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The Truth About Car Keys
locksmithMAN • Oct 16, 2018

There’s a big difference in new copies of worn-out keys and new keys. Give consideration to a printed document. Let us say it’s a dessert recipe. It’s a couple of years old and has a multitude of stains from being splashed with a variety of liquids. Some of the figures are smeared, which makes it impossible to see if it calls for 2 tsp. or 3 Tbsp. of grated lemon peel.

Making a photocopy of a recipe won’t solve this problem. The copy is going to appear to be within a better shape. A fresh, nice piece of paper, no curled-up corners or wrinkles, but you won’t have the ability to read the specified quantity of lemon peel any better than upon the initial recipe.

The same is true for duplicate copies of worn out keys. They appear like brand-new keys and are indeed new keys, yet the critical dimensions aren’t correct. Sometimes, an enterprising key hack is going to try to use a shim or another way to adjust for the worn key while duplicating it. Within some instances, it’s slightly successful, yet still is far from the perfect option. The main reason being that the key doesn’t equally wear from tip to bow. The key’s tip end wears a lot more than it will on the bow end near its shoulder. Thereby, shimming to compensate for the quantity of wear at the tip, is going to overcompensate somewhere else upon the key.

The only proper resolution to the worn key issue is for a locksmith with knowledge and experience to measure the current dimensions of the worn key and then consult the manufacturers published dimensions for that unique keyway. With those details available, the locksmith then can determine what the right dimensions for the key ought to be. At that point, these dimensions are utilized with a code-cutting machine to make a new key that’s cut precisely to manufacturers specs.

The top image is a copy of a worn-out GM key.

The bottom image is a key for the exact same key that was originated upon a code cutting machine to factory specs. Are you able to see the difference?

Code-cutting machines differ from duplicating machines in the same way that typewriters differ from photocopiers. One machine is utilized to generate an original, the other to generate a copy of somewhat less accurate dimensions.

One good practice includes keeping an original key for using in generating duplicates and nothing else. Any time you have to have duplicate keys, you’ll take originals out from their unique place and have duplicates made. Then you place the originals back within their unique place to stay in good shape for the next time you have to have duplicates.  This technique offers acceptable results, providing that the duplicating equipment utilized to copy the key is correctly calibrated.

For more information about the truth about car keys please feel free to get in touch with the automotive locksmith professional of LocksmithMAN right away!

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