Most people believe that as long as they have their keys in their pockets or purse, all’s right with the world. After all, how can a thief get into your home or car when you have your keys in your possession? You might have your keys, but your home or car is far from secure. There are several ways that practically anyone can use to gain access to your possessions. One of the least known is called lock impressioning, and it is practiced not only by thieves but many others who use it for a variety of purposes.
Lock impressioning is very easy to do and takes only a few tools and a little know-how if you have a key. So, you think you always have your keys with you, and you don’t need to worry? Think again. When was the last time you gave your keys to a friend to use, or maybe a valet at the restaurant or hotel? All of these are prime opportunities to impress a lock, and all that’s needed is access to a key and maybe the services at Action Lock Doc.
Impression Material + Key = Access
One of the troubling things about lock impressioning is how easy it is to do. All that is needed is a small plug of an impression material, such as carpenter’s putty, and a key. Making matters worse is the proliferation of information about how to impression locks available on the Internet. Not only is lock impressioning a useful skill for locksmiths but, in recent years, clubs of lock enthusiasts teach the skill.
Many high-profile crimes have been facilitated through the use of lock impressioning. Techniques of lock impressioning have been used in forensic investigations and aid in many recovery and mark identification cases.
All you need to impress a key is to press the key into the carpenter’s putty. After this, remove the key and allow the putty to dry, leaving an impression. Next, take about 10 pennies made after 1982. This is because pennies made after 1982 contain mainly zinc, which is what you are after.
Put the pennies into a can, then use a torch to heat the can, which will melt the pennies. Be careful that, when doing this, you use a pad or gloves to handle the can. Then pour the molten material into the mold. Once the metal has cooled, remove the new key and sand off the debris.
A New Key
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of using molten zinc, that’s okay, because there is one other method of making a key for a lock. All you need is a key blank and a rat-tail file.
To do this, take your blank key and a piece of very fine sandpaper. Make the face of the key smooth with the sandpaper. Now, put the key into the lock and twist it back and forth inside the lock. When you pull it out, there should be some tiny marks on the face that will show you where the pins are located. Next, using your rat-tail file, give the key a few swipes on these marks, and after each swipe, try the key in the lock. When you pull the key out, wherever you see marks, take more swipes with the file until you reach the point at which the lock opens.
If you have to repeat this process several times until the lock opens, don’t despair. A thief must have a lot more patience. Make sure you have more desire to be safe than a thief has patience.
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