Wow that is an amazing kit!!!! It's like the go to kit for spys from all the books and movies. As they say shut up and take my money lol. Awesome work as always Mr Bill. 👍👍👍🤘🤘🤘
Ben Jackson. I'm trying to diversity a little bit. Every Saturday is a review of some kind, so that won't change. The other three vids on M, W & F will be a mix of commercial locks, challenge locks, and DIY or "How to" videos. If there's something specific you'd like to see, please let me know.
Bosnianbill great vid as usual! Personally I'd like to see more key impressioning videos if possible :) it's also a very interesting skill and it would be fun to see how to impression challenge locks etc. Or dimple locks if at all possible. Thanks!
Not overly specific and not necessarily concerned with locksport, but I have enjoyed your "Disaster Preparedness" content on locklab.com. I'd love to see some vids about any of that, if it doesn't distract too much from your brand. I'd also love to see you learning to pick lever locks - LPL is putting up some clips about this currently and they're fun to watch. A tutorial on making your own lever lock picks would be cool...
I'm a buddy with Patrick - we've done classes and such together. I've got a few of his knives and have made some customs with him as well. Great guy and a hell of a sharpener.
I wear a neck knife every day, and that is actually exactly what they are good for, really quick access to opening boxes and what ever you need a quick cut on. very cool kit, thanks for the video
WOW! I'm impressed that you noticed! Obviously still working out the bumps, but yes - I like it so far. It is a Sony RX100 V5 and is advertised as the fastest macro focusing camera available. For this video I had the autofocus mis-set, so it was a bit sluggish, but I've since corrected the setting.
Bosnianbill the image is a lot sharper. Can’t wait to see the videos in this resolution from now on. I think we all know your real nemesis when it comes to these videos is the autofocus. Lol keep’m coming 📹 🔐
Pretty slick little kit! Probably most useful when a key is broken, fit him together, the mold mix would do a great job of holding it tight, poor in the zinc, and boom, new key! BTW Bill, that knife is badass! Anytime something needs cut is a GREAT excuse to use that thing! Plus, it's shiny, which I know we all enjoy! Thanks Bill!
Yeah, "shiny" is always a big plus! This thing is like a razor blade tho, so is sure to injure me some day soon. At least it'll be a CLEAN cut and easy to sew up. 😃
Absolutely! When I was fresh out of high school, worked for a guy installing carpet, got my thumb with a blue "Persona" brand carpet blade... DEEP cut, but with the proper amount of pressure and some carpet tape, avoided stitches... nice clean cut!
is it possible to duplicate dimple keys with it? I tried multiple times but i struggle with airbubbles and it is difficult to get good prints of the smaller dimples. any advice?
I should have done that scraping thing on the bitting, just like I did on the bottom. Sometimes there is a tiny bit of flashing there too. I didn't see it through the camera LCD, so didn't do it. The wiggling was enough to flatten it down I guess.
I've actually been looking for something like this for quite some time for a completely different application sooo I'm gonna have to order a couple refill kits if available
Very cool set. My question would be: how much does the counterfeit key hold up until it breaks off. Some padlocks have a very high spring tension of the core. A broken key in the lock does not necessarily make things easier.
I agree! The key is quite soft, as you can imagine. The kit's instructions DO say that you should use the molded key to have a permanent replacement key made as soon as you can. I'd think this kit is most useful when you show up at a customer's house and they've broken their (last) key and are still locked out. You can mold the broken key, use the cast key to let the customer into his house, then use the cast key to cut him a new one.
Once you have poured the molten metal you probably need to give the mould a sharp tap or two whilst its still liquid to dislodge any air and ensure it flows into all the crevices.
You'll need size appropriate picks, but you'll probably have to make them yourself as no company makes them anymore. Rytan used to make some scaled down picks, but stopped some years ago because they weren't selling well.
