesn't work properly in your Dor-O-Matic bar, it could be one of two things.

1. Your key cylinder and/or your key is worn out. Lock cylinders use soft brass pins (tumblers) and the action of the key against them is like a saw on wood. The key is a poor copy, or the cylinder pins are worn out, if you insert your key and it doesn't turn unless you jiggle it. Also, the lock cylinders that come with these devices are of the poorest, cast-metal quality. If this is the problem, you need a new RIM CYLINDER, or you can call the locksmith to re-key the cylinder with new tumblers.

2. The pinion gear is broken and is slipping, or the rack and lifting mechanism have slipped away from the lifting rods. Sometimes the latter happens because the cover of the device has lost a screw and it is loose. The cover of the Dor-O-Matic is made so that it holds everything in place - quite an engineering marvel, if you ask nobody.

What you will need.

A Phillip's driver and a new pinion gear. You can find the gear online. Just do a search for Dor-O-Matic parts. The gear is a small round gear. Also, buy a new plastic bushing while you're at it. In fact, if you have lots of these doors, by a few pinion gears and bushings, and get a couple of hex-key dogging shafts and extra screws for the caps. Don't buy the entire dogging mechanism. They seldom break.

Let's fix number 2.

1. Remove the cap. Here is what you will see. The top screw will allow yo to remove an arm which has a hole in it, through which the pinion gear stem passes. This arm holds the pinion gear in place and keeps it from moving out of position. The bottom screw, once removed, allows you to remove the lifter. Once the screw is removed, just work out the lifter.

Picture 1

2. After you remove the pinion arm and the lifter, here is what you have. See picture number two. Look at the very top of the entire lifting mechanism. You will see a round piece of metal with a hole in it. Also, at the very bottom, there is another hole, which you cannot see. These are the top and bottom lifting rods. Now, look in the very center of the picture and you will see the pinion gear. In this picture, you will see a little rust on it. Notice that, around the pinion gear, you see a rack with teeth on the right side running up and down. When you remove the cover and see your door configured this way, with the pinion gear AT THE TOP OF THE RACK, it means that your door can be left locked or unlocked by key. That means that, if you put the key into the outside cylinder, you can turn your key 360 degrees and pull it out, and the door will stay unlocked. Turn it the other way, and it will stay locked. That, then, would be called the classroom function - lock or unlock by key.

While we are here, I am going to teach you to make it so that the key will unlock the lock and allow a person to enter, but, when he removes his key, the door will lock back behind him. By using this trick, there is no chance somebody will accidentally leave the door unlocked. Usually, this is used on churches.

Picture 2

To make this lock always lock back, simply remove the entire lifting package, which consists of the rack and the housing in which the rack sits. (You can leave the pinion gear in if it is not broken.  If it is broken, worn or missing teeth, which is why your key isn't working properly, replace it. Note - there is a usually a flat spot on the pinon gear. Install it face up!)

Now, with the lifting package removed, reinstall the pinion gear, but with the pinion gear coming to rest about one third of the way down in the rack. Actually, the pinion gear will stay where it is. You will be moving the rack up just a bit. Now, when someone uses a key to come in, their key will lift the rods, unlock the door, and go back into lock down mode automatically when the key is removed.

Once you have installed your pinion gear, reinstall the lifting package. Then, reinstall the pinion arm and lifter in the same way you removed them. The lifter takes a little effort to put into place, but it's easy to do. Just play with it.

Picture 3

Just FYI. In picture 3, I am touching the pinion gear. The two pan head screws you see are holding the lock cylinder in place. If you ever over-tighten them, they could break through the aluminum! Also, below the pinion gear, you can see two other Phillip's screws. If these are loose, be sure to tighten them. Just grab the bar and move the device. If there is movement, tighten them. Looseness here could also be effecting your bar's operation.

And, while you're at it, if the front of the push bar itself, the floating part of the bar, is really loose and looks like it is coming off the stationary part of the bar, remove the end cap. Look inside and ONLY LOOSEN the two screws holding the end of the bar onto the door, and remove the device from the door. Carefully flip the device over. When you do, you will see a number of Phillip's screws. These screws hold the bar together. Tighten them. If you are missing any - be sure to order the right screws. You cannot put just any screw in those screw holes! In fact, you are better off if you order a few of these to keep in your kit.

Well, that's it. One more note, though. The rack part of the lifter can go on with the teeth on the right or left. All that will effect is which way the key will turn.

This is really easy to do. Just take pictures of every step you take. Then, if you get lost, you can find you way again! If you think about it, there really aren't that many parts involved.

Learn Locksmithing for Free - Lesson #1 (What You'll Need and Lock Cylinder Basics)

Welcome to Learn Locksmithing for Free, Lesson #1 - What You'll Need and Lock Cylinder Basics.

Your first lesson is very simple: it will give you an understanding of the tools you will need to get started. I will also tell you how keys work in locks. Don't worry. I have a trimmed-down list of the basic items you will need, and purchasing them will not cost you an arm and a leg. That is, unless you want to buy a key duplicating machine, which you will need to do eventually.

