Sometimes I laugh when a customer describes their issue to me over the phone and I get there and it’s something completely different. The man just said there’s something wrong with the lock and the door isn’t locking .. I get there and it’s this

I have a new client that runs a medium size locksmith shop down in a small county (him + 2 techs). He charges $95 for lockouts, day or night, and I'm wondering if he’s too cheap.

I checked Locksmith Ledger’s 2026 price survey and it says the national average is about $113 during the day and $174 after hours.

Back in 2023 it was $110. So he’s under the average, but it’s a small county in the south, not a big city. Calls are fairly consistent too, about 8-12 daily.

What do you charge, and roughly where are you? Do you charge more after hours? Have you raised prices lately? What would make you keep prices the same or change them?

Has anyone used a rebate kit or does anyone now of a rebate kit that is compatible with the ABI interiors Davis Entry Door handle and mortice lock?

I have contacted ABI and they don’t sell one nor could they tell me where I could get one.

Would anyone have one of these? Australia.

What’s everyone using these days to work. I’ve been having some knee problems from kneeling like a knuckle head. Currently using a 5 gal bucket

My house is about 105 years old and the door with the lock could be several decades old and has most likely been painted numerous times and the key has been lost for several years now.

does anyone know how I can make a replica of the key so I can use the lock?

I have an AU446F(lever) that i need to replace the stock cylinder.

I need to key to sample key which is CO91 (A1001AH)

It appears they dont offer that cylinder in that keyway, so I was going to use an ilco 15996, but the tailpiece isnt wide enough to engage the trim, so the key just spins, is there a tailpiece kit out there thats long enough and wide enough to work? Does Marks make something, i know they have wide tailpieces.

Can't figure out how to secure it. Any simple advice for a non locksmith? This is not a lockout issue.

Which brands have high quality electromechanical eurocylinder locks for timber or steel doors for the European (UK) market, without their own access access controls, i.e. they only have wires that would lead to a third party control system?

The rod is thicker where the non was compared to where it goes through the door

I called a local locksmith (Charleston, SC) because I was having issues with my lock. He asked if I wanted to switch to a digital lock (I had already decided I wanted to do this after weeks of issues with my lock).

He told me he would help me with setup, downloaded the app, and then I received this email- “please ACTIVE your account”. I was immediately suspicious. I sat there with him as he did the install, and I saw him take a photo of the barcode on the back of the lock on HIS OWN PHONE.

For context, I am a single mom of two young kids, and have had issues in the past regarding my home security.

I immediately asked him why he took the photo on his personal phone- and he showed me a GroupMe group titled “Lockly $sales$”- he showed me that everyone in the group was required to post a photo when they made a sale.

Lots of alarm bells went off, and I had him remove the lock and replace it with a standard deadbolt.

I have tried searching online to see if anyone has encountered a scam in this way? And was curious if anyone can provide me with additional insight into my experience. Thank you!

It already happened in the past but after a week or so it repaired itself and now it's back again. The door is opened by electric strike and the deadbolt must be fully hidden to let the door close. I've already tried turning the key few times from both sides but still no change.

Im looking to buy a key case for my 1997 Audi A4. The products i found online are either with an immo chip and with the pcb or without the immo chip and without the pcb. I dont need the pcb as im using the one from my old key. So my question is, can i buy just the key shell and then the immo chip separately? Will it work with the programming? From my information the chip i need is called ID48, i found one on amazon and someone left a review that the dealership couldnt programm the key with that chip.

Saw this one on a rekey of old church.

Trying to find something that can work to replace ether the knob or the spindle and knob as you can see the knob is fully blown out for its pin setting and I’ve been researching for days now and can’t find a thing. Spindle is 5/16 x 5’ 5/16. Didn’t measure door but door is probably 2-3 inches thick so spindle needs to be at least 5 inches. If anyone could help me out or know any recommendations for websites that would be appreciated. I’ve search’s on House of Antique Hardware, AllAboutDoors, UHS, even looked around on Etsy a little.