I don't know how much more it would end up costing but a little electrically heated version where you could use a brake bleeder pump to pull a nice vacuum would probably only be a tiny bit larger and heavier but give much, much better casts. (Other techniques wouldn't pack down nearly as well, but centrifugal casting might be another option if you don't mind the idea of spinning hot metal around on a string)
I was surprised at the quality of the key. But I'd like to see more before I run out and buy one. You did it with a new in-tact key, but you mentioned the best application would be for bent or broken keys. I have a hard enough time with some broken keys in the shop with all the right machinery at my disposal, would you mind doing another quick video with a broken key? A well-broken key with twists at the break. I just see a few limitations with this kit in what you can actually fix. Oh, and I assume you can buy refills for the consumables?
If you mean making a key without codes or disassembly, then use the impression method. Insert an uncut key blank & use pliers to turn it while rocking it. Remove & observe the small marks on the blank from the bound pins. File down a bit on these marks. Keep repeating this procedure multiple times until the key turns. I have done this hundreds of times as a locksmith but I have also failed hundreds of times attempting this procedure. The simpler the lock the easier it is to do.
Thank you for your help. I would like to see how it is done in a video. I have tried to make a key the way you suggested. But it did not work for me. It seems to me the marks would end up on the pins and the key blank.
I know it's way late for a reply, but I wouldn't go with lead as it has a melting point that's way too high for the impressioning compound...the heat would likely just burn the mold and you'd end up with a useless lump of lead. The other reason being that lead will likely bend and deform in a lock that has any kind of spring or friction resistance when turning. I don't know for sure what type of alloy they use in this kit, but I can take a guess that it's likely a bismuth alloy...specifically an alloy with around 50% bismuth to retain cast dimensions. The neat thing about bismuth alloys around that percentage is that they don't shrink or expand between liquid and solid phases, which is important if you need to replicate precise dimensions. Most alloys will shrink after cooling, leaving your key smaller and unable to meet the shear line for any of the pins. The other really cool thing about bismuth alloys in that percentage? They melt below the boiling point of water, which means there's not a ton of heat involved that will destroy your impressioning compound. All of these points lead me to believe those little nuggets of magic metal are actually Rose's metal. A close second would be Wood's metal, but it's not as strong as Rose's metal and doesn't retain dimension as well. The only downside is that it isn't eutectic, which means the melting point is actually a temperature range rather than a specific point, like ice turning to water...this coincides with Bill's advice of heating it beyond its melting point so it doesn't partially solidify when pouring. Rose's metal can be found quite cheap online, for far less than you can find replacement ingots for this kit. Figure out what they use for the impressioning compound, get creative and make your own mold halves from whatever you can find, and it wouldn't be that difficult or expensive to make your own kit (today this kit is selling for nearly twice what it was when this video was posted).
I enter the giveaways every time. Sometimes the form doesn’t go through and a resubmit, then I panic a little that I will get banned for spamming the form. Hope I haven’t been. Anyway, hope I am lucky enough to hit those thousands to one odds some day and get something cool! I Have a kid in university and no money is just hanging around for me to spend on hobbies. Thanks for all you do for the community.
Hey Bill, I am in real estate. I buy and flip houses. And it is pretty often the case that I will buy a property that doesn't have keys. Now, I am no expert, but I can pick open a Defiant deadbolt or a Masterlock padlock. But occasionally I will come across something more difficult that I don't have the tools for. What pick would you say is the best general purpose pick for getting into deadbolts and such? Hiring a locksmith every time, or breaking a window gets very pricey very quickly.
Seleckt If limited to only a couple of picks, I'd carry a Bogota and a medium hook. Use the bogie to get a false set, then the hook to finish the pick job.
I personally would put a bent wire right next to the key in the mold, touching the lowest part of the key imprint. This acts as an air vent which should prevent bubbles... cheers
Bill new add on your video this morning I've never seen it before. It was for a new smart door lock for your home company was called august looks like it attaches to an existing deadbolt. That has got to be a sign need to do a review on it.
WHOA! $229-$279! We'll have to wait until I hit the lottery to review this thing... HINT: Maybe if a few people sent them an email asking them to sent a review item to the LockLab....🙄👍😇
Bosnianbill I sent them a lengthy email hopefully they will send you one. Too many people are hesitant to spending that much money without seeing an honest review. If there product holds up to your testing the review could help here sales. We will see what they say lol.
