Pin Kit Blues

It would be much harder if you didn't have the colors.

Sort by colors. You should then be able to sort each color by some combination of touch, eye, comparison and micrometer.

It helps if you've got one of the V-gauge depth measurement toys handy (basically a V cut into a sheet of metal and calibrated with width at various points) since that can provide a quick go/no-go sorting aid. I don't know whether the LAB thing you're thinking of is similar to that or not.

Whether it's worth your time to sort these out, only you can say. If not, some of the folks on tighter budgets might be interested in a ziplock of "pied" pins. Remember to say whether this is a .003 or .005 kit so we know whether it's compatable with what we've already invested in.

(I'd pay postage; I'm not sure I'd pay much more than that.)

brute force sort by color..

then.. get a straight edge and start lining them up vertical.. you can see the difference..

lockshop east of me preached CLOSE THE KIT when not in use..

2 of the guys were horsing around one day and DUMPED THE ENTIRE BOX..they forgot to close and latch it..

she handed them each calipers, and said start sorting-its on your OWN TIME..

took them 8+ hours..

--Shiva--

Yep, had that happen once to a LAB mini kit when I first started many years ago. That took a long time. And I had help.

Then a few years ago it happened again and I already had a full sized kit, so I just said "Heck with it" and sold it on eBay as-is. I got a fair price out of it even though it was scrambled.

Sunshine Locksmith Team

Cyrus Roll> Allright I know there are a few pin kit nightmare stories out there! I have

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you could get a dial or digital caliper micrometer,

google search spend a few man-hours and mic each pin. or just replace them. note: the "dial or digital caliper micrometer" can also help you when pinning locks to an existing key that may be a little worn. you can measure the pin chamber depth with the key in the plug and it will tell you which pin to use. depending on which "dial or digital caliper micrometer" you choose, you may have to modify the tip so it will fit in the pin chamber of the plug.

g'luck

heard that !!! I only sorted pins once. too time consuming ! unlike a wife, it wasn't cheaper to keep them :-)

If insurance companies pay out to re-key when master keys are lost, do they pay out on scrambled pinning kits?

I'm sure they'll be glad to sell you a rider which covers that.

I've dumped two pin kits in 25 years. Both "woodies". Both hppened the same exact way.... Hit a bump, made a left and started uphill.

When I hit the bump, the pin kit jumped up. Immediately made a left and it slid to the right accross the work bench. Started up the hill and it slid bacwards ending up on the floor. Believe it or not - the second time it happened, I knew exactly that that sound was.

I was working for another company when it happend and I didn't set up the bench myself. After the second time, I took it upon myself to alter their setup. Never happend again.

My advice to you is to dump the mixed up pins and start over. They're about two or three bucks a pack. How much is your time (and agrivation) worth?

price a refill kit.. ALL the pins, less box..

I got a LAB kit for Schlage (on clearance for some reason.. all the lowers, the masters, and 3 uppers.. for $21.. --Shiva--

yea, state farm will sell a "rider" for nearly anything :-)

wotsamotta? Is your mic on strike? or get one of your crew to start flexing that thumb.

Ouch thats gotta hurt!

What a great way to get an apprentice used to the color coding and pin sizes...:-)

I'd dump them in my 'emergency can' and refill the kit (LAB vials of 150 for $1.75 each?).

If you really want to reuse them, you can roughly sort them and then use depth keys with a cylinder plug - if they match the shear line it confirms the height.

Of course if its a 003/005 universal kit, the depth keys will only help 'some of the time' by brand.

Good luck with that, truly.

- David

What is all the whining about? The pin kit is color coded with 5 different colors. Sort by color and then by eye. If you have never developed the ability to distinguish a length difference of .015 or .025 with your naked eye dumping a pin set is a good time to learn it.

The real toughies are some of the forign car kits especially if they do not have the numbers stamped on them.