Here is the list:

1. A lab .003 pin kit. You can get a small one, or get the professional size.

2. A standard-sized plug follower.

3. A package of steel cylinder shims to use when there is no key for the cylinder you need to re-key.

4. A set of picks. All you will need is two rakes, a couple of tension wrenches, and couple of spiral broken key extractors. A word about picks here. In some states, you cannot get these unless you have a locksmith license. However, you can find them online. Just steer away from the gimmick lock pick sets. If it says CIA on it, you're being sold a feeling, not a tool set. Plus, you really don't pick locks these days. Sure you will pick open a house lock, or maybe a drawer lock, but, after spending thirty years in this business, I have come to the conclusion that lock picking is more about show, hype, and making sales of picks than it is an actual practice. If you find a small set at a great price, get it.

5. A Kwikset cylinder removal tool.

6. A Kwikset Smart Key reset cradle or resetting tool.

7. Drivers, including a small, flat-head driver used from prying clips off the back of cylinder plugs.

8. Kwikset key blanks - five-pin blanks versus the six-pin - (box of fifty)

9. A regular Kwikset knob, and a Smartkey knob.

You should be able to get these items from any locksmith distributor. Look online for HL Flake in Memphis, Tennessee, or IDN Armstrong's. Get their phone number, and give them a call. Tell them what you are doing, and ask them if they will sell to you.

David Calvin's theory of learning locksmithing: Learn the locks, and you will learn the skills. The first lesson, really, will be how to take apart the Kwikset lock and pin it. But, for now, let me show you how 95% of all cylinders work. Take a look at the cylinder below. This is a key-in-knob cylinder, or a KIK cylinder. If you can learn this, you will have learned the rim cylinder and the mortise cylinder because they are all alike. They are only different in shape and tailpiece application. So, lets go to the picture.

Key-in-knob cylinder broken down.

Key-in-knob cylinder with tailpiece removed and plug being pushed out by follower, thus holding the
top pins and springs in place.

The Parts of the Lock and Key

1. The key. This is a Schlage key made by LSDA. It is an SC1 key. Starting with the bow, or handle of the key, which you see on the right, we work our way left. Note the first pin. Notice how it sits in a deep hole, which is called the first cut. At the bottom of this cut is a tiny flat spot where the point of the pin comes to rest when the key is inserted. The deepest cut for a Schlage is a 9 depth. The shallowest is a 0 cut. As you proceed from right to left, you will see six cuts in this key and six pins corresponding to each cut. (Some locks only have five pins. So be sure you use a 5 cut key with a 5 pin or 6 pin lock. If you have a 5 pin lock, you must use a 5 pin key, otherwise, the key will not enter the lock completely.) Remember: the key, in this case, Schlage, has 9 depths, from 0 to 9, and six cuts. That is known as depths and spacings.

2. The plug. To the left of the key is a round cylinder called a cylinder plug. Once the key is inserted into the plug, the bottoms pins are are installed into it corresponding to the cuts in the key. If the pins inserted into the plug are flush, then the plug will turn in the core. See those holes? When there is no key present, the top pins, pushed by springs, are forced into the holes, thus obliterating the sheer line. When the right key is inserted, the bottom pins rise up to the correct height, push the top pins up, and a sheer line is created. Then, the key will turn. (Note here that the springs and top pins stay in the top part of the shell. You can see the shell on the top of the picture. Behind it is the follower, the tool you will use to push out the plug while holding the top pins and springs in place.)

Looking at the first cut, can you guess what depth are you looking at? A shallow or a deep cut? It is deep. I would guess that cut is a 9 depth. So, when I am re-keying this lock, I will insert the key into the lock plug, the round cylinder to the left, take a 9 Schlage pin out of my Lab pin kit, and drop it into the first hole. If the pin sits flush with the top of the plug, then I guessed correctly. If the pin sits too low or two high, I will try the next pin, either taller or shorter, until I get the right pin. (By the way, original Schlage keys have the pin numbers stamped on them!) If, however, you are pinning up a lock using a sloppy, worn out key, then you have to fudge with the sizes. Just find the right pins that, once dropped into the plug, sit flush.

3. The shell. I have mentioned that. The shell is the part into which the plug slides and which holds the top pins and springs in place. When you are re-keying a lock like this, I never removed the springs and top pins unless the lock does not work smoothly.

4. The tailpiece. You can see it in the bottom picture. They all work the same, only they come in different lengths. When you buy a new KIK cylinder, it will come with all of the sizes you will need for most commercial levers, knobs, and deadbolts. When reinstalling the tailpiece, tighten the nut to snug, then back off an eight of a turn. If it is too tight, the cylinder will not turn smoothly. If it is too loose, the key will not come out. Try doing this. Install the nut loosely and insert your key. Try to pull the key out. Then, holding the front of the plug in, pull on the key. Note the key will come out. Sometimes, people call me and can't get their key out of their business lock. This is because, somehow, the nut is worn or came loose. On mortise locks, it happens because the two screws holding the cam on are loose.

5. Pins. Top pins are generally one size and are flat on both ends. Bottom pins always have points. Yes, they wear out. When they do, the sheer line is effected, and the key snags.

Note: In the event you accidentally dump out all of the top pins and springs, it is easy to fix. Insert your follower in the shell, and put it up close to the number 3 pin chamber. Insert a spring with your pin tweezers, and then insert a top pin. Hold them in place and slide the follower to cover them. Do chamber 2 and 1. Then, looking into the REAR of the shell, pull the follower out toward the front until you see the empty number 4 chamber. Install a spring and a top pin, slide the follower forward, and then do chambers 5 and 6. In fact, you need to practice this. It is not a big deal.

Learn this material, get your tools, and proceed to lesson two, where you will learn to work on the Kwikset pin tumbler lock.