Well, I can see the benefit if a key has been broken in a place where a standard key cutting machine would not work. But that is the only thing I can think of that this would be useful for. Now, while that is an important use, a standard key cutter would do the job a lot better. And since the metal being used to make the key is soft lead you would need to use a standard key cutting machine to make a permanent key anyway.
If you tap the mold on the desk several times after you pore the metal in you should reduce the likelihood of air bubbles and so increase the probability of success. Tap lightly to not a splatter.
Have not seen one of those kits since, Mission Impossible. Honestly, we did have a kit in my old Army unit. Could never figure out, why the Armorer needed it? He had the sledge hammer or 12 gauge, to open anything he needed.
Better if u heat right up to you pour. Heat all of the "spoon". Higher heat = more easily rinning metal. And knock the mold a little just as you have pured to get rid of air bubbles.
If you added a straight bit of wire with a small 90 degree bend on the end and set it into the mold attaching the end of the 90 degree bend into the bottom of the key it would act like a little chimney thus removing any gas and or air bubbles. Then just shave off the little nub left from the chimney
Picked one of these up to give it a try, works as described with a few notes: the 2 part compound sets fast. Wasted my first try by not getting the key in fast enough. Second try was fine. The torch doesn’t come with butane gas in it, need to fill it. First key I made didn’t have a good pour so it wasn’t that accurate, so just re melted it and re cast. Second one looks good, will try later. The metal looks to be a tin alloy. Maybe pewter? Pure tin is too soft (tried it, pours and forms well, but key is too delicate). If someone uses this for you as a customer, keep the resulting mould, it can be reused if stored safely and more keys made.
This is the first time I've used this particular model, so you'll have to judge its performance for yourself. The melting clip is in real time, no sped up video, so it generates enough heat to melt the zinc ingot within a minute or so. Overall, I'm happy with the way it performs and it is nice and compact, so fits in the kit nicely. Anything with more BTUs would just be overkill. LIke the old saying goes: "Better is the enemy of good enough".
Question..... When would this be used outside of movies? Like, if you have access to the key for over 15 minutes, you've probably got enough time to just go to the hardware shop or the key place in the mall and get a copy done properly. I guess personal copies of "do not duplicate" keys might be one use. But the results are really only temporary keys, right?
Or keys where blanks are either not available or restricted. I might use it to make temporary copies of a key so that I could leave the original with the tech or owner and get a copy cut properly. It's a niche product for sure, but worth having one in a maintenance shop or locksmith shop. To put it in perspective, it costs less than one lock that we use everywhere, or about a third of our order of wire connectors. It's almost cheap enough that we don't need approval to buy it, just for any one of our techs to want it.
The metal is some kind of zinc, right? How long would you expect a duplicated key to last? Its probably not intended for long-term use, so I wonder in what common situation a kit like this would be useful... maybe when a key has snapped? Any pros know why a kit like this is worth having?
I expect it's a bismuth mix to get it to be workable at such low temperatures. Cerrosafe and Wood's metal are probably out because of the commercial liability of selling something with such a high lead and cadmium content, so I will guess it is Field's metal.
Like Bill said - it's worth having if you need to impression a key right on the spot. Like Law enforcement or something like that. He showed an impressioning kit a while back for covert ops. This could fit right in there if you have a key and need a backup right now because you will have the key for only another 5 minutes or so. Or as a crude backup in case you lock yourself out. Shove one of these in your car or backpack. No one will assume this "junky ass molded key" will be a backup for a door.
Right, I could see some niche cases where this could be useful for spy-type business (though it seems that if you can get access to a key for the > 10 minutes needed to copy it, most of the time you might as well just keep the original), and some very rare cases where it could be useful for locksmiths as I mentioned above. But is that it? Needing this seems so unlikely that it seems like it would be hard to justify keeping it on hand other than for the novelty of it. Again, it seems likely that I'm missing its main use where it would be worth having on-hand for a locksmith or the like, but I can't figure out what that use is.
Bill, I was digging around my locks and found a old "commando" style master padlock with a really odd key, I don't know what type lock it is if I could In any way send you a photo of it and maybe you could help me?
