Damn...great video! Way to really kick it old school hand filing the key. I hate when I have to cut keys by hand for customers. You owned it like that the only option there is! Great job and great explanation of your process.
I'm still waiting for the video on the control shear line tension wrench I made on and it works great. Can't wait to see the design of your control shear line tension wrench. P.S.,,, I did pick the control shear line with the tension wreach I designed
Old video but good info, small tip, grind one edge of the flat file smooth as well as the corners of that edge , then when cutting the angle "ramp", put the smooth edge at the bottom of the groove so it won't cut it deeper while cutting the ramp.
Awesome stuff. Thanks a lot to take the time to put this all together for us. It's very interesting to see how this works on a more complicated lock than the usual pin tumbler. Great series on the SFIC.
+Matthew Wilson thanks man. ICs are good times. They are a technically-brilliant solution to the problem "how can we engineer a lock that can be quickly replaced for commercial applications?"
They are incredibly difficult to pick as well. I've picked a couple of mine to control and only one to operator. I contribute my success in picking them purely to luck and statistics, and maybe 10% on skill. LOL. I've got two M keyways and three D keyways as well as a couple dozen D blanks.
+Matthew Wilson hahaha. Definitely a combination of the two. There's a 1 in 64 chance that if all the pins are on a shear line, they are ALL on either the operator or control shear line (assuming there's only 3 pins per stack). The other 98.44% of the time some of the pins are on one shear line and some are on the other.
One thing I do when I hand code-cut my own keys (file) is place a chemistry tube clamp on the key and use a mini hacksaw to start the cuts. I have a handful of those old chemistry tube clamps from when I used to work at a hobby shop during my college years. They are great makeshift miters.--My hands shake too much to start an accurate cut.
Great job that was a well thought out video. I'm sure a lot of use can benefit from it. I have cut a few keys myself so I've gotten pretty good at it but I can sure use the rest if the information. I actually just received my first one from Bill Bacardi with no key. So thank you very much and I'll be looking forward to the next video.
+Bobby Keyz thank you! I forgot to mention in the vid that there are 128 bitting possibilities that will work as operating keys with all 7 chambers having master wafers (2 correct bittings per chamber, 7 chambers = 2^7 correct bittings = 128 working keys). It's crazy that these locks are so hard to pick.
The keys I make have silver solder on the blank, it's easier to mark each pin and put one at a time in there, hit each pin with a plastic screwdriver handle, that marks the blank exactly, do that with all seven pins then file them to shear, make the key without the master wafers and you will have a sub master key if you use there system!
Is there ever going to be a part 3 and part 4 videos on SFIC? In this video at the end you mention your next SFIC video will be the tension tool to pick just the 1 sheerline, so I am hoping you will still make and upload it.
I won't probably never have to cut a key for an sfic core ;), but it was a very interesting video and might even help me cut normal keys. Some pretty valuable information, thank you very much for sharing this nice video :D.
+redcatimaging this is the same way I cut my normal keys too. There a lot higher tolerances for these cores though. If you're off .01" (.25mm) then it won't work. Cutting a schlage can be done while sleeping if you can cut an sfic. Thanks for watching!
great video. I have a Best SFIC Core with the L Keyway. I was wondering how to make extra keys for it.. I wanna make a spare control key and operating key for it..
I have a similar old falcon sfic but it doesnt have a clip on the back. Instead its back cover seems to be staked on permanently. Is there a way to fully gut it still?
This is a good video on how to manually file a key to fit a lock. Techniques demonstrated are well thought out and show expertise and skill. However BEST SFIC locks with four pins in the stack are master keyed at the operating sheer line and merely filing a key to the bottom pins demonstrates a lack of knowledge regarding how master keying locks works. This video would be outstanding if the core in question only had three pins per stack meaning it that was a single keyed core, however it totally ignores the subject of master keying and how the vast majority of SFIC locks actually operate.
+OgreCraig N sure have. I found a seller on eBay that was doing 5 blanks of a given letter for $10 shipped. Also, CLKSupplies.com has blanks to order. There's only a few keyways that are restricted and hard to get.