Learn Locksmith Skills for Free!!

Want to make money servicing Locks?

I am beginning a series of articles designed to teach you the skills needed to become a locksmith. I won't charge you a dime. Learning how to re-key and service locks for homes and businesses is not difficult. My first post is a lesson on re-keying a Kwikset lock. The next one will cover shimming a lock cylinder open if you have no key. Once you master these skills, you will know how to re-key just about any type of lock. Yes, it is that easy. Feel free to begin at anytime! And be sure to subscribe free-of-charge to my blog. I will not share your information. I just want to know who's following me. Thanks!!

Learn Locksmithing Free - Lesson #2 - The Kwikset Lock

If you can re-key a Kwikset lock, you can key just about any other kind of lock. That's why I say that, if you can re-key a home, you can re-key a business. Here's what you will need to become a house re-keying expert.

1. A lab .003 increment pin kit

2. A follower

3. A Kwikset removal tool

4. Screw drivers

5. A new key for the lock

6. The old key for the lock (This just makes it easier for you to remove the plug.)

7. A Kwikset deadbolt and doorknob.

8. Picks and shims.

9 A pair of pinning tweezers.

You can't get a pick set from a locksmith distributor if you are not a locksmith. However, you can find them online.

Turn the spindle to the center, 
insert tool and push up on 
spring-loaded clip.

STEP ONE - Remove the lock from the door. Then, remove the round spindle sticking out from the lock. This part is the stem with the hole in it. Starting at the hole, use your eyes and follow the spindle down to where you see a small rectangular tab that meets the brass-colored spring cage. See that little rectangle piece? Turn it so that it is halfway between left and right, half way between locked and unlocked. This is what locks the lock when the key or interior knob thumb turn is used. Now, see the Kwikset removal tool I am holding? Push it up at this point as far as you can and, if you have the locking spindle in the right position, the spindle will pull out. See the next picture.

Remove the lock spindle completely.

STEP TWO - Remove the spindle. Look closely and you will see that the spindle here is between locked and unlocked. When you push up on the spring-loaded clip, it allows the spindle to be released. Sometimes, it is a bit hard to remove. If so, while you are pushing up on the spring-loaded clip, use a screw driver and pry it out. By removing the spindle, you create an access point through which you will "punch out" the locking cylinder.

STEP THREE - Insert the Kwikset removal tool. You will have to wiggle this into the opening. Or, push up on the spring-loaded clip. Actually, it would be a good idea to look at the hole and push up on the spring-loaded clip just so you can see how it works.

Here is a picture of the Kwikset Cylinder Removal tool entering into the lock body. Note the position of the tool. The two points of the tool, when the tool is pushed, will compress two tabs on the rear of the cylinder and allow the cylinder to come out of the front of the lock. You will have to wiggle the tool to get it in!

Here is the lock cylinder coming out of the lock. Please note that, sometimes, the cylinder removal tool is hard to use. There are times when you will need to tap the tool with the the handle of a sturdy screw driver or a pair of Vice Grips. Generally, though, you just grab the tool and wiggle it while pushing. Yes, it may take some umph! After you get it out, make sure the two tabs and spread back apart before reinserting.

STEP FOUR - With the operating key removed, remove the black clip at the back of the cylinder. This clip holds the plug in the body of the shell. If this clip is not attached, and if someone uses a key in the lock, the plug will come out, spilling pins and springs everywhere. I will be posting a lesson on shimming shortly. When reassembling, don't forget to put the clip back on! Yes, I have forgotten to do that a time or two, or three!

STEP FIVE - Insert the operating key into the cylinder and turn the key a quarter turn to the right or left. If you have no key, you will need to shim the lock open which, in this case, I did. Note that the plug is turned a few degrees to the left here. By doing this, you separate the top pins from the bottom pins so that the plug will simply slide out of the shell.

STEP SIX - Using your follower, in this case I am using a hollow brass follower, put it against the rear of the plug and push plug out. Be sure to keep constant pressure on the plug! By using the follower, you keep the top pins and springs in place. Then, all you will need to do is pin up the plug to the new key and reinsert the plug in the same way you removed it. You will reinsert the plug, with key inserted in the plug, with it turned a few degrees to the right of left. If you don't, you run the risk of jamming up the lock. If you do jam the lock, you can remove the top retainer (you can see it here) and take it apart. However, on most commercial locks, you will have to throw the lock away and replace it.

Note how the pin holes in the plug are turned away from the bible, the part of the lock with the long metal cover on it. Can you see it? That cover holds in the springs and pins. Always turn the plug away from the top pins before removing!!! Also, after you learn to re-key this lock, try removing the follower and allow all the top pins and springs to fly out in your hand. Then, insert the follower and, starting with the third top pin chamber, insert a spring and then a top pin. Then, slide your follower forward to hold that top pin in place, and then insert a spring and top pin in the second chamber, and then the first. Then, pull the follower through and look at the fourth chamber. Insert a spring and a top pin and then do the fifth chamber. You need to learn how load the top chambers from inside the lock. Why? Because most locks do not have metal top pin covers that can be removed like on the Kwikset. Remember, to reinstall springs and top pins, you must start with the center pin chamber and work your way to the front and then the back. Just do it!!! Practice it!