I am not a key expert, but I have two recommendations to help you out: 1. Post your question and photos on any of the forums because THAT is where the true experts hang out, or 2. Download the free key identification guides from the Tribal website and look the key up yourself. You can find all of the guides here: locklab.com/resources/downloads/
I would love to win this one. I am more interested in this one over the regular pick sets for some reason. I guess because I love low melting point alloys like gallium.
Nice kit. But unless they made changes this year. The mold is actually like some kind of ABS Plastic. Not anodized aluminum. I do wish it was for sure it would make it a nice piece. But I can bend over/jam my fingernails into the collar that tightens down the mold. I do believe for what it’s used for it will last a long while. But would of been better had it been aluminum. I also found the compound also hardens really quick. I think would be better buying buying another bulk mix and making batches for copies with less hardener
Wow that is an amazing kit!!!! It's like the go to kit for spys from all the books and movies. As they say shut up and take my money lol. Awesome work as always Mr Bill.
👍👍👍🤘🤘🤘
Yep - great mix of James Bond and reality!
Bill, Thank You for the mention, I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy the knife for many years to come. :)
Cool product - I like these extra, not just straight lockpicking, videos. Thanks Bill!
Ben Jackson. I'm trying to diversity a little bit. Every Saturday is a review of some kind, so that won't change. The other three vids on M, W & F will be a mix of commercial locks, challenge locks, and DIY or "How to" videos. If there's something specific you'd like to see, please let me know.
Bosnianbill great vid as usual! Personally I'd like to see more key impressioning videos if possible :) it's also a very interesting skill and it would be fun to see how to impression challenge locks etc. Or dimple locks if at all possible. Thanks!
Not overly specific and not necessarily concerned with locksport, but I have enjoyed your "Disaster Preparedness" content on locklab.com. I'd love to see some vids about any of that, if it doesn't distract too much from your brand. I'd also love to see you learning to pick lever locks - LPL is putting up some clips about this currently and they're fun to watch. A tutorial on making your own lever lock picks would be cool...
Cool! I've heard of these kits before, but never seen one reviewed and demoed before. Thanks for the info as always!
I'm a buddy with Patrick - we've done classes and such together. I've got a few of his knives and have made some customs with him as well. Great guy and a hell of a sharpener.
I wear a neck knife every day, and that is actually exactly what they are good for, really quick access to opening boxes and what ever you need a quick cut on. very cool kit, thanks for the video
Other Than Intended Purpose yep, I use mine daily! It is a light weight, low profile, EDC knife.
yeah, I wear a CRKT Folt's minimalist bowie. very light weight, almost cant feel it on my neck
This is brilliant that the biggest locksmith suppliers in Europe are more than happy to supply the general public with these specialists tools.
😮
Thanks for the review. I've been wondering about one of these kits for a while.
I think you've sold me... AGAIN lol
That is so cool.... having everything together in a kit form does add some value, I could definitely see a use for this with some other applications.
what a great kit. perfect for fast field work.
been wearing a MT neck knife for 3 years now. Best little knife for Justin (Just in Case)I have ever found.
Very cool! Sweet knife too. The key making kit looks awesome. 👌👌
I think I want one of each!!
Paul Crosdale Thank You :)
Amazing product. Nice new camera too.
WOW! I'm impressed that you noticed! Obviously still working out the bumps, but yes - I like it so far. It is a Sony RX100 V5 and is advertised as the fastest macro focusing camera available. For this video I had the autofocus mis-set, so it was a bit sluggish, but I've since corrected the setting.
Bosnianbill the image is a lot sharper. Can’t wait to see the videos in this resolution from now on. I think we all know your real nemesis when it comes to these videos is the autofocus. Lol keep’m coming 📹 🔐
Lock Learner 007 damn it beat me to it
Yes I noticed it too, congrats!
Yeah, but if autofocus worked properly all the time, we'd never get to hear the now classic "come on baby, focus" :)
Wonder if you could duplicate an Abloy on it. Only problem would be the interactive part of the key.
