Buyers remorse, and the cure for it..........A pictorial guide on how to skillfully make a 2 hour job into an 8+ hour job
- Thread starter Runs With Scissors
- Start date
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
No sir.
Ever since I started "noodling around" with my lock pick set a couple of years ago, I have even less faith in keyed locks than I do with E-locks.
After a few months of just "playing around", I was amazed at how many supposedly "high security locks" can be defeated with a pick set.............and "right quick" sometimes too.
I ain't claiming to be the "best" or even "good" for that matter, but I went so far as to change out my house locks and replace them with this style and made a few other mods.....
I think it's a "toss up" between those two!!
You did well with your S&G mechanical dial replacement!!Here's some interesting info and pics on what's inside one of the so-called better digital keypad locks commonly found on today's safes:
My locksmith buddy brought me this digital lock that they had to remove from a safe. The owner wanted a dial lock put in. This digital lock had failed. I'm not sure how they were able to remove it or if the safe owner had left the door open at the last moment before calling this locksmith. My buddy asked me to play with it and see what I could figure out.
The lock didn't work, the keypad showed no life....even with a new battery in place. I took it apart and found some corrosion as seen right around the end of the motor shaft area. Oddly, the rest of the lock body was clean with no clue as to why the corrosion took place inside the motor housing area.
I removed the motor, took it apart, cleaned it, and tested with battery and it actually worked again. Reinstalled on circuit board and no sign of life. There was absolutely no help from emailing the manufacturer....they wanted to sell a new system. (This would never be used again anyway, but was just to learn from.)
There are two pins on the circuit board (next to motor) that almost scream "reset" pins. But shorting them together did nothing either. Alot of internet searching of different manufacturers revealed that their techs might have some "secret" key pad sequences for testing. Some sites gave suggestions for possible key pad "codes".
After all kinds of random codes punched in, suddenly there was a beep! I have no idea what was done to wake the controls up. But with those keypad sequences and the shorting of the pins.....all of a sudden the factory set code of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 worked again. That tiny motor would turn about 1/2 revolution to allow the rotory bolt to swivel. the motor would stay in that position for only a few seconds before de-energizing and returning to its bolt blocking position. To open the safe, you'd have to turn your handle within those few seconds that the motor's cam allowed the bolt to swivel.
With the instruction manual for changing the factory combo to a personal one, all attempts failed. Maybe that part of the programming was irretrievably lost or damaged.
The only corrosion internally in the middle of the lock body is still a mystery. Maybe the only clue can be found if you enlarge this thumbnail and zoom in on the motor data stamped on its body!
If anybody is looking to replace their time consuming, hard to manipulate but reliable mechanicl dial lock with an easy to operate digital keypad/lock combination.......this one's available. And the combination is really easy to remember: Just key in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and turn your door handle within a second or two and you're "in". Butit's "as is, with no returns.
As for myself and as RWS stated, I'd rather have a good mechanical dial lock such as S&G versus putting one's trust in a 50 cent circuit board controlling a 25 cent chinese motor.
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
That one might have one, but the model I have does not. That pic was just a "screen grab" for reference.
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
Bird dogger, that is almost exactly what I fear would happen, except it could have been way worse if it happened when it was locked.I think it's a "toss up" between those two!!
Here's some interesting info and pics on what's inside one of the so-called better digital keypad locks commonly found on today's safes:
My locksmith buddy brought me this digital lock that they had to remove from a safe. The owner wanted a dial lock put in. This digital lock had failed. I'm not sure how they were able to remove it or if the safe owner had left the door open at the last moment before calling this locksmith. My buddy asked me to play with it and see what I could figure out.
The lock didn't work, the keypad showed no life....even with a new battery in place. I took it apart and found some corrosion as seen right around the end of the motor shaft area. Oddly, the rest of the lock body was clean with no clue as to why the corrosion took place inside the motor housing area.
View attachment 119851 View attachment 119852
I removed the motor, took it apart, cleaned it, and tested with battery and it actually worked again. Reinstalled on circuit board and no sign of life. There was absolutely no help from emailing the manufacturer....they wanted to sell a new system. (This would never be used again anyway, but was just to learn from.)
There are two pins on the circuit board (next to motor) that almost scream "reset" pins. But shorting them together did nothing either. Alot of internet searching of different manufacturers revealed that their techs might have some "secret" key pad sequences for testing. Some sites gave suggestions for possible key pad "codes".
View attachment 119850
After all kinds of random codes punched in, suddenly there was a beep! I have no idea what was done to wake the controls up. But with those keypad sequences and the shorting of the pins.....all of a sudden the factory set code of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 worked again. That tiny motor would turn about 1/2 revolution to allow the rotory bolt to swivel. the motor would stay in that position for only a few seconds before de-energizing and returning to its bolt blocking position. To open the safe, you'd have to turn your handle within those few seconds that the motor's cam allowed the bolt to swivel.
With the instruction manual for changing the factory combo to a personal one, all attempts failed. Maybe that part of the programming was irretrievably lost or damaged.
The only corrosion internally in the middle of the lock body is still a mystery. Maybe the only clue can be found if you enlarge this thumbnail and zoom in on the motor data stamped on its body!
View attachment 119853
If anybody is looking to replace their time consuming, hard to manipulate but reliable mechanicl dial lock with an easy to operate digital keypad/lock combination.......this one's available. And the combination is really easy to remember: Just key in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and turn your door handle within a second or two and you're "in". Butit's "as is, with no returns.
As for myself and as RWS stated, I'd rather have a good mechanical dial lock such as S&G versus putting one's trust in a 50 cent circuit board controlling a 25 cent chinese motor.
There are just too many "Gremlins" with digital locks. At least for me.
In my humble opinion, I'll take a mechanical combo lock over the others any day of the week.
It ain't fast, but it's the most reliable,.....at least in my mind.
But I have a friend that loves his E-lock because it's "quick" and he has had it for probably 15 years or so....Different strokes, for different folks I guess.
I also have a extremely "low mileage" electronic lock for sale...hahahaha
I love turning metal on the lathe. I went to school for machine shop stuff and never did anything with it. 30 some years later I finally bought my own little hobby lathe, an old craftsman "commercial" 12x36. Didn't figured I'd use it much but couldn't pass it up. Boy was I wrong. I have used the ever living daylights out of it making all kinds of stuff. Enjoyed it in school, enjoy it now.
Runs With Scissors
Well-known member
Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
I have always thought that making things from metal was cool too.
I bought my little Chinese lathe first, and then stumbled upon my Craftsman by chance. I'm glad I bought it.
One of these days I'm going to take a Lathe 101 and Mill 101 at the local college. I had a blast when I took my welding course there.