Oldfast Impressions

[Oldfast]

Onward we march... my first WB


Wilson Bohannan (5-pin) . . . . . blank: W1

Sorry for goin' a little picture crazy, but I'm really beginning to enjoy this!
The fact that the difficulty level is rising is also a pleasant surprise to me.

Just as with the Corbin, the process was not all that definitive & I began to doubt myself halfway in.
Magnification & good lighting have now come into play. I've also begun utilizing some other techniques
in addition to the standard 'turn & jiggle' method. I'm finding it nice to have other options to fall back on.






Also, I'd love any thought/suggestions you might have on something:
As I Iooked at my key in comparison to a couple of older ones, I got to thinking...


... I'd like to try n' make some authentic looking keys. I'm not talking about something that would pass inspection as such...
but at a quick glance, I just think it'd be neat to have a key that looks just as old as the lock you made for. Obviously I first need
to get away from these nickel plated blanks. But if I started with a brass one, sanded it down to a 'worn' look, then applied
something like this to give it that old tarnished look... well then I might be on to somethin'. What do you guys think?

[MBI]

Also, I'd love any thought/suggestions you might have on something:
As I Iooked at my key in comparison to a couple of older ones, I got to thinking...
... I'd like to try n' make some authentic looking keys. I'm not talking about something that would pass inspection as such...
but at a quick glance, I just think it'd be neat to have a key that looks just as old as the lock you made for. Obviously I first need
to get away from these nickel plated blanks. But if I started with a brass one, sanded it down to a 'worn' look, then applied
something like this to give it that old tarnished look... well then I might be on to somethin'. What do you guys think?[/center]

Fantastic idea. I feel the same way about the locks in my collection.
It feels somehow anticlimactic to me when I have an awesome antique lock but it has a brand new shiny key on a generic blank.

About as far as I've gotten is to search ebay and buy a few old keys and blanks which appear to be of the same vintage of some of my older locks, but haven't tried to cut the keys or rekey any of the locks to match them up.
However on many, I've had no luck finding the right keys at all, or at least none with the right vintage look.

I like your idea of just antiquing a plain looking brass key or blank.
If it works well, by all means, keep us updated with the results.

[jeffmoss26]

I know what you guys mean. Finding NOS Corbin blanks is also tough...all of the current ones are a totally different bow style, they say Assa Abloy. The Ilco blanks are all silver, so I normally get JET blanks.

[Oldfast]

Ok guys, as always.... I need help (many, many yrs of therapy lol). Here's the problem I've recently run into:

My file (Swiss #4 cut, round) has begun to leave a polished surface making it nearly impossible to decipher marks.
I can barely impression a Master with it! My file is somewhat old, but not all that used (I don't think anyway).
So the problem I think is the brass is beginning to clog it up.

I've been using a file card BUT, the bristles on it are fairly course and I've suspected from the beginning
it's probably for cleaning wood files! lol. Plus it's rusty. I know, I know... but it's all I had at the time. lol

So my question is.... where the hell do I get one?! I've been on a couple websites now, and I'm surprised
to not see them right next to the impressioning files :/ Am I missing something? Also, I sure hope they're
not as expensive as the damn files. lol

[MBI]

This post has a link to a place that has some of the best prices on Grobet files I've seen. He carries other impressioning tools, but strangely no file cards for sale though.

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=6723&hilit=impressioning+tools

When it comes to maintenance, after I use the file card, I hose down my files with WD-40, then stand it up on the tip of the file on a folded up paper towel so the excess fluid drains away from the handle and is caught by the towel. I just lean it in a corner of the workbench so it'll stay in place and leave it overnight. It keeps them from rusting, and usually helps remove a surprising amount of grit that the file card left behind.

[jeffmoss26]

This place is my favorite for tools...I warn you, you WILL find more things to buy, and you WILL check their site weekly for the latest tool you did not know you needed:
http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/FileCard/21458.html

PS: http://store.harryepstein.com/dailydisp ... t-box-art/

[Oldfast]

Thanks Mike for the tip on maintaining a good working file. That's valuable info that seems to be overlooked (by me too... until I started having problems). In fact, I figured it was about time I did some reading on impressioning rather than just doin' more of it without a solid base of knowledge. There's not much free reading on the topic to be found on the net actually. And surprisingly, the few articles I did find make no mention of keeping a clean file (w/ a file card or otherwise). Also thanks for the link. I remembered someone here selling quality files at a decent price and was about to start looking for that thread... you saved me some search time.