Pretty slick little kit! Probably most useful when a key is broken, fit him together, the mold mix would do a great job of holding it tight, poor in the zinc, and boom, new key! BTW Bill, that knife is badass! Anytime something needs cut is a GREAT excuse to use that thing! Plus, it's shiny, which I know we all enjoy! Thanks Bill!
Yeah, "shiny" is always a big plus! This thing is like a razor blade tho, so is sure to injure me some day soon. At least it'll be a CLEAN cut and easy to sew up. 😃
Absolutely! When I was fresh out of high school, worked for a guy installing carpet, got my thumb with a blue "Persona" brand carpet blade... DEEP cut, but with the proper amount of pressure and some carpet tape, avoided stitches... nice clean cut!
That is a Awesome kit best on i ever seen to make keys at home are out at a job site Good Luck Everyone on winning this.!!!!
is it possible to duplicate dimple keys with it? I tried multiple times but i struggle with airbubbles and it is difficult to get good prints of the smaller dimples. any advice?
I suspect the problem was position 1. That looked like it was too low compared to the orginal key. But a bit of wiggling is always worth a try!😉
I should have done that scraping thing on the bitting, just like I did on the bottom. Sometimes there is a tiny bit of flashing there too. I didn't see it through the camera LCD, so didn't do it. The wiggling was enough to flatten it down I guess.
Reminds me of the escapists, where u used talkum powder and molten materials like metal or plastic. You can make one use keys in that game
Wow pretty awesome kit, didn't know that you could do that!! As always great review and explanation!!!!
Cool kit! Never seen it before. You looked like you done this many times before.🤔✌🇦🇺
Don'z Lockz That's what I was going to say
Mark Adkins 😅...sorry.😁
Thats a really cool bit of kit for an emergency situation fair play!
I've actually been looking for something like this for quite some time for a completely different application sooo I'm gonna have to order a couple refill kits if available
I am curious about a more fidly key type like a Medico or dimple would turn out.
Yeah a bubble on a dimple key would mess things up.
Very cool kit, simple & effective.
I figured you could tap the outside of the mold after putting the metal in, to possibly dislodge any bubbles.
How would this fare against slider locks? I would think it wouldn't produce sharp enough grooves.
Slider locks are no problem. I am having trouble with pin-in-pin tho.
Excellent kit.
Pretty cool kit Im just thinking in what field situations would this come in hand. I guess when a key is needed and no blanks are available.
I ordered one of these recently but there is no fuel in the torch. Do I have to order a whole new kit?
The putty looks like polyvinyl siloxane. Used in dentistry ask the time. May be a good source for less expensive refills.
Will it work for car keys?
Whewww!! Nice job. Pretty cool kit too!
Awesome bit of kit
Awesome video! I have a question: where can you buy Zinc and the other stuff when you run out? Thx :)
This kit is ninja level, shut up and take me money level lol great review as always Bill!
That was really cool to watch, great video!
One of the best videos, thank you.
Got mine yesterday and managed to duplicate a key. Brilliant idea but need a bit of practice tho.
Very cool set. My question would be: how much does the counterfeit key hold up until it breaks off. Some padlocks have a very high spring tension of the core. A broken key in the lock does not necessarily make things easier.
I agree! The key is quite soft, as you can imagine. The kit's instructions DO say that you should use the molded key to have a permanent replacement key made as soon as you can. I'd think this kit is most useful when you show up at a customer's house and they've broken their (last) key and are still locked out. You can mold the broken key, use the cast key to let the customer into his house, then use the cast key to cut him a new one.
You need to learn Chef John's special "the old tappity tap" technique. ;->
Where can I buy that? I need to do duplicate
Have you tried it with an Abloy Disclock?
Once you have poured the molten metal you probably need to give the mould a sharp tap or two whilst its still liquid to dislodge any air and ensure it flows into all the crevices.
Bill, I would like to see how to pick ultra small 4 pin locks. I can barely get a top of the keyway wrench on it or pick to get at it.
You'll need size appropriate picks, but you'll probably have to make them yourself as no company makes them anymore. Rytan used to make some scaled down picks, but stopped some years ago because they weren't selling well.
It gave you a little bit of trouble with unlocking the lock. Do think it would be good for car keys when you put it in the ignition?
does it use tactical goo?
