Help opening ACE Tubular Lock for Jukebox

A better bet may be to try to prove to the manufacturer that you're now the owner, then send them the serial number and they may or may not be able to send you the key.

Note that anyone else is also likely to ask you to prove that you're the owner, to make sure you aren't trying to break into someone else's box.

If you were in my area, I'd consider wandering over and taking a crack at it; I'm not great at dealing with Ace-style locks but as a hobbyist I'm sometimes willing to do a "if I can't get it I won't charge you" for friends. But ya ain't, and you don't want to ask what my trip fee would have to be. <smile/>

if its an OLD box, meaning records (I am doing one of these right now for the wife of an old deceased buddy, died 2 months back, he was 48) and the keys got misplaced, but it is a DOUBLE SIDED key.. like I said, its OLD..

If you called and lived around me, I would look at it, and spend

2-3 minutes trying to open.. past that.. ehh.. then it will cost some time charge.. --Shiva--

It has occurred to me before that there's probably an opportunity for a small locksmith to hook up with auction houses to offer an unlocking/rekeying/key-generation/repair service for furnature and equipment which has locks... Perhaps on-site, since there might be enough business to justify it.

That gets past the issue of how you get the locksmith and the lock together and prove ownership -- if it's there and you're there and the guy's got the receipt, it's his.

And you could probably push some impulse-item sales, if you've got someone to run a your own table/booth while you're dealing with the locks.

Has anyone tried this? Sounds like a particularly good opportunity for a skilled part-timer, since it's a relatively small set of problems and wouldn't require a lot of investment in inventory... especially if you know in advance what you're going to be dealing with, as is probably possible for office-furnature sales....

Aha! I collect and restore old jukeboxes. What make and model?

Is this the key to open the mechanism for service, or to open the cash box? What vintage is the jukebox? Try

for keys to most vintage jukebox cabinets. Virtually all vintage jukebox mechanism keys are not ACE style, but a double-sided type. Wurlitzer uses Chicago keys with an RW-nn number. These won't show up in most locksmith code books, but can be purchased pre-cut from Victory Glass. Seeburgs use Illinois locks with an F-nnn number. These are also double-sided and a competent locksmith can make one from the number but Victory Glass will probably be cheaper, I think they get $5 for them.

If it's a coin box lock and you don't know of a hobbyist with a tubular lock pick, your best bet is probably to drill it out. These are generic locks and not of any historical value. Each jukebox "operator" with a route of machines would key these individually. If you can find someone with a pick, once the lock is picked, the pick can be "read" to make a key.

A competent locksmith *MAY* be able to cut the ACE key from the number, if the code is a generic one and not proprietary, and if the lock hasn't been rekeyed. Again, if it's a coin box lock, I'd drill it out if you can't find a local hobbyist lock picker.

YEA, this might save me fighting that double sided thing that WONT pick.. thanks.

--Shiva--

Probably your best option

Ckecked HPC and Blackhawk. "No series/records found" Even if someone make you that key, there's no guarantee that it will fit _your_ jukebox. And BTW - A "key by code" is guaranteed to be cut to that specification. It is _not_ guaranteed to _work_. You'd probably be wasting your money.

Probably not going to happen. I don't even start my truck for $25. You may get it opened for that if you take it to the locksmith.

I'm in a large city. I would charge $50 S/C and $20 to open it. A new lock would be about $13, and $5 - $10 labor to replace it.

If you'd like, I'll forward your info to a locksmith I know in your area. (but he ain't gonna do it for twenty five bucks)

See above

Let me know if youy want me to forward your info. (email me)

Bobby

What's the make and model of the jukebox?

Thanks for all the info. Here are some more specifics.

It is a later model NSM CD 100 Wall Mount, "The Performer" "Hyperbeam" series.

The Ace lock is to get inside the unit for service.

The unit did not originally accept coins, only bills, but had a Happ aftermarket coin box added to the side with a slot type lock. I already drilled that lock hoping the keys for the jukebox were inside the coinbox. No Luck. :(

The lock on the side of the jukebox is an Ace lock not Ace II, and has ACE(r) stamped right on it

The key code my friend has given me has the format XX1234.

I do not want to drill the jukebox lock becuase the unit is so small and has so much inside I do not want to accidentally dril into anything behind it.

If anyone can cut an ACE key with the XX1234 let me know.

As far as proof of ownership it is in my garage and I would be happy to take a digital picture holding up a specified number of fingers or todays paper or something like that and email it

P.S. The acutal number is not XX1234 but I did not want to post the actual number here because I did not know if this was sensative information and did not want to post my friends key ID. It simply has the format XX1234 where 1234 is not the actual number.

Shiva,

Is there any codes on the double sided lock you are working on? I have some Seeburg and Duo locks and keys that have the code number stamped on the keys. Maybe one of them would work. If you are interested in trying them and want to pay the postage down & back (shouldn't cost more than a couple of bucks in a padded envelope) I will send them to you to try.

Leon Rowell

--Shiva-- wrote:

none.. but, gonna go back to the box, and get the brand and model number info and give that a try-see if they show keys on that site listed.

--Shiva--

The Seeburg locks on the cabinets of jukeboxes from the 1950s through the

1980s used Illinois double-sided wafer locks, not the DUO style but the regular double-sided 8-wafer type. These had the regular generic Illinois F-nnn codes. Each model or group of models were all keyed alike. There are maybe a dozen or so bittings for all of the Seeburg jukebox cabinets.

The DUO locks and Seeburg-embossed keys were more commonly found on the wallboxes or "diner remote" units. These were not jukeboxes but remote selectors with a coin mechanism, selector buttons, and a flip-chart set of title strips. These were keyed alike in groups, so that one route operator or establishment would have a key for the wallboxes on that route. The wallboxes had only one lock that opened the case both for servicing the wallbox and removing the money. Seeburg/DUO wallbox locks used the code series S-nnn and ran from S001 through S999 or thereabouts. To the best of my knowledge these codes aren't part of the regular Illinois code books or available anywhere now that Seeburg is out of business. This makes it rough for collectors as the wallboxes have the code stamped on the lock and it would be usefule to be able to get keys cut in order to keep them original. The tailpieces are somewhat unusual with a threaded rod pinned into the back to operate a latch that was part of the wallbox. If a set of S-nnn codes for Illinois/DUO exists, the jukebox collecting community will probably be a good customer for whoever can cut these keys by code. Original DUO wallbox keys have ornate bows embossed with "SEEBURG" in large type and the words "Quality, Reliability, Service" (or something similar).

The cash boxes on jukeboxes were keyed differently from the cabinets and varied all over the map depending on the operator. Chicago ACE, Fort, DUO, etc. were all common. There isn't any real collector value for original cash box locks, but there is for wallbox locks and keys and cabinet locks as far as the jukebox enthusiasts go.

Why not have your friend get a duplicate of his key and mail it to you?

Hope that works for you. That would definitely be the easy way.

Leon

--Shiva-- wrote:

Jay, Thanks for that info.

Leon Rowell

Jay Hennigan wrote:

Saw it open with a tubular lock saw available from any locksmith supplier if you say you are locksmith, use a locksmith email address and company name and or locksmith company letterhead. Or you can make your own. Get a metal cutting hole saw with an inside diameter the same as the groove in the tubular lock. Attach a piece of flexible metal or plastic around the inside of the saw to work as a guide. Saw away the shoulder over the pins and remove the pins. This won't work as easily if there are dead pins.