. . . This post has a link to a place that has some of the best prices on Grobet files I've seen. He carries other impressioning tools, but strangely no file cards for sale though . . .

Yeah I know... oddly enough, this seems to be the case with other sites I came across too.
You'd think they'd be right there next to the impressioning files they're selling. I dunno. lol

This place is my favorite for tools...I warn you, you WILL find more things to buy, and you WILL check their site weekly for the latest tool you did not know you needed:
http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/FileCard/21458.html

Thank you Jeff! And yeah, naturally I'll have to find some other items to go with it... you know, to make the "shipping worth while" LOL.

Before I purchase that card file... can you (or anyone else) confirm for me that it is indeed one that will work on impressioning files? I ask just to be sure because I seen one at LOWES yesterday that seemed to have very coarse bristles (like the one I currently have), which makes me think it wouldn't work so well for fine-toothed files.

[jeffmoss26]

That much I couldn't tell you, as I don't own the proper impressioning files. Hopefully someone will chime in.

[Oldfast]

Well, just FINDING a damn card file seemed to be 1/2 the battle... lol... so I'd say you've done quite enough. Thanks you.

But yeah, hopefully someone will confirm it is what I'm looking for. I'd also like to ask, what is the 'proper' way of using one?

[rai]

File card is a type of wire brush, most of them would probably be good for cleaning a wood rasp, but for just getting steel filings out of a file, I use a toothbrush, a file card, and i do own one, just don't find it very useful, perhaps I could brush my cat with it. If you are doing something stupid like filing aluminum, perhaps it would work, I never tried that. steel filings mostly brush out easily, brass too. if you think your going to have file filling problems, file some chalk first, so there is a loose material in the tight spaces,

file on the push stroke and lift the file on the return stroke, dragging the file back might tend to bend the hot sharp tips down and present the rounded backside on the push stroke.

There is also another great advantage to lifting the file on the return, you get to look at the workpiece and see how its going.

[s1deshowmick]

Have you tried using a rubber block? the kind used for cleaning sanding belts or disc's. I found one in the shed and thought of this thread.
I rubbed a file over the block i have and it seemed to work fine, i don't think you would need to rub to hard with the impression file.
it does leave some rubber particles in the file but using it cleans them out pretty fast with no ill effect on quality.
maybe worth a shot...

[MBI]

Have you tried using a rubber block? the kind used for cleaning sanding belts or disc's. I found one in the shed and thought of this thread.
I rubbed a file over the block i have and it seemed to work fine, i don't think you would need to rub to hard with the impression file.
it does leave some rubber particles in the file but using it cleans them out pretty fast with no ill effect on quality.
maybe worth a shot...

Oooh, good idea! I use something similar to clean my extra-fine grit sharpening stones and diamond hones.
Although I use one of those grey, kneadable art erasers instead of one of the rubber blocks used on sanding discs, but I think the concept is similar.

I never thought to try it on my metal files. I'll have to give it a shot.
Thanks for the idea.

[Froggy]

another "trick" it to use chalk on your files before filing ... the small metal chips are easier to brush away

[Oldfast]

LOVE all the tips on maintaining a good working file! Every time I delve into something new, it has good
potential of becoming very frustrating... if it wasn't for you guys You have no idea what that means to me!

*WD-40
*Toothbrush or rubber block
*And pre-chalking it before use!

Thanks so much. I took a MUCH closer look at my file and realized it's not cloggd up. What I need is a new file. lol
I'm really enjoying this... I've decided to get serious and flip the bill for a couple of decent Grobets. I think I'll hold
off on a file card for now, and instead just apply some of the wonderful tips you've given me... and see how it works.

Also, thoughts on a warding file? These are for wafer tumblers, correct?
Are they really needed if I want to produce nice professional looking keys?
If you do think it's a good idea to have one, would you say medium or fine cut?

[rai]

Warding files are for hand cutting flat steel keys, also some warded key blanks for safedeposit locks

warding files are flat and ward cuts on flat steel keys are cut with the thin edge of the file.

if you are working with locks sooner or later you will need a warding file,

if you are handmaking picks for so called warded padlocks, you will need a warding file. or making comb picks.
not that I would ever make a comb pick and if I did, I would have to cut it in a sandwich with some other metal that would help stiffen the comb in the middle during the cutting.