Just take a pic of the key, cut it out, and use a key kiosk. Derbycon 4 (maybe 5?) had a talk on it. Dolla-Dolla bump key.
Is it available on ebay? I could not find it
I don't know how much more it would end up costing but a little electrically heated version where you could use a brake bleeder pump to pull a nice vacuum would probably only be a tiny bit larger and heavier but give much, much better casts. (Other techniques wouldn't pack down nearly as well, but centrifugal casting might be another option if you don't mind the idea of spinning hot metal around on a string)
I was surprised at the quality of the key. But I'd like to see more before I run out and buy one. You did it with a new in-tact key, but you mentioned the best application would be for bent or broken keys. I have a hard enough time with some broken keys in the shop with all the right machinery at my disposal, would you mind doing another quick video with a broken key? A well-broken key with twists at the break. I just see a few limitations with this kit in what you can actually fix. Oh, and I assume you can buy refills for the consumables?
If you have a lock but no key is there a way to make a key to fit that lock?
If you mean making a key without codes or disassembly, then use the impression method. Insert an uncut key blank & use pliers to turn it while rocking it. Remove & observe the small marks on the blank from the bound pins. File down a bit on these marks. Keep repeating this procedure multiple times until the key turns. I have done this hundreds of times as a locksmith but I have also failed hundreds of times attempting this procedure. The simpler the lock the easier it is to do.
Thank you for your help. I would like to see how it is done in a video. I have tried to make a key the way you suggested. But it did not work for me. It seems to me the marks would end up on the pins and the key blank.
This doesn't get too hot hold with bare hands?
Interesting kit bill. Would it be possible to use other metals instead for the mould, such as lead balances off a car tyre?
No idea, I didn't try alternate metals because these came with the kit and are quite cheap to replace.
I know it's way late for a reply, but I wouldn't go with lead as it has a melting point that's way too high for the impressioning compound...the heat would likely just burn the mold and you'd end up with a useless lump of lead. The other reason being that lead will likely bend and deform in a lock that has any kind of spring or friction resistance when turning. I don't know for sure what type of alloy they use in this kit, but I can take a guess that it's likely a bismuth alloy...specifically an alloy with around 50% bismuth to retain cast dimensions. The neat thing about bismuth alloys around that percentage is that they don't shrink or expand between liquid and solid phases, which is important if you need to replicate precise dimensions. Most alloys will shrink after cooling, leaving your key smaller and unable to meet the shear line for any of the pins. The other really cool thing about bismuth alloys in that percentage? They melt below the boiling point of water, which means there's not a ton of heat involved that will destroy your impressioning compound. All of these points lead me to believe those little nuggets of magic metal are actually Rose's metal. A close second would be Wood's metal, but it's not as strong as Rose's metal and doesn't retain dimension as well. The only downside is that it isn't eutectic, which means the melting point is actually a temperature range rather than a specific point, like ice turning to water...this coincides with Bill's advice of heating it beyond its melting point so it doesn't partially solidify when pouring. Rose's metal can be found quite cheap online, for far less than you can find replacement ingots for this kit. Figure out what they use for the impressioning compound, get creative and make your own mold halves from whatever you can find, and it wouldn't be that difficult or expensive to make your own kit (today this kit is selling for nearly twice what it was when this video was posted).
Cool kit !
I enter the giveaways every time. Sometimes the form doesn’t go through and a resubmit, then I panic a little that I will get banned for spamming the form. Hope I haven’t been. Anyway, hope I am lucky enough to hit those thousands to one odds some day and get something cool! I Have a kid in university and no money is just hanging around for me to spend on hobbies. Thanks for all you do for the community.
freeedr I wish you the best of luck! I don't think there are "thousands" of entries, but each drawing is independent of the others.
Hey Bill, I am in real estate. I buy and flip houses. And it is pretty often the case that I will buy a property that doesn't have keys. Now, I am no expert, but I can pick open a Defiant deadbolt or a Masterlock padlock. But occasionally I will come across something more difficult that I don't have the tools for. What pick would you say is the best general purpose pick for getting into deadbolts and such? Hiring a locksmith every time, or breaking a window gets very pricey very quickly.
