Rekeyable Padlocks

Sep 24, 2003 Last reply: 22 years ago 11 Replies

Hello All,



Professional magician & escape artist here.



Im looking to find a padlock that I can buy at the local hardware store, but that I can gimmick in such a way as that it will open with any flat item being inserted and twisted in the keyhole. Basically im thinking I want to be able to remove the pins.



I hear you can rekey American Locks using an Allen wrench, however, no such luck finding those badboys up here in Canada.



The most common make is Master Lock.



Thanks for the help!



Master #21 KZ or KD or KA will allow you to remove the tumblers.

We carry both Master and American rekeyable padlocks.

Newnsie

hardware store, but

any flat item

thinking I want to

however, no such

go to your local locksmith shop. not a hardware store. ask for a re-keyable pad lock. master also makes re-keyable. tell them your situation and ask them to dump the pins.

g'day

Make sure that you dump the top pins and springs too so they don't hang in the broaching or pin holes.

Daniel

local

with

wrench,

re-keyable.

they don't hang in the

exactly why I was suggesting he take it to his local locksmith shop.

Wonder if you could "zero bit" a padlock so it would work on a flat item, and then make some keys which do work, and some keys which don't work. So you could hand people keys cut 1313 and they would work, keys cut 5252 would not work -- establishing that some keys don't work. And don't sugest they just try the tippy tip of the key.

An interesting thought.

NO!

Pure & simple!

No pins, anything will open it.

Pins for seperate keys will require some doing (ie: Masterkeying, etc.) & will negate anything other than keys to operate it.

Newnsie

Well, if you were replying to my idea, you obviously didn't understand what I said.

Actually, the more I think of it, I didn't understand either. I didn't mean to zero bit and then key it, I meant to 9+ bit it and then to key it.

I do believe that with some custom work, I can make a Master padlock (cause that's the ones I have the pin kit) which will work with "nothing" except turning the keyhole. It will also work with "one" key but not with "the other" key.

You can also use a LSDA rekeyable to accomplish this. either dump the stacks, or key to what ever. You can also common key it so that many many keys will work if you get the even/odd combination correct. These use regular pins an come in a variety of common keyways.

Yes, that is. If a cylinder with short pins (so a key cut to all '0' depths) open is is 'zero bitted', what is a lock called that has extra long pins so the shear line in the right place with NO key? Besides ineffective.

Is it '10 bitted'?

Daniel

Concidentally, I just acquired a rekeyable Master -- someone had lost the key and was discarding it. Pick open, disassemble, rekey.

Actually, for magic-trick purposes I'd consider including pins but not springs -- so when held at the right angle all the pins fall into line and it opens with a twist, but when tilted the other way (or randomly shaken) it resists. Or putting in a single pin at the front, which could be quickly depressed by the same tool used to turn it but which would make it less obviously tampered-with. Or just set it up so it's trivially pickable. There are lots of ways to deliberately weaken a lock; the question is how far you have to weaken it before your skills can take it the rest of the way, and whether that's so far that the audience member who inspects it will get suspicious...

Ineffective? I'm tempted to set one up and find a place to use it, just to see if anyone even bothers to try that before breaking out the crowbar.

Hell, it took weeks at one job before I accidentally found out that my men's room key also opened one of the secure areas.

Join the Discussion

Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.

Didn't find your answer?

Ask the community — no account required