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At Anderson Lock, we have about a million different key blanks. Make sure the correct key blank is used.įor residential keys, selecting the correct key blank is typically easy. The final product is a duplicate key that matches the original.
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Afterward, the lock tech will sand the duplicate key for a smooth finish. The key duplicator is then turned on, and as the original and blank keys move horizontally across the machine, the blade cuts into the blank key, using the original as a sort of template. The key guide, or alignment bar, on your key duplicator, ensures the keys are even with one another. The alignment tool is a piece of metal that is even with the blade. Your original key is placed in a vice on one side of the key duplicator, lined up with the cutting tool (or blade), and a blank key is placed in a vice on the side of the machine that contains the alignment tool. Keys are cut with a machine called a key duplicator. Here’s everything you need to know about getting a new key cut as part of our Chicago locksmith services. In addition, it’s important to have spare keys around (perhaps left with a trusted family member, friend, or neighbor) in case you’re ever locked out or need a friend or family member to get into your home for some reason. Over years of use, keys and pins do wear down. Keys are typically made of brass or a nickel-brass mixture, and the pins in a lock are also made of brass. It may be time to get a duplicate key made. Or pull it slightly out of the lock before it will turn? Do you have a spare key for your home in the event that you’re locked out? An Anderson Lock security expert uses a Pro-Lok Blue Punch Machine to duplicate a key.ĭo you have to jiggle your key to get it to work?
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