Seleckt If limited to only a couple of picks, I'd carry a Bogota and a medium hook. Use the bogie to get a false set, then the hook to finish the pick job.
Well worth watching twice or more. Regards. U.K.
What's the reason for something like this anyway? If you already have a key just have a duplicate cut
Not something I would use, but a damn nice kit. And a fantastic review.
I personally would put a bent wire right next to the key in the mold, touching the lowest part of the key imprint. This acts as an air vent which should prevent bubbles... cheers
What metal/alloy is it? Tin, lead?
Could you try this with a dimple key?
It is a lot of money.
But a great idea, can be a fantastic time saver.
You can make a key in the time it can take to cut one.
cool kit and that knife looks like a good one are you gonna take it on the bus with you?
Bill new add on your video this morning I've never seen it before. It was for a new smart door lock for your home company was called august looks like it attaches to an existing deadbolt. That has got to be a sign need to do a review on it.
Thanks for the tip! Do you have a link?
Bosnianbill august.com/products/august-smart-lock-wifi/ since I had the same ad and it was still around on the app.
WHOA! $229-$279! We'll have to wait until I hit the lottery to review this thing... HINT: Maybe if a few people sent them an email asking them to sent a review item to the LockLab....🙄👍😇
Bosnianbill I sent them a lengthy email hopefully they will send you one. Too many people are hesitant to spending that much money without seeing an honest review. If there product holds up to your testing the review could help here sales. We will see what they say lol.
Well, I can see the benefit if a key has been broken in a place where a standard key cutting machine would not work. But that is the only thing I can think of that this would be useful for. Now, while that is an important use, a standard key cutter would do the job a lot better. And since the metal being used to make the key is soft lead you would need to use a standard key cutting machine to make a permanent key anyway.
If you tap the mold on the desk several times after you pore the metal in you should reduce the likelihood of air bubbles and so increase the probability of success. Tap lightly to not a splatter.
Have not seen one of those kits since, Mission Impossible. Honestly, we did have a kit in my old Army unit. Could never figure out, why the Armorer needed it? He had the sledge hammer or 12 gauge, to open anything he needed.
great kit
Better if u heat right up to you pour. Heat all of the "spoon". Higher heat = more easily rinning metal. And knock the mold a little just as you have pured to get rid of air bubbles.
That's a neat kitt!
Do you still have the Lockwood bi lock and is it for sale?
I still have it but it is not for sale, sorry.
is there a us vender that sales the exstract tools so i can get my broken keey out of a shop door @bosnianbill
Yeah, check the description for links. ALL of the major manufacturers sell some kind of key extractor.
If you added a straight bit of wire with a small 90 degree bend on the end and set it into the mold attaching the end of the 90 degree bend into the bottom of the key it would act like a little chimney thus removing any gas and or air bubbles. Then just shave off the little nub left from the chimney
Wow that kit so cool..
Picked one of these up to give it a try, works as described with a few notes: the 2 part compound sets fast. Wasted my first try by not getting the key in fast enough. Second try was fine. The torch doesn’t come with butane gas in it, need to fill it. First key I made didn’t have a good pour so it wasn’t that accurate, so just re melted it and re cast. Second one looks good, will try later. The metal looks to be a tin alloy. Maybe pewter? Pure tin is too soft (tried it, pours and forms well, but key is too delicate). If someone uses this for you as a customer, keep the resulting mould, it can be reused if stored safely and more keys made.
Try Rose's metal, I'm guessing that's what the included alloy is.
Very cool kit.
Very nice knife
JUAN ARMENDARIZ thank you
Aren’t zinc fumes quite toxic?
So reminiscent of the mission impossible tv series :)
this video will not self destruct if you should except the tutorial
Binary compound? Metal pellets? Somebody gonna get a bang outta this. Good luck everybody.
how would you rate the lighter/torch?
never seen one like that before, but it looks pretty useful.
