Locksmith

Locksmith

Josh-the-Locksmith

25 Years Experience

Austin, TX

Male, 46

I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.

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329 Questions

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Last Answer on June 11, 2024

Best Rated

If you were building a basic cabinet out of steel that needed to be locked, would you use cam-lock, padlock, or neither and why?

Asked by ChaseCreation over 10 years ago

It all depends what you are locking up, who you are locking out, & where this cabinet is. If you want it to look nice & you're keeping out non-aggressive people, definitely a cam lock. If it's in your garage and you want it to be harder to open requiring obvious damage, go with a padlock & hasp. 

Can I sent you a picture of a lock that I'm trying to find the correct key for?

Asked by Javan over 9 years ago

Sure. I'm on Twitter: ATXJoshL

Josh l just asked the question About a locked door opening. It was not a sliding door a regular push button door.it was the door to my storage unit.
Puah button on the inside, key entry on the outside.
It was windy outside.could it have blown open?

Asked by kim about 10 years ago

Yes very possible. Could be 1 of 2 problems. 1- the lock needs repairing or replacing. The latch (springy part that pops out of the edge of the door) maybe sometimes not pop out all the way. 2- the latch may not line up properly with the strike on the jamb. It may not be falling into the hole every time. Weather, building shift, poor installation, & stretched out hinges can all effect that.

Good news Josh, it was the lip thing.I closed the door locked it and maintenance gave it a push and then it clicked.wasnt lined up properly
They promptly replaced it.thanks for your help I appreciate it

Asked by kim about 10 years ago

You're welcome! Glad I could help.

A locksmith installed a deadbolt on our older door. It's REALLY hard for me to open it, and there's a spot the door needs to be at (not pulled closed entirely nor pushed back) to turn the key. I can't even open it myself. Should he fix this for free?

Asked by AD over 9 years ago

Hard to say without seeing the door. If he didn't tell you while he was there that it would be difficult to operate for whatever reason, then yes he should fix it. Generally, a deadbolt should never be that hard to operate. It sounds to me like the bolt isn't lined up with the strike hole.

I purchased a used safe. The door is open and I've gained access to the notched wheels inside. How do I figure out the combination.
There no reset key hole or key

Asked by Bobbie about 9 years ago

Trying to walk someone through that who doesn't have experience working with safe dials is like asking a mechanic to walk you through rebuilding an engine over the phone. You'll have to either take the safe to a locksmith or have 1 come out to do that for you. You're just lucky you got a safe that didn't need to be drilled open! $$$

Havevu seen a lock that has a star pattern with a hole in the center if so wat kind of key does it use and the name

Asked by eric over 9 years ago

No, I have never come across one of those.