[145] DIY How To Easily Decode A Door Lock To Make A New Key

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

What is your experience with home DIY locksmithing?

[@markcall9695]

Great video, thanks! I just ordered the digital calipers you were using. Very helpful!

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words and I am glad this helps. This is something I do quite frequently and I am still using the same calipers :)

[@LockNoob]

Very interesting stuff, thanks :-)

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Lock Noob thank you for the kind words :-)

[@martyhastings9347]

thanks for sharing that good info, and thanks for sharing your video

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Marty Hastings no problem, it was fun to make and I hope it helps :-)

[@gregtunston5162]

nice video very informative

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Greg Tunston thank you for the kind words!

[@wardogdauwdd3020]

Can you do a video on decoding a lock without taking it out of the door or whatever

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Watch one of my "Lishi" videos

[@Aaronyoutoobe]

Hello I am a former machinist, now working for a property manager (500 properties, thousands of keys & locks). I have had become an amateur locksmith and can crack most keysafes (lockboxes). Anyhow, I have a set of Master padlocks (about a dozen) they use WR5 (maybeWR4) keys. They all use the same key, someone removed the working key from the padlock and now all these ($20-$30 each) locks are useless.....I understand your video above, I am trying to figure outr if there would be a way to read/decode the pins with dismantling. All I have figured out is that all my depth keys except for "0" go in all the way (1 & 2) go in but not smoothly.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

There are two methods I can think of if the lock can not be taken apart. one is attempting to impression a key. Check out boredlockpicker he has done a few videos on that. That is where you file a keyblank, insert it into the lock, look for scratches, and file down until there is no scratch. Eventually you will end up with the correct key. Also and idea I had before but not practical would be to pick the lock and have a depth key for every keypin slot (1-5) and you would insert it into the lock and the first one that does not fit would be your keypin however that would take many, many keys.

[@Aaronyoutoobe]

​@@HelpfulLockPicker Thank you, I'll look into "impressions". I can feel & see the "top of the 1st & second pin"...I'm 90% confident the key is 3 2 _ _ _ (though could be off by a #). I'll keep going.

[@Leonslockpad]

Very cool cool video my friend great info nicely done😊👍😎👍😎😎

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Leon's lockpad thank you for the kind words!

[@JMLockpicking]

Nice video.

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the kind words!

[@koryjensen8610]

What make is that micrometer? I need that for work as soon as possible

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I got this one on Ebay, it was a good price $10 but it shipped from China and took a while. How many decimal points do you need it to measure to?

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

I do not own this one amzn.to/2I3MdHr but it looks like it has everything you may need. I might pick one up as a backup. I can link the one I bought on eBay directly but that will take some time to come in.

[@koryjensen8610]

Thanks. I just need it for decoding locks for work. I haven't seen the spring loaded function. That makes it much easier

[@kkistler1]

Agreed. I'd like to find one with the spring loaded function. Would like to see the ebay link. Thanks

[@briarberrycove5218]

Nice information. But remember, not every locksmith will code cut a key for you. As an example, you can walk into Home Depot and read the key cuts off the box. Defiant anyway. Most smiths will require that you own the lock and proof thereof. Not to be condescending, but I would never cut a key by code unless I know you. But like You said, if you have a smith come to your house for a lock out, and you have the code for the key, then yes that is very cool. Save alot of money. Just don't assume every locksmith will cut a key by code...

[@HelpfulLockPicker]

Thank you for the input, I can see where you are coming from an that makes sense. I can not attest to this from my personal experience but I can 100% understand why a locksmith might be weary of making a code cut key for a stranger.