This is the first time I've used this particular model, so you'll have to judge its performance for yourself. The melting clip is in real time, no sped up video, so it generates enough heat to melt the zinc ingot within a minute or so. Overall, I'm happy with the way it performs and it is nice and compact, so fits in the kit nicely. Anything with more BTUs would just be overkill. LIke the old saying goes: "Better is the enemy of good enough".
i guess i´ll order a kit, eager to try it out myself.
ty for the quick answer, btw ; )
Your audio sounds a lot better lately!
Thank you, sir. video coming showing all the problems I was facing and how I finally managed to overcome them.
Question..... When would this be used outside of movies? Like, if you have access to the key for over 15 minutes, you've probably got enough time to just go to the hardware shop or the key place in the mall and get a copy done properly.
I guess personal copies of "do not duplicate" keys might be one use. But the results are really only temporary keys, right?
Or keys where blanks are either not available or restricted. I might use it to make temporary copies of a key so that I could leave the original with the tech or owner and get a copy cut properly. It's a niche product for sure, but worth having one in a maintenance shop or locksmith shop. To put it in perspective, it costs less than one lock that we use everywhere, or about a third of our order of wire connectors. It's almost cheap enough that we don't need approval to buy it, just for any one of our techs to want it.
The metal is some kind of zinc, right? How long would you expect a duplicated key to last? Its probably not intended for long-term use, so I wonder in what common situation a kit like this would be useful... maybe when a key has snapped? Any pros know why a kit like this is worth having?
I expect it's a bismuth mix to get it to be workable at such low temperatures. Cerrosafe and Wood's metal are probably out because of the commercial liability of selling something with such a high lead and cadmium content, so I will guess it is Field's metal.
Could easily be pewter
Like Bill said - it's worth having if you need to impression a key right on the spot.
Like Law enforcement or something like that. He showed an impressioning kit a while back for covert ops. This could fit right in there if you have a key and need a backup right now because you will have the key for only another 5 minutes or so.
Or as a crude backup in case you lock yourself out.
Shove one of these in your car or backpack. No one will assume this "junky ass molded key" will be a backup for a door.
Right, I could see some niche cases where this could be useful for spy-type business (though it seems that if you can get access to a key for the > 10 minutes needed to copy it, most of the time you might as well just keep the original), and some very rare cases where it could be useful for locksmiths as I mentioned above. But is that it? Needing this seems so unlikely that it seems like it would be hard to justify keeping it on hand other than for the novelty of it. Again, it seems likely that I'm missing its main use where it would be worth having on-hand for a locksmith or the like, but I can't figure out what that use is.
I was trying to figure this out too. Maybe if you went out with a fie a pile of blanks, but didn't have the right blank?
Love knives!
Don't we ALL? 😍😀
Bosnianbill heck ya! I make them! Well used to, I haven't made any in a long time...
Thats some real espionage level equipment :-D
Bill makes it look so simple even when picking his locks, thumbs up to you.
Bill, I was digging around my locks and found a old "commando" style master padlock with a really odd key, I don't know what type lock it is if I could In any way send you a photo of it and maybe you could help me?
I am not a key expert, but I have two recommendations to help you out:
1. Post your question and photos on any of the forums because THAT is where the true experts hang out, or
2. Download the free key identification guides from the Tribal website and look the key up yourself. You can find all of the guides here: locklab.com/resources/downloads/
Not hot enough. Heat the spoon only. It will transfer heat and keep temperature up longer
I would love to win this one. I am more interested in this one over the regular pick sets for some reason. I guess because I love low melting point alloys like gallium.
Hi Bill, have you heard of any issues with the Kronos? Had to send mine back today. Just stopped working.
Cheers
Tony
Nice kit. But unless they made changes this year. The mold is actually like some kind of ABS Plastic. Not anodized aluminum.
I do wish it was for sure it would make it a nice piece. But I can bend over/jam my fingernails into the collar that tightens down the mold.
I do believe for what it’s used for it will last a long while. But would of been better had it been aluminum.
I also found the compound also hardens really quick. I think would be better buying buying another bulk mix and making batches for copies with less hardener
Brilliant video
Looks like something Jim Rockford would use.
That's a cool kit
Really cool stuff.
The question is how reliable is the key?
Why would you need thAt in the field