STEP SEVEN - Once the plug is removed from the shell, insert the new key. Note here that the pins are not flush across the top of the shell. How do you key up the plug to a new key? If you have the Lab .003 increment pin kit, there is a chart which tells you the pin sizes of all the major brands. Kwikset has pins 1 through 6. The 1 pin sits in the shallowest cut of the key, the 6 pin is for the deepest cut of the key. The Kwikset usually has only five pins in a plug. Some have Six. The first cut of the key is the first flat spot you see nearest the stop sign-shaped head of the key. If it is really shallow, try a number 1 pin as identified on your pin kit chart. That pin is a .171 pin. If that pin is too short, go the number 2 pin. It is a .195 pin. You know you have used the right pin if the top of the pin sits flush with the top of the plug. Pin up the remaining chambers and reinsert the key.

My advice to you, as a beginning locksmith, is to get these tools and take apart a Kwikset lock. If you can learn to remove the cylinder, remove the plug by either using a key and shimming (a lesson about to be posted), re-pin the plug, and reinsert it, then you can re-key about any kind of lock there is. The real work in lock re-keying is getting the lock cylinder out of the locking device. And, get this: there are only three types of lock cylinders, the rim, the key-in-knob, and the mortise, and they all key up exactly the same! Now, how easy is that?

Please, if you will, follow this blog. It will help me in the search-rankings. Will you do that for me? Thanks!

Lesson Three will cover lock shimming, a technique used when you do not have the old key with which to easily disassemble the cylinder.

Active Shooter Prevention for Churches

You can't leave your church building unlocked. Not anymore. Not for any reason. Not during the weekday, not during worship, not during Bible class. In fact, many years ago, when I was an associate minister at a large church, the secretary wished she could lock the doors. That, however, was not allowed, so she made doubly sure she had an escape route through the building in the event of trouble. She and I still talk. I worry because my old secretary is no safer today than she was three decades ago. Why? Everyone who has ever worshiped at that church building has a key. Yep. Everybody gets a key, they always have - all six hundred members. Those who don't have one ask a member to make them a copy. I have clients who have caught people who no longer attend their church stopping to use the restroom. One church secretary tells me that she showed up one Monday morning to find someone had made $1,000 worth of color copies on the printer. 

Fact #1 - Today, if you do not have a hard-to-duplicate key system on your building, your members are making copies and handing them out. You do not know how many keys are out and who has them. I know, I know - I'm trying to sell you a secure key and lock system. Guess what? You're right. That's my job; but that doesn't mean you still don't need to get your key distribution under control.

One church I know of does a great job busing in inner-city kids. I mean, they really pack the place on Wednesday nights. When the kids arrive, their parent or sponsor takes them to a check-in desk, registers them, and puts a sticker on their shirt. I mean, who would've thought churches would start card-cataloging kids? Actually, its a great idea. Too many kids these days come from broken families. All it takes for a disaster to occur is for a non-custodial parent to arrive, ask for Bobby, and then disappear with him. Several persons involved with this ministry have asked about using the Barracuda device to lock up the kids' wing during Bible class. This device mounts on the "scissors" of the door closer and prevents someone from gaining entrance to the room from the outside. However, this device is a potentially life-threatening code violation. In the event there is a rush for the doors, either because of fire, building collapse, or a surprise shooter who came in through the back door, the press of people against the door would make it impossible for anyone to remove the Barracuda. Thousands of people have died in schools, homes, businesses, and churches, paving the way for codes that would ensure public safety. It is important that you observe life safety codes.

Fact #2 - Life safety and fire codes have been developed for a reason. You must observe them. That means you cannot use a Barracuda in most situations where a door leads to a hall used as a passage to an escape. If you have a door with a lit EXIT sign above it, you cannot use more than one locking device. In fact, as far as churches are concerned in most cases, codes call for a crash bar or panic bar. Before you plan an active shooter prevention strategy, have a meeting with your local fire marshal and a law enforcement officer. Your local authority having jurisdiction over life-safety codes can allow the bending of rules in certain instances. Be sure to get any advice he gives you in writing.

One church I work with has a plan to protect its very large congregation from an active shooter during worship. In the event an active shooter enters the building, they will have their men attach the Barracuda devices on all ten doors. Good luck with that! Perhaps they have never seen the movie where the girl, being chased by a monster, actually manages to insert the keys into the car's ignition. So, my question to the Barracuda devotees is this: what if there is a second shooter inside the sanctuary waiting for the first to start shooting? I mean, right? 

People are worried that shootings are going to occur when the entire church is assembled in the main auditorium. However, many of my clients, worried that an attack may occur during the Bible class hour, are preparing their classrooms and bathrooms. How are they doing it? They are installing commercial-grade levers using the entry function. In the event an active shooter situation arises, the teachers can simply push the button on the inside of the door. Some clients are asking about the Intruder locks. And Intruder lock is a classroom lock with a key on both sides. In the event of a shooter, the teacher takes her key and, by using it on the inside of the lock, locks the outside lock. This lock will keep the teacher from having to go outside, into harm's way, to lock the lock. However, I am firmly against the Intruder lock for churches. In the event of an emergency, the teacher may panic and fail to lock the lock in a timely manner.

Fact #3 - The commercial entry lever using an interior push-button is quicker and easier to lock than a key-operated Intruder. And it is cheaper! Yes, a young rascal can play games and lock anybody out of the classroom. However, all of the entry locks used on the classrooms can be set up with hard-to-duplicate keys, and all the locks can be keyed to match.

