BAD NEWS!!! Someone stole the house key from my wife's key chain. hmmmmm????! We searched up and down, cars, walkways... noth'n. Her and my key will open all doors throughout the house, the kids (teenagers) keys only open access into the house. It's sad that we can't trust our own kids but they have been caught stealing money and using my computer in the office. I keep pocket change in a box and the quarters seem to keep growing legs. For computers, I'm hardwired and wireless throughout the house and when the kids are bad = no computer for fun use. They each have their own and I can, with a few clicks of the mouse, disable theirs for bad behavior. There were times when my history on my computer is cleared and little entrails of sites that I never surfed. I also have the only working cordless phone in the house. That brought me to locking the doors.
Since I am able to re-key the locks myself, I thought I would share.
Now you can buy a re-keying kit at Home Depot or Lowe's or most any other hardware store that sells door locks. You know me, I have to go overboard and buy the whole kit-n-kabootle. The wife calls it... OCD. I call it FUN.
All my locks here at home are Kwikset. Soon to be Medeco.
Remove locks from doors and place on a towel/rag. There will be small round parts and you don't want them rolling off of the table. The hardest ones are the basic door knob types for it has a locking rod that must be removed first.
This 101 class will be for the basic Kwikset door knobs.
First you need to remove the locking rod from the knob assembly to remove the cylinder to re-key it...
Turn the locking rod tab towards the screw post...
Look for a small plate under the main plate. You should see a small tab that is bent at a 90 opposite the locking rod tab. Press this tab in using a small screwdriver while at the same time lifting up on the locking rod...
A little bit of wiggle jiggle and the locking rod should pull out completely...
And now the fun part. The DIY kits sold in stores gives you a cheapy flat metal bar that is used for this next step of removing the cylinder. If it is not aligned right, you can do more damage then good. I chose to purchase the Rytan Kwikset lock popper part #RY-36. If you use the standard flat bar, BE SURE TO HAVE IT LINED UP WITH THE SCREW POST AND KEEP IT STRAIGHT! In other words insert it perpendicular with the half mood cradle you now see after removing the locking rod.
This is with the Rytan RY-36...
A simple push of the red knob = POP! out comes the cylinder...
Some locks you need to have the original key to change the pins and others you can access the pins and springs by the cap on to of them. Remove the 'C' or 'e' clip, insert key and turn to remove plug. Be sure to use a follower if you don't plan to master key. A follower is just that: It follows the plug so that it keeps all pins and springs in its place. If you don't have the patients, this can lead to a big mess.
'C/e' clip removal way...
Cap removal way...
With the DIY kit, You won't need to dump out all the innards like I have done. I need to create a master key system again.
Putting it back together.
Since the master pinning is done with the bottom pins and not the top, we can go ahead and insert all the top pins and springs...
First insert a spring to the furthest pin hole back from the front of the lock...
Insert a top pin and use the follower to apply side pressure to the pin to keep it from popping out.
You then gently press in the top pin with the tip of the tweezers and let the follower glide over it to hold the pins in place. Get it? One at a time.
Continue to do this until all pin holes have a spring and top pin inserted. You can stop pushing the follower right after the last pin.
Re-pinning time...
The DIY kits has the pins and keys already pre-packed with all that you need. You must follow the instructions included. As for me, Screw the lock pinning code! It's my house. I'll do what I want.
Insert the color coded pins per instruction from front to back. Insert key and make sure the pins line up to the top of the plug. If all looks good, you can now use the plug WITH KEY still inserted to push out the follower on the cylinder. Be sure to keep them butted together tightly as to not have any gaps between the plug and the follower. Reassemble in the reverse order and you have just completed a DIY re-key.
As for me, I need to decide what I want to use as the bottom pins. No code to follow, my choice.
Master keying takes another additional step with a little calculation. I won't go through it here.
Key cutting time.
I was fortunate enough to find some key machines at a bargain. I even had the nerve to get myself a key cutter. Yes, a key cutter not a duplicator. This key cutter opened up a whole new world of re-keying. I can make the lock key combo do what I want and I don't have to follow the locksmith code. It is like a mini mill for keys. I cut how deep and where. I can even make it to where you must pull the key out a click or two before turning. Everyone else will think the key just doesn't work. I tell you... FUN!
Key test...
Since this is master keyed, I had to be sure both keys lines up the pins properly before reassembly.
I had to do 9 locks total. It was time consuming yet relaxing. The keys I make CANNOT be brought into a key duplicating place to have it copied. The cuts I make are too confusing and aggressive that even a locksmith I know wouldn't attempt it for it would take too long to decipher what I did. I even go as far as to cut off the shoulder stop that is used as a guide to re-cut keys.
End of Locksmith 101 class.
Njoy...
