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

How can I remove the core from a 1933 spare tire lock?

Asked by Jloe over 8 years ago

Take it to a locksmith. Being that old, you might be lucky it even comes out at all!

I have an older model strong box, The key lock cylinder was opened with a hammer and screwdriver. Is it possible that a lock can be adapted tothis use?

Asked by Den almost 10 years ago

I'm not familiar with strong box. A google search brought up quite a variety of different things. I would say see if you can order one from the manufacturer, otherwise if it is a fairly simple design, I'm sure a cylinder could be modified to work.

I have a key it says taylor on it and 137 On one side c3 On other what it go to

Asked by Jordy over 9 years ago

Could've lots of things. Motorcycle, safe, tool box, hard to say. It's a widely used key.

I have no key to the lock in the front gate of my new house. I don't want to replace the lock, so how do I get a key that will work with the existing lock? Thanks!

Asked by Moebym over 9 years ago

Well you have 2 options then. Take the lock off & take it to a locksmith, or call a locksmith to come out and make a key. Obviously the cheapest option would be to take it to a locksmith.

How do you know that the client who calls you out owns the house/car you're unlocking? What is the procedure if a client doesn't have money/ID with them at the time to prove then and there? And should police be called if I think I've been ripped off?

Asked by S.Lee about 9 years ago

1- it's impossible to truly know who the owner is. The best we can do is take as much information as we can just in case things go south. So we get a drivers license, plate, year, make & model, location, time, name, address, & phone number. If it's a home, the drivers license or a piece of mail has to have the address on it. 2- if you don't have money, we don't do the service. If you don't have ID, we prob wouldn't do the service unless it was a special circumstance. 3- to my knowledge, there aren't any laws i know of that saw you can't over-charge people. But in many states it's illegal to operate as a locksmith without a permit or license. A lot of these guys are contractors & do not have one. I tell people all the time that everyone should have the name & phone number of a reputable locksmith in their phone. It's your job to research the company you're hiring. There are a LOT of crooked companies out there, & the only thing that can stop them is smart & knowledgeable customers. Leave reviews on Yelp & Google, report them to BBB. Ask for a quote before they do the work. If you don't like it, call someone else. You should never feel pressured or threatened.

Updating my question: So here is a video of me putting the key in the lock: https://photos.app.goo.gl/6kfaAkmxrkTiaWDz7
A locksmith quoted me $170 but they haven't seen it. Does that seem high? key works the same on both sides of the door. Thanks!

Asked by Stephen almost 8 years ago

Thank you for the video! That’s very helpful! So it looks like there’s nothing wrong with your deadbolt, your gate has shifted and is putting pressure on the bolts. Grab the gate right above the deadbolt and pull down as hard as you can while you turn the key counterclockwise. That should allow you to retract the bolt. As far as fixing the problem goes, you will need to elongate the hole on that the bolt goes into upward. That won’t be easy or fun, maybe 20 minutes labor for an experienced tech.

Thank you for your response and so quick too. Relating to your question about would it need brute force to break in the answer is Yes. So then in reality it was secure, but to me it wasn’t. A neighbour has put a new lock in the door and it’s restored