Locking down the doors of your church building, after worship begins, is a must today. At nine o'clock on Sunday morning, lock them down and put door greeters at the main entrances. Tell your church members that, after worship begins, they must enter at certain entrances. In fact, it is even better if you get your members trained to use as few entrance/exits as possible. When I install high-security key systems on churches, I always disable the key cylinders on more than half the doors, doors that people do not need to be using anyway, thus saving the church money. Many churches hire a police officer to stand that church entrance when worship starts. Others use men who conceal and carry.

Fact #4 - Locked doors during worship, attended by armed men, provide the first layer of protection to your church. I'm not here to argue scripture about weapons, I'm just telling you what many churches are doing.

After you have locked the outside doors and have positioned people to watch them, it's time to lock the auditorium doors. Most churches, because of life-safety code requirements, use panic bars on their auditorium exit doors. All panic bars can be equipped with outside trim that can be used to lock or unlock the panic bars. This function is called the classroom function. When worship starts, an usher can lock the outside panic bar trim. In the event someone leaves the auditorium, that person can freely exit without having to have the panic bar unlocked. However, when that person returns, she can be let back in by the usher. In the event you want panic bars with locking switches on the inside, you can get the Von Duprin panic bar with the security indicator. The cost of this device is astronomical at this time, running somewhere between $1500 and $2000 per device. See the illustration. When you lock the auditorium doors in conjunction with having locked the exterior doors, you have two layers of protection. Add a police officer outside, and you have a third layer.

Let's tie this up. Securing your church during times of worship doesn't have to be expensive, but it will take some money to do. First, get control of your key situation. Issue them to people who really need them and number them. Let your members know that, if they lose their key, they are responsible for re-keying the locks. If you change your locks to a high-security system, don't worry about changing all of the locks. Choose the main entrances, change them, and block of the keyholes on the others. Second, observe all life-safety codes when using or adding any locking devices. Remember: all doors designated as emergency exits must be able to open in one motion. You cannot use two locks or use a Barracuda device. Third, install commercial-grade entry lever locks on all rooms used during church functions. Fourth, lock all outside doors when worship starts and post volunteers to watch these doors. Hire an off-duty police officer. Then, lock down the auditorium doors and post ushers or volunteers.

Another option for churches who can afford it would be cameras and magnetic locks. These types of items are offered by your alarm provider.

If you would like for me to quote a hard-to-duplicate system, please call me at 615-308-6794. I know this sounds self-serving, but I help people get through these issues every day! And check out my books on Amazon! 

It Costs a Locksmith Less than $2.00 in Parts to Re-Key an Average-Sized Home!

It may surprise you to know that the costs associated with re-keying six house locks, not including the locksmith's overhead, is probably less than two dollars.

But - always the but, right? - you pay a locksmith because he knows about locks. He can tell if a lock is worn out and needs to be replaced. He can tell you about other locks, locks that are better made and bump-resistant. He can tell you if the holes in your door jambs are deep enough to accommodate the length of the latch and bolt. He can also tell if someone has been trying to get into your house using a credit card or screw driver.

What can you expect to pay for a house re-key in Middle Tennessee? It will depend on your location and the number of locks. On average, you can expect to pay a $65 service/overhead charge and anywhere from $12 to $18 to re-key each house lock. I have seen locksmiths re-key locks for as low as $5 each and as high as $35 each. I wouldn't hire anybody on the extremes. Instead, I would opt for the locksmith in the middle to middle-high range.

Locksmith Refuses to Turn Over Master Keying Information to Customer - What to Do?

Example of Master Key Chart

Too many locksmiths are holding their customers hostage, especially when it comes to turning over the master-key codes and bitting lists after the keying job is done. The reason locksmiths will not offer to give you the keying information to the lock job you paid for is because they want to keep you from being able to hire another locksmith. It is really that simple. I know a locksmith who does this:

1. Promptly changes the locks at a business.
2. Gets paid.
3. Stops showing up promptly for the little jobs.
4. Is asked by the customer to turn over the keying information and refuses.
5. Doesn't care because he knows the customer is now at his mercy.

Why should you require the lock keying information before the job is started? Because, if you don't, you will never get it. Without the keying information, you will not be able to expand your master key system. Why? Because, without it, the next locksmith may create a key that will inadvertently unlock a lock it is not supposed to unlock. If this happens, everyone can get sued.

Now, you know the truth and, hopefully, you know to ask for the key bitting charts before the locksmith begins your job. Oh, by the way - your locksmith will say, "The lock chart is intellectual property." Hogwash. The guy has a computer program that does it for him.

What does the bitting chart and codes sheet have on it?

1. Key numbers. In our illustration, the key numbers are 1AA, 2AA, etc.
2. The key cutting information (adjacent to the key number. 6AA - 546767).
3. The bottom and master pin numbers, pins used in the key cylinders.

Without this information in your possession, the locksmith who did the original work can give you shoddy service and raise his prices.

How do you get around not having the master key charts and bitting lists? A good locksmith can take a pair of calipers and measure every cut in every key you have and determine the system. That, however, takes time and money.

The moral of the story? If you are an office manager or a maintenance supervisor, you must ask for and receive from your locksmith, in writing, before the job begins, that he will turn over to you all of the keying information. If he refuses, call HL Flake in Memphis, Tennessee, and ask them to design a key system for you. Then, look for another locksmith.

Retrofitting Narrow Stile Storefront Doors: From Adams-Rite Swingbolt to Deadlatch

By David Calvin

Available at Amazon Books. Click the title!