OgreCraig N I just take a key and cut the warding back and it will fit a through j and maybe some other random keyways, it won't work on reverse or the school locks they use in the w keyways! I call the school keyways as half spade like a poker card since that is exactly what it looks like!
This video was extremely helpful!! Thank you! You could probably help point me in the right direction... I salvaged about 12 Best SFIC cores from a department store renovation. (They all came off doors from the same store)(all are A2 system). I followed your videos and successfully made a control key (bottom level) and a change key. The operation key works on all but 6 cores and the change key works on all but 2 cores. There are master pins. Is there any way to determine the most likely master key (other than making 49 different keys)? Also, any idea why the change key I made would work on all but 2 cores? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the great videos! I hope you keep them coming!
Jeff Moss True, but what's the fun in that? I should have mentioned that there are websites that will cut sfic blanks given a code for about $5 a pop, but I'm sure there are those out there that like to cut the metal themselves. What I really want to do is make a key cutting wheel and cut one on a lathe.
Buy an old cheapie Ilco duplicator and a set of depth & space keys for the Best A2 system, and grind them out. I think I paid $50 for my little Ilco, and someone has knockoff space & depth keys for $20 with shipping & knockoff Best key blanks, included for $1-$2 each, & done, and it looks really good too. The punches are $1000-$1500, and if I find one for under $650 for the Green Machine, it's coming home with me! Best's machines only fit ONE KEY SHAPE, and cost $1400. F' THAT!
I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in hand filing my own keys. 😁👍 Thank you for showing the control key operation.
Damn...great video! Way to really kick it old school hand filing the key. I hate when I have to cut keys by hand for customers. You owned it like that the only option there is! Great job and great explanation of your process.
I'm still waiting for the video on the control shear line tension wrench
I made on and it works great.
Can't wait to see the design of your control shear line tension wrench.
P.S.,,, I did pick the control shear line with the tension wreach I designed
Old video but good info, small tip, grind one edge of the flat file smooth as well as the corners of that edge , then when cutting the angle "ramp", put the smooth edge at the bottom of the groove so it won't cut it deeper while cutting the ramp.
Awesome stuff. Thanks a lot to take the time to put this all together for us. It's very interesting to see how this works on a more complicated lock than the usual pin tumbler. Great series on the SFIC.
+Potti314 thank you! Much appreciated.
Potti314 that is easy, do a medeco lock, those are even funner, they are easy when you get inside of them!
Nice to see another person working on IC cores. Subbed.
+Matthew Wilson thanks man. ICs are good times. They are a technically-brilliant solution to the problem "how can we engineer a lock that can be quickly replaced for commercial applications?"
They are incredibly difficult to pick as well. I've picked a couple of mine to control and only one to operator. I contribute my success in picking them purely to luck and statistics, and maybe 10% on skill. LOL. I've got two M keyways and three D keyways as well as a couple dozen D blanks.
+Matthew Wilson hahaha. Definitely a combination of the two. There's a 1 in 64 chance that if all the pins are on a shear line, they are ALL on either the operator or control shear line (assuming there's only 3 pins per stack). The other 98.44% of the time some of the pins are on one shear line and some are on the other.
One thing I do when I hand code-cut my own keys (file) is place a chemistry tube clamp on the key and use a mini hacksaw to start the cuts. I have a handful of those old chemistry tube clamps from when I used to work at a hobby shop during my college years. They are great makeshift miters.--My hands shake too much to start an accurate cut.
That was extremely infomitive thanks and IAM glad I found your channel.
Great video, but you have way more patience than I do. Thanks.
Great videos, 1 and 2! Really answered a ton of questions I had about this system.
to decode a control key, #13 top pin = 0 control cut. and so on. #12 top pin = 1 control cut. #11= 2 depth cut. ect.
Great job that was a well thought out video. I'm sure a lot of use can benefit from it. I have cut a few keys myself so I've gotten pretty good at it but I can sure use the rest if the information. I actually just received my first one from Bill Bacardi with no key. So thank you very much and I'll be looking forward to the next video.
