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

I am very interested in locksmithing . I am planning on going to school for it. A online course for certificate. How important is having a certificate in the hiring process? Would that be my best option for getting my foot in the door? Thx

Asked by Jeremy over 10 years ago

Personally, I don't think a certificate is going to make much difference. A locksmith company wants a good employment record, a good driving record, & an excellent background check.they are generally either looking for an experienced locksmith, or a very reliable new locksmith who trains very easily and is willing to start out at a low wage. They want to know what you can do, & what you're capable of & willing to learn. A certificate doesn't mean much. Real world experience is everything because we learn something new every day at this job.

I am changing my deadbolt. There is a plastic ring under the keyed side. The new one doesn't fit over it. Do I just use a hammer and beat it off?

Asked by Katie about 9 years ago

The only plastic ring that comes to mind is on the Schlage deadbolts. It allows the deadbolt to hold snug in the door while you put the mounting screws in. You can remove it and the metal ring as well if need be. There should be 2 screws on the inside of the keyed side. 1 holds the cylinder in place, the other holds the plastic & metal ring on.

If I'm totally off, send me a photo on my Twitter account: @ATXJoshL

Is there anyway I can do it? You just answered my question about the eclipse key

Asked by mike over 10 years ago

Not really. The only way to save some money would be to take the door lock out & take the whole car to a lock shop so they don't have to come to you, but that's just not practical. I'd just call around & get price quotes. Even ask the dealer. Then ask the technician again for the price before they get started once on site. Nobody likes suprises.

How do I remove the spindle from the body of a Yale Entry Set #217 1940s vintage

Asked by Greg almost 10 years ago

The inside knob should have a set screw that takes a flat head screwdriver. Unscrew it, & the whole knob should get loose & unscrew counterclockwise. Then the spindle should slide out the front. If it's a 2-piece spindle, there will be 2 halves. 1 will slide straight out & the other you will lift in 1 direction or the other to unhook it from the lock.

I've lost the only transponder key to my 2003 ford ranger. I was told the only thing I can do is replace the ignition cylinder, then have it towed to a dealer so they can program it. Is there any other way to get this fixed?

Asked by msa_45 over 9 years ago

That's not true at all. A locksmith can come out to you & make a key to your truck & program the key to your truck on site. The only reason it would need to be replaced is if your ignition key is different than your door key (usually they're the same key) or if the ignition is severely worn or damaged.

We are building a new home soon, and I would like to get a blank vintage key cut for our house as a gift to my hubby. Can I do that? What do I need to look for? Thanks!

Asked by Rach almost 11 years ago

Sorry for the late response, this question slipped through the cracks. By blank vintage key, do you mean skeleton key? I'm not quite sure what you mean, but your best bet for anything vintage would be to find a lock shop that has been around a LONG time. They usually have old blanks, & are familiar with anything you'd consider vintage.

I have roommates who never lock our apartment doors (multi-family house). Are there locks that ONLY automatically lock? (I know on some locks you can set it to automatically lock, but they'd just unset that.)

Thanks.

Asked by mw almost 10 years ago

Yes, look for a lock called a "storeroom" lock. You can get it in a knob form or a lever. It's always locked from the outside, & always lets you walk out from the inside without having to unlock it first. They are available in 3 grades (grade 3 being the lowest, & grade 1 bring the highest). I'd recommend a grade 2. For example, search Amazon for Schlage F80 to see examples.

They don't really make a deadbolt that is automatic. Like you said, they do, but it can be turned off.