Aluminum, narrow stile, glass doors are everywhere! In fact, I've made a mint servicing them over the years. I install continuous hinges on them, rekey the locks in them, replace the thumb turns in them, replace the lock bodies, lubricate them, and install door closers on them. But when it comes to replacing the Adams-Rite Dead Bolt or Hook Bolts with the Adams-Rite Dead Latch, I'm making a great profit for less than two hours work.

So, just how bad is the money? I buy aftermarket parts. The latches are $15, the levers are another $15, the Adams-Rite strike is another $15. Okay - if I am installing a paddle, those run around $30. So, for $50 worth of lock hardware, I get a $65 service call and up to a $295 install. If I have to install a door closer while I'm there, it's another $100 profit. So, gee - this is really bad, right? I quote the job, I get the job, I get half a trip to Cancun out of it. But who the heck wants to go to Cancun, right? I don't.

The big question is this: can you use a drill, a screw driver, and do you know how to thread a drilled hole with a tap? You can. 

So, what's the deal? Well, for starters, I hate instruction manuals, especially the ones written in China. So I will tell you right now that installing the Adams-Rite knock-off dead latch is more art than - hmm - science and math.

And why do people want a dead latch anyway? Because they want their storefront glass door to close back and LOCK every time somebody comes in by key or leaves by lever. And you need to know how to do this and not be like the locksmiths who runs from such jobs.

My book, which is full of pictures, tips, and know-how, will get you off and running. No, this book is not a field manual. This is a book you read through three times and then hit the road. The same as my other book, The Locksmith's Lever and Panic Bar Retrofit Book. 

I am sorry to say that we will not offer this book in print for a number of valid reasons. You can buy this book, read it on your computer via the Kindle app, or read it on your smartphone or Kindle tablet.

And yes - I include my email address and website information so you can email or even call me.

And do call me! -- Happy hunting! -- You can do this!

The Locksmith's Lever and Panic Bar Retrofit Book
by David Calvin
Copyright, 2017

At Amazon Books

There are some things I won't do for any amount of money. I won't jump out of airplanes, do scratch-and-sniffs, eat sushi (fish bait), or -- well, you get the picture. But buying a thousand dollar lock for a customer, marking it up to retail (about $1900), and putting it on his door in less than two hours is another story altogether! Even if I have to install three and wear myself out doing it!

If you want to pursue commercial lock work and put levers onto doors where there used to be panic bars, or vice versa, this is the book for you. Sometimes contractors put the wrong doors in, doors prepped for mortise panic bars, when all the customer needed was a door prepped for a lever. I can show you how to do this. Or, sometimes you get called to work on a panic bar that is beat up and obsolete and you need to replace it with a new one. What do you do? How do you do it? I can show you. I do it all the time. I taught myself. And let me tell you - it's more art than science. Part tape measure, part template, part eyeball.

Offer this service in your area, and you just might be the only guy or gal doing it. And what does that mean economically? It means you can get the money you want for the job - but within reason, of course. Should you charge by the hour? That's up to you. I charge by the job. You can buy your locks for half off retail, mark them up to retail, and be in and out of many jobs in an an hour, maybe two. 

Don't like the price of the book? Believe it or not, I don't either, But there are nearly fifty pictures in this book and I get charged data when you buy it. 

How do you use this book? Well, first of all, it is not a field a manual. You don't need a field manual.You just need to see how the jobs get done. Hear it explained. Learn the tips. That's it. Read the book through three times, get the theory and philosophy down, and that's it. I will tell you the tools you will need, the small miscellaneous parts, and I will talk about a number of brands and types of devices you can pick up at any lock wholesaler. 

You can do this. And since this is the single most profitable job in locksmithing, you would not be wise to overlook it. If you can measure, drill holes, use templates, and turn a screwdriver, you can do this!

And call me.

Earn Extra Income by Re-keying House Locks!

David Calvin's book, The Dollar A Minute Locksmith, is designed to help you get started in part-time and, hopefully, full-time locksmithing.  (Click on the title above to go to Amazon Books.)

If you have always wanted to know what a lock job looks likes, this is the book to get.  As of today, this book is rated 5 Stars at Amazon Books, and it sells for $7.99.

This book is targeted to the person who wants to earn money servicing locks without having to become a full-blown locksmith.  Will you have to learn how to pick locks like a professional?  Absolutely not! 

If you would like to make a few hundred dollars each month doing lock work in the evenings and on weekends, this is the book you begin with. 

David Calvin, a locksmith for almost thirty years, avoids all of the hyped-up locksmith skills and products that people on the internet celebrate. 

What can you earn by re-keying locks, replacing a few latches, and adjusting the doors and jambs so that the locks line up correctly?  How does $150 for an hour's worth of work strike you?

David Calvin is presently assembling the The Dollar A Minute Locksmith home-based study that will teach you the skills you need to make money working on house locks.  Be sure to check back with this blog for updates.  He hopes to have the course ready in early 2016.  This course will include tools, books, and DVDs.

If you have any questions about the upcoming course, or any of his books, feel free to email him at a-bestlocksmith(at)gmail(dot)com.  As always, David welcomes phone calls from those who purchase his money-making books!

How Your Employees Ruin Your Doors

If you have a place of business, you know that many of your employees head out the back door to smoke.  Because your back door, if it has the proper lock installed on it, always locks back automatically.  So, what do many employees do to prop the door open?  They place a rock or a piece of wood between the hinge side of the door and the jamb. 

