Duplicate Keys by Hand

Step 4 Testing and fine tuning

The copy I made was for my front door.
When I first tried it, the key didnt work, so I got the file and the original, compared, fine tuned with the file, and tried again. It took a few minutes to get it to work, then another few to get it working as smooth as the original.

I did this just because I bought a few keyblanks for another project but that fell through, and I needed another key, so I thought why not DIY.

Comments

[pfl]

A trick to help preserve the original key is to crayon over the teeth so you can see when you are nicking it with the file.

[arty]

If you file off too much, you can place the key on any hard flat surface and gently strike the flat of the key. Use a heavy hammer and a drift-punch to direct the energy to the tip of the offending 'mountain'. Do not strike at the base of valleys, you will bend the key. This is also useful for making worn out keys work again. Should be used only as a last resort because, with the worn keys, you never know if you are making things better or worse.

[mrmath]

I'm reading Dark Tower III by Stephen King, and this step reminds me of the schene where Jake has already opened his door, and is getting pulled back by the doorkeeper. Eddie is trying his diy key, and it's not working, so he take it out, and shaves off a thin, almost transparent piece of wood, and then it works.