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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330 Questions

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Last Answer on June 11, 2024

Best Rated

Is it necessary to complete a locksmithing program through a college or trade school before being hired by a company?

Asked by Mr. Curious almost 11 years ago

Absolutely not. In fact I dont know many who have been to school for locksmithing. Most people apprentice. Sometimes it's knowing the right person, sometimes it's finding a shop who wants to hire cheap labor & train you.

need to replace a lock but a screw in it has been cross threaded how do i get it out. its a wooden door

Asked by lozza almost 11 years ago

Take a drill bit the same thickness as the screw, or slightly bigger, & drill the stripped screw as if you were trying to drill a hole right down the center of it. You really only need to drill enough to get the head of the screw off.

I have a cheap little three digit combo lock I bought for my luggage overseas. I remember the combo, but the lock is stuck. The hook it turned 90 degrees and pushed down into the lock position, and it will not budge. Is there anyway to fix it?

Asked by Chas over 10 years ago

I highly doubt it. I'd just cut it off if I were you. They don't usually have a way to disassemble stuff like that.

I was practicing picking my deadbolt, and I did it. But now my key only goes in half way and it won't work. Please HELP ME!

Asked by Grungekitten over 10 years ago

Most likely your lock was masterkeyed. When you picked it 180 degrees, a master pin probably fell into the keyhole. If you're renting, you will need to have your landlord have his locksmith come out & fix it. If it's your own house, you'll need to take the deadbolt off, take it into a lock shop, & they will remove the stuck pin & probably have to rekey it back to your key.

What is the best way to fix, repair, or replace the lock on a file cabinet. As far as I know the only thing wrong is a missing key.

Asked by Charlie over 10 years ago

There is sometimes a series of letters & numbers stamped into the face of the lock. Like "132E". If you have 1, take that number & the brand of the file cabinet into a locksmith shop, & they should be able to cut you a key. Otherwise of you don't have a code on the lock, you can either remove the cylinder & replace it, or have a locksmith come out & he should be able to do it.

I was practicing picking my deadbolt, and I did it. But now my key only goes in half way and it won't work. Please HELP ME!

Asked by Grungekitten over 10 years ago

Sounds like you may have had some master pins fall into the key hole. You need to have someone take it apart & repin the lock. Take it to a lock shop, have someone come out, or buy a new deadbolt.

Our front door lock broke and I bought a new one which is supposed to be a standard lock. The new one does not fit because the hole in our door is too small. Is there really just one size of door lock? If so , do I need a locksmith to come to my home

Asked by Jill almost 10 years ago

Well typically the most standard size hole is 2-1/8". Sometimes people will drill a 1-1/2" hole though, which is probably what you have. Depending on what lock you bought, most can be adapted to fit a 1-1/2" hole. Read your instructions. If you can't figure it out, message me on Twitter at ATXJoshL