+Bobby Keyz thank you! I forgot to mention in the vid that there are 128 bitting possibilities that will work as operating keys with all 7 chambers having master wafers (2 correct bittings per chamber, 7 chambers = 2^7 correct bittings = 128 working keys). It's crazy that these locks are so hard to pick.
Very detailed information Thank you
I'm an, Aspiring or should I say Perspiring Locksmith. And seeking any and, all information that I can get.
The keys I make have silver solder on the blank, it's easier to mark each pin and put one at a time in there, hit each pin with a plastic screwdriver handle, that marks the blank exactly, do that with all seven pins then file them to shear, make the key without the master wafers and you will have a sub master key if you use there system!
Is there ever going to be a part 3 and part 4 videos on SFIC? In this video at the end you mention your next SFIC video will be the tension tool to pick just the 1 sheerline, so I am hoping you will still make and upload it.
I won't probably never have to cut a key for an sfic core ;), but it was a very interesting video and might even help me cut normal keys. Some pretty valuable information, thank you very much for sharing this nice video :D.
+redcatimaging this is the same way I cut my normal keys too. There a lot higher tolerances for these cores though. If you're off .01" (.25mm) then it won't work. Cutting a schlage can be done while sleeping if you can cut an sfic. Thanks for watching!
great video. I have a Best SFIC Core with the L Keyway. I was wondering how to make extra keys for it.. I wanna make a spare control key and operating key for it..
I have a similar old falcon sfic but it doesnt have a clip on the back. Instead its back cover seems to be staked on permanently. Is there a way to fully gut it still?
What happen where are the other two videos for this would like to see them?
Fun to watch👍👍👍👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
where is the best place to buy these blanks at a good price?
This is a good video on how to manually file a key to fit a lock. Techniques demonstrated are well thought out and show expertise and skill. However BEST SFIC locks with four pins in the stack are master keyed at the operating sheer line and merely filing a key to the bottom pins demonstrates a lack of knowledge regarding how master keying locks works. This video would be outstanding if the core in question only had three pins per stack meaning it that was a single keyed core, however it totally ignores the subject of master keying and how the vast majority of SFIC locks actually operate.
Great series. I really enjoy seeing the interworking and methods. Have you had good luck getting the key blanks?
Thank you!
+OgreCraig N sure have. I found a seller on eBay that was doing 5 blanks of a given letter for $10 shipped. Also, CLKSupplies.com has blanks to order. There's only a few keyways that are restricted and hard to get.
OgreCraig N I just take a key and cut the warding back and it will fit a through j and maybe some other random keyways, it won't work on reverse or the school locks they use in the w keyways! I call the school keyways as half spade like a poker card since that is exactly what it looks like!
This video was extremely helpful!! Thank you!
You could probably help point me in the right direction... I salvaged about 12 Best SFIC cores from a department store renovation. (They all came off doors from the same store)(all are A2 system). I followed your videos and successfully made a control key (bottom level) and a change key. The operation key works on all but 6 cores and the change key works on all but 2 cores.
There are master pins. Is there any way to determine the most likely master key (other than making 49 different keys)?
Also, any idea why the change key I made would work on all but 2 cores?
Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the great videos! I hope you keep them coming!
very nice my friend cool info😎👍😊👍
+Leon's lockpad thank you!
Very helpful.
Thx buddy
I just decode the core and have the the keys punched out...way too much work to file IMO
Jeff Moss True, but what's the fun in that? I should have mentioned that there are websites that will cut sfic blanks given a code for about $5 a pop, but I'm sure there are those out there that like to cut the metal themselves. What I really want to do is make a key cutting wheel and cut one on a lathe.
Buy an old cheapie Ilco duplicator and a set of depth & space keys for the Best A2 system, and grind them out. I think I paid $50 for my little Ilco, and someone has knockoff space & depth keys for $20 with shipping & knockoff Best key blanks, included for $1-$2 each, & done, and it looks really good too. The punches are $1000-$1500, and if I find one for under $650 for the Green Machine, it's coming home with me! Best's machines only fit ONE KEY SHAPE, and cost $1400. F' THAT!
@@Satchmoeddie yeah the punches are expensive.. cheapest I found was like $999. as for key blanks, $0.51 ea or something like that.
Hack job