I'm in the middle of a job that isn't going well, customer has best KB system, b2 blanks ordered some keys and cores but have never done this one before. Am I supposed to be using peaks pins for this? Key says "best presented by kaba", it does have some kind of peaks pin at the bow, nothing is decoding or keying up properly! Help! I don't have the peaks kit with me but can go get it some other time.

Anybody remember the WA series?

I just wanted to ask if anyone knows of an electrified mortise body that works as a replacement for this series.

I figure I could solder into just about anything that I want, but if there's a direct or easily sourceable replacement I'd love to know.

Thanks.

Guy came in with a trunk lock and it’s not in any books that we have and Google fu wasn’t too much help said maybe ford h8-h9. Curious if anyone here has seen it.

Hi everyone,
I’m hoping someone here can help me with an old Baldwin mortise lock in my 1980s house. The lock has a blue faceplate on the edge of the door.

The split spindle has worn down over time, causing the door handle to become loose. When I took it apart, I noticed that there were three small set screws holding it in place. It looks like there were originally only two, and someone had added a third screw into one of the existing holes.

The current split spindle measures 2 5/8 inches long.

I reached out to Baldwin, but unfortunately they told me the original split spindle has been discontinued. They suggested three possible replacements:
0530.004.A
0531.004.A
0533.004.A

I’m hoping someone familiar with these older locks might be able to point me in the right direction.

Does anyone know where I could still find the original split spindle? If that’s not possible, which of these three replacements would work best?

I’m also wondering if there’s a way to fix the existing spindle instead. Would adding another set screw help, or is there something I could use to make the screws grip better?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! （Sorry for the blurry photo! I forgot to take a proper picture while I had the lock apart, and I’ve already put everything back together.）

Does anybody have any insight to what these jaw attachments were that came with the machine?

Prep was wrong for hollow metal door and this panic device trim piece. Von duprin 22 series and that is a TP-BE series trim piece.. all the push plate portions measure 3” and won’t cover. Is there anything I can do to cover this cut gap on the right side?

Also have jamb anchors that won’t tighten up because they are off centered when they were drilled.. what can I do to drill concrete door jamb anchors better and more accurately. We marked the holes and backed the frame out to pre drill the holes, blew them out and our wedge anchor locations got lost and now won’t catch the threaded portions. We got kicked off our marks because there was existing anchor holes drilled and I’m thinking it moved our bit or drilled crooked.

Brothers and sisters, friends of old,
Could you give me some advice for starting my own locksmith business?

I was a locksmith at an awesome family business for 20 years. I apprenticed there when I was young and stayed on year after year after year. I loved being a locksmith, and the family I worked for still feels like family to me.

I left for a completely different life - I started working for a marriage restoration organization. I found that my ability to communicate nebulous concepts and also to make people feel safe around me served me very well in this new life. I've been full time with my new company for about five years. But, as the economy gets worse, our customers are starting to dry up. Plus, people are talking to AI about their relationships at a rate that should alarm you. All that to say, it feels like the writing is on the wall.

While I have an excellent skill set (I'm able to repair or replace almost any residential or commercial hardware, even including electric access components, I know how to open safe deposit boxes, etc,) the issue is money and equipment. I have to get a van, an inverter setup, key machines, stock hardware, and build a client base. Fortunately I live near a somewhat populated area in the US Midwest. I could probably get around $50,000 to get started.

My plan would be to start small.; primarily residential stuff and maybe some light commercial. I guess I'm just looking for some encouragement from others that have made the jump working for themselves. I only have a little knowledge of running my own business, it's not something I've ever had to rely on. I still have income from my current job, so I can split my time to build a new business as I lose ground on the other one.

What do you all think? Can anyone give me advice or encouragement? Is there a type of van you recommend for newbies? Thank you so much in advance!