Your door is "sprung" because an unsuspecting person tried to close the door without removing the rock or piece of wood that was inserted near the hinges.  By pulling on the door, the rock created a lever and fulcrum and destroyed the door hinge mounting plate int he door and the metal plates behind the jamb.  Not only that, but the hinges were bent as well.

If you need to prop a door open, prop it open with a rock by laying the rock on the ground at the side of the door opposite the hinges.  That way, people will see the rock and remove it before closing the door.

If your door has been damaged, have a continuous hinge installed.  That would be cheaper than replacing the door!

Practical Advice Regarding Glass Exit Doors and Thumbturns

Sometimes, I receive a call from a customer who wants to have an additional swing-bolt lock installed on the front door of their business.  Of course, there is always a lighted exit sign above the door which identifies this door as an emergency exit.

You cannot put two locks on a door that is designated as an emergency exit.  Why?  Because, in the event of an emergency, the emergency exit door must be able to be opened with one motion.  If there are two locks on the door, an person leaving the building will have to use two motions to leave the building.  This, as you can see, could be problematic.  Imagine, for example, that a disgruntled employee starts shooting after closing time.  Having to unlock two locks could mean the difference between life or death for a person trying to escape such a situation.  Imagine that a door does have two locks and that one is unlocked and the other locked.  In an emergency situation, a person trying to leave the building will unlock the locked lock and lock the other.

You must have thumb turn on the inside of your door if the door is a glass door using the Adams-Rite deadbolt.  In the event of an emergency, the person leaving the building can unlock the door in one motion.  However, the thumb turn is not intended to be used in banks, for the reason that bank robbers can conveniently lock the doors behind them.  Also, it seems to me, a person who runs a business alone should be exempt from the thumb turn requirement.  It could happen that a person wanting to commit a crime could easily enter, lock the door behind him, and proceed with his crime.

Although codes exist for good reasons, it is simply absurd for the local governing authorities to uphold codes if there are valid reasons why a code should, and must be, ignored.  In the event you have question on one of these issues, call your governing authority (perhaps your local fire marshal), tell him about your concerns, and ask him or her to waive the rule.  But, if he or she rules in your favor, be sure to get it in writing.

Locksmith Advertising Postcard!

If you would like to target small business, try using David's postcard below.  I am using Vista Print to make this card!  Thought you would like it!

Consider WD-40s New Silicon Out Perfoms Houdini!!

Although it is true that all petroleum-based lubricants attract dust, I still love WD-40s original formula lubricant, especially since the manufacturer began fitting the cans with a dual action sprayer. 

If you are lubricating door hinges, commercial store-front glass door locks, and the actual deadbolt bolts and latches, keep on using the original formula.  Why?  Because the oil-based lubricant is going to have a longer life span.

However, now that WD-40 has introduced the silicon based spray, I have quit using the original formula as a lubricant for the pins in the locks themselves.  If you do come across an ancient lock cylinder that is oily-gluey-sticky because of years of being oiled, flush it with the old WD-40.  When you are finished, follow up with the silicon-based product.  When you do, be sure to flush the lock cylinder well.

The new silicon-based product leaves behind a nice dry lubricant while creating a water-proof barrier and a residual dry coating.

As a locksmith, I have since quit using Houdini.  My experience has been that Houdini does not last very long in lock applications.  Not only that, when you spray Houdini, it shoots out like a geyser, soaks you, the door, and your customer's merchandise.  Why Houdini cannot design a nice, easy-to-use spray can is beyond belief. 

Be sure to add WD-40 silicone spray to your arsenal.  You can find it Lowe's or Home Depot.  Just look for the yellow, black, and green can.

HIBU and YP? Obsolete and Unnecessary. Avoid Them and Do Your Own Advertising!

As a locksmith of over 25 years, I have taken my last two "yellow pages" ads out.  One ad is with YP in the Tullahoma , TN area and the other is with HIBU in  Murfreesboro, TN.  With HIBU, formerly known as Yellowbook, I also subscribed to their internet product called "Web Reach".  In Tullahoma, the YP ad dominates; and the HIBU ad for Murfreesboro is a full page ad with color that matches my competitor's ad in size and appearance.

As a locksmith that specializes in commercial lock service, including services for residential homes, I have found that Internet pay-per-click advertising is not the way to go.  Although the search phrase "commercial locksmith" is gaining ground, my experience has shown that most people are looking for auto locksmiths online.  Or people looking for any kind of locksmith will just search the phrase "locksmith".  Once these people click my ad, I am charged a hefty fee; and that person will not be my customer.  The conversion rate is poor for me.  To date, I believe that my disastrous HIBU Web Reach program has cost me as much as $40 per customer.  That is just too high for a small business like mine.

But it gets even worse.  By the time I land a paying job from the pay-per-click ad, that call, when taken with all of the other clicks that did not result in a sale, costs me the profit on the job.

It gets even worse. HIBU could do nothing about it.  Even after talking with my representative, and the expert at corporate who monitors the ad, they never got around to listening to me.  I wanted commercial lock clients.  I spent my entire wad of money, thanks to their inattentiveness, on clicks from customers I was not seeking.  The general feel I get from HIBU is that they are there to sell you a product and take your money. After that, forget it.  I am not saying that, if you offer one service, say, like car towing, you will not be able to do well.  I am saying that, if you are focusing on commercial lock service, you are going to end up with a poor campaign.

