[P®oPole™]

Last night something happend which I've been expecting for a while now.......


The key for my dead locks snapped and its the only one I have. I've been every were trying to get it cut, every locksmith I have seen or been to, has either laughed and said no chance or sent me on a wild goose chase around London.

The key its self has no markings on it, apperntly there surrposed to have the name of who made it stamped on them.

Looks like its goin to be an expensive barrel replacment job 

The dead locks are connected to open my rear and side doors, the standard locks are no longer in use effectively making the back of my van a safe.

Any Ideas?

ProPole

[DaveWilkinson]

Its definatley a non standard key so you will have problems getting a key blank, thats all a good locksmith would need to hand file you a new one. Is the van locked at the moment ? if it is they should be able to pick it without to much problem as its only a cylinder lock.

Im guessing you didnt have the locks fitted ( find the old bill ), maybe see if you can contact who you bought it off.

[P®oPole™]

Hi Dave,

Many thanks for your quick reply, I've been to loads of places none have had the blanks one told me to photo copy both sides and he would try and get it forged.

It is locked at the mo mate and I have no way of getting in, I locked my keys in the back once and had a lock smith try and pick it, an hour later and he still had no joy, I had to take my double passenger seat out and cut the bulk head.

If i take the seats out again crawl through the hole, climb over the tank I think I can open the back door from the inside, would I have any joy disconecting the dead lock on the back door and getting the standard lock back in operation?

Regards
Alex

[keith b]

Propole,

I believe you need a safe engineer, go to www.nickhaddock.co.uk and take a lock around his website and email him your photo and problem. if anyone can help it will be him.

Other than that contact the `The master locksmiths association` at www.locksmiths.co.uk

let us know how you get on!

keith

[DaveWilkinson]

HI, alot of dead locks are pretty well secured on the inside so even getting in the van may not help, from the key profile I would say its a good quality lock so chances are its well secured to the inside of the door.

One last ditch thing you can do and theres no guarantee it will work, if you can not get a new keyblank and are going to have to resort to drilling the lock out try this, Put the broken part of the key in the lock and then push in the rest of the key in very slowly with a slight turnning pressure to open, i've done this on many locks (ive been a locksmith in a previous life btw)

But like i say try this method only if your gonna drill the locks out anyway because once the broken part is in the lock its a pain to get it back out if it doesnt work.

Once the door is unlocked its easy to get the key back out and there might be some branding on the back of the lock and if nothing else u have 1 door working.

[P®oPole™]

Thanks for your help guys its really apprciated,

I'm quite sure I can open the back door from the inside, I rember once I locked my ex-employee in the back and he managed to get out, might get on the blower and ask how he did it.

I'm either gonna have to drill and get new barrels which sounds rather expensive, I cant understand why its so hard to get the blanks, this is all I need right now 

I'm going to go on a quest today for a blank.

Is there no way then if I did open the back door to reconnect the standard locks or do something,

Regards
Alex

[DaveWilkinson]

Its looks like a 1 piece rear door so it should be posible to get it open from the inside, as for reconecting the  old locks that all depends on how the new ones are fitted.

Good luck finding a blank, (it looks a Gege branded profile to me) depends on your working curcumstances but if your losing work it may well be cheaper to just bite the bullet and get them renewed..

[JM123]

had the same problem about 2 years ago

what I did was bought 2 solenoids from the breakers, fitted them along with the dead bolts off a 306, had it on a keyfob, the solenoids cost £20 from the breaker, dead bolts were another £15, took 2 hours to fit, got a friend to weld a sheet of metal behind the hole where the cylinder used to be and isopon and spray over it, professional job, should only cost £100 for the weld and spray.

End result was the doors couldn't be picked or screwdrivered, I could unlock and lock again at the touch of a button, great.

Just had to make sure I carried a spare Lithium battery!!

[P®oPole™]

  Happy Days 

After another fruitless goose chase around north London today I was given the details of a master locksmith and pro safe breaking firm "Lock Stock & Barrels"

there first Branch in Hertford told me I would have no joy, after about five mins of chatting to the guy he informed me there was no chance of picking or even getting a blank due to the profile of the key. He also said there was no way he could price the new barrels without seeing the back of the locks first.

Just as I was leaving he called me back and told me of one possiblity, to send it off to another branch to get stuck and lazer mesured or lazor cut from a forged brass one they could make up or something along those lines. 3 days before I would know!!!!!

I took the address, got in my van and got the trusted sat nav out this was the only and last chance I had. I drove for miles through torrential rain, winding country roads that went on and on and eventually arrived at this lovley picture post card village called Saffron Walden in Essex half hour later key in my hand tested it and had a spare made £12.50 each SWEET 

Regards
ProPole

[JM123]

nice

[P®oPole™]

I know, Im over the moon mate.

Usually with situations like this nothing goes right for me, today for some strange reason I had some luck  I had to cross 3 countys maybe 4 but it came good.

I expect the bill for all three locks would of come to a monkey. 

Cheers fellas for replys and advice

ProPole

[Sir Squeaky]

Have you tried using wfp?

[jeff1]

Hi Propole sorry I have Just seen this post, if every you get stuck like that again take my email address, and I will give you all the advice you need to open your locks without key's
I was in the security Trade for 15 years and my Job included Lock picking, of doors and safe's, obviously I can't post the Techneque on an open forum, but in confidence I can give you the details. even if you have no lock picks I can get you into your locks.

I would have also told you that you can get keys for your type of lock and they would not have to have been lazer cut.

[P®oPole™]

Thanks Jeff, 

Regards
ProPole



Squeaky Lol 

[Pj]

Don't mean to rub salt into the wounds Propole, but why did you cross 3 counties to Saffron Waldon in Hertfordshire when you are in Enfield which is on the outskirts of Hertfordshire?

[P®oPole™]

Im affraid your mistaken Pj Saffron Walden Is in Essex and bordering Cambridge

I went through London, Hertfordshire, touching Cambridge into Essex

Not 100% sure if I actually crossed broders into Cambridge but was close, so thats 3 maybe 4 like I said.

Its as far north as ipswich , I hardly ever leave the city to go into the sticks. I went through places I had never heard of before, newport, ughley places with wierd names. I left home (which is not Enfield) at about 12.30 yesterday afternoon and didnt get in till gone 7 last night.

Do you know Saffron Walden then Pj?

I was amazed by the place, what a lovley little village. It felt like I went back in time, I enjoyed the fresh air had a bite to eat an simply strolled around for a bit although it felt like I stood out I thought everyone knew I was an outsider, thats just the impression I got from the place, everyone knows everyone sort of thing.  People said "hello" to eachother in the street in London you dont get this in London its every man for himself you dont want to be nice around here the stress of the city gets to people, its a diffrent way of life in the countryside.

ProPole