[cctalk] Re: Philips P3800 key lock swtch

Before I saw the photographs I would have guessed that the three sets of tumbler stacks would all be pinned identically. In terms of manufacture and maintenance it would be both easiest and cost effective. But. Photograph number five on that gallery page (nice and simple - I like it) makes me wonder. To have a key that would work with all three sets of tumblers it seems like it would have to have five cuts on it, not four. The four cuts closest to

the shoulder would work in the (looking at the lock straight on from the front) rightmost and top positions. There should be room in the keyway for the unused fifth cut at the end of the key, with no pin stack to engage. However, the leftmost pinstack is offset backward by a distance of one pin stack, which implies that it is pinned for the second, third, fourth, and postulated fifth cuts on the matching key. It would make sense to find key blanks that almost but not quite fit - with a blade of the right width and height but ideally without any of the warding grooves on the sides (but that may not be feasible). Then grind out wards that match the weird parts of the keyway. But that might not be practical, either. Using a 3d printer to fab a couple of key blanks wouldn't be a good idea, I think. I don't think plastic would hold up well.

Would it be feasible to cut a couple of key blanks out of metal plate? Maybe metal strips?