The YP people offer the exact same products. Yellow pages and Internet advertising.  My Tullahoma yellow page ad, after almost a year, has not generated enough calls to pay for the $180 per month I spend.

After three months, there hasn't been any meaningful results from the HIBU ad, which costs me $615 per month.  But HIBU was happy with my purchasing an obsolete product.  To get me to buy, they showed me yellow page results from a competitor that looked great -- only the results were for six months.  I find that interesting now that I have thought about it.  Though I have been in the book for years, my results are poor.

As a learned, and now "burned", advertiser with HIBU and YP, let me tell you what you can do as a locksmith with your advertising.  You do not need HIBU nor YP.  What you need to do is appear on Yahoo, Google, and other search engine's maps for businesses.  In my target area, I often appear twice on Google Maps!

1.  Buy a three month subscription at UPS stores in the towns you serve. Maybe you do not have UPS stores.  Just look for a place that provides mailboxes with real street addresses.

2.  Go to Vistaprint and buy a small website for around $20 a month.  Under business name, insert Locksmith Murfreesboro, or what ever name you wish that indicates the area you are targeting.  Also include that the site is owned by your lock company.

3.  Through Vistaprint, click the option to have your website submitted to the search engines. The result will be that you will appear on the search engine maps.  However, to be fair with your customers, indicate in your website that you offer mobile service only and that no business is conducted at that business address.  After all, if you lie on your website, your customers will rightfully deduce that you will lie to them.

4.  Remember that it will take a few weeks for Google to send a postcard to each address at which you want to be listed.  Make sure you get the postcard and call to verify the listing.

5.  If you want to do pay-per-click advertising, go to Yahoo or Google and set up your own program. Before you do, find out what the the most popular search terms are for your service.  By doing this, you can control how much money you spend and end the campaign whenever you wish.  You can also upgrade and change the search parameters.  Be sure to include your phone number on the display so people can call you without having to click your ad.

In the end, you will be spending pennies versus dollars for you advertsing.

HIBU and YP are, in my opinion, obsolete and are hanging on to revenues by doing anything they can. Simply put, businesses do not need such middlemen, as  HIBU and YP.  It is time these two companies go the way of the dinosaur.  Your money is better spent in other ways!

Using Locks on Outside Gates

Although you will rarely need to install a knob on an outside wooden or iron gate, I will here offer some things that you should think about if you are going to use a knob on an outside gate.

First,  do not worry about whether or not the lock is weatherproof. Of course, the cheap Kwikset and Schlage residential grade locks are not going to hold up very well in a total, outdoor situation.  If you want to install a lock that has durability, you should consider the commercial grade 1 or grade 2 locks.

Second, you should consider using a storeroom function lock that always locks back into place.  However, if people can simply reach through the gate or over it, then you will need to install an asylum function that is always locked but operated on either side with a key.

Third, a lever may not be in your best interest, as kids often stand on them in order to jump over the gate.  If you must use a lever, be sure to get one that has a clutch mechanism that will cause the lever to resist vandalism.  Yes, kids will also stand on knobs in order to climb over the gate.

Fourth, if there is any chance that kids will be climbing over the gate by standing on your lock, do know that the lock will loosen over time.  You may need to install a gate wheel on the bottom of the gate.  These can be purchased at your local farmer's supply, as they are used on cattle gates. This gate wheel will also keep the intruders weight from damaging the latch which inserts into the post.

Schlage B250

Fifth, a good alternative to a knob or lever is a double sided deadbolt that uses a LATCH instead of a BOLT.  Schlage makes such a dead bolt and it is known as the B-250.  Normally, this lock comes with a 2 3/4 inch backset latch.  Contact Schlage for specifics.  You may need a 2 3/8 backset latch.



Sixth, if you are installing a lock on a wooden gate, the gate is often too thick.  Use a large hole saw (one that will allow the lock to pass through completely), and cut into the wood a small way.  Once you have drilled this hole, use the small 1/8 bit and make a through-hole. Then, use the hole saw and drill a little into the other side.  What you are doing is trying to make the gate 1 3/4 inches thick by removing some of the wood face.  Just measure the thickness of the door.  If it is a total of 3 inches thick, subtract 1 3/4 from 3, divide that number by 2, and that is how deep the large hole saw should cut into each side of the gate.  Once you have done that, take the 2 1/8 hole saw and drill through the door on both sides. Then, take a wood chisel and hammer and remove the outer cut sections.

Seventh, if you have a metal gate, you can have your local welder install a box that is uniquely designed for the purposes we are now discussing.

Us Lock's RC0 Key Can Be Modified to Fit the RC1 Lock!

If you run out of US Lock's RC1 keys (this would be the Arrow #81 key) you can grind the sides of the RC0 key (Arrow #51 key) and it will insert into the US Lock RC1 interchangeable core.  In fact, one locksmith said that he was able to make twenty RC1 blanks out of the RC0 blanks in just a few minutes time.

It may be possible to take the US Lock RX0 key blanks and, using a Dremel tool, grind away part of the key to make it pass the RX1, 2, and 3.  This issue might need to be addressed because it may compromise the security of both the RC and RX systems as sold by US Lock.

US Lock's RC1 interchangeable core locks are issued to protected territories.  However, the RC0 cores and key blanks are available to basic US Lock dealers.

I would strongly recommend that US Lock's RC and RX systems be researched thoroughly before being purchased and used in any environment needing key control.  If working keys can be fabricated for the higher systems using lower system key blanks, then the system, or systems, should be avoided.