Here is an old, badly fitting UPVC door. It was sagging badly on its hinges, hitting the frame so it wouldn’t close. The hinges were non adjustable, so the the only option was to remove the glass and repack the door panels. By packing the panels on the diagonal (heel – toeing) it shifts the door back into square with the frame.
I was asked to do a lock change on a commercial premises. It was obvious that a lock had been drilled at some point in the past. Underneath the escutcheon the door was a right mess.
There is sometimes a need to drill a lock if it is broken and there’s no other way to open it, but it shouldn’t look like this mess.
A drilled lock should be replaced with a new lock (otherwise the hole in the hardplate will be a weakness in security). The hole in the door should then be neatly filled and covered. In a later post I’ll show you another lock that’s been drilled (not by me) and badly repaired.
This 19th century lock is off a Forest of Dean historic church. It was made by John Moreton & Son, dating from the late 1800s. It had its only key stolen and a replacement was needed. A cast iron blank was initially shaped on a grinder. It was then hand filed to pass the centre warding.
About to start filing key to fit warding. Normal chubb key shown below for scale.
Here is a clip of cutting a car key. This is a VW T5 Transporter key. If you’ve lost your key, there clearly isn’t a key to copy. If you don’t have the keycard, we can use special tools to decode the lock. We then send these settings to a computerised CNC cutting machine to cut the key.
The type of key cutting machine we use cuts a new key to code i.e. to the exact depths and measurements that it came new. A typical high street shop key machine is a trace cutter, that effectively just gives you another worn key that looks shiny.
Using a CNC machine means an auto locksmith can cut you a key even you don’t have a key to copy. There are several methods they can use to figure out how the missing key should be cut.
See that chip on the end of the key? That’s the transponder that the immobiliser needs to recognise before the car will start. If it isn’t the right chip already programmed into the car, then it won’t start. This particular chip is a VW ID48, sat on a HU66 key.
VW ID48 T6 transponder on end of HU66 key
Modern vehicles (since about 2000) are fitted with immobilisers to prevent theft. The immobiliser checks for the correct, matched chip before it will allow the car to start. Some vehicles will just not turn over if the chip isn’t recognised. On other vehicles the engine will turn over but will not start due to the fuel pump being disabled.
Here is an old, badly fitting UPVC door. It was sagging badly on its hinges, hitting the frame so it wouldn’t close. The hinges were non adjustable, so the the only option was to remove the glass and repack the door panels. By packing the panels on the diagonal (heel – toeing) it shifts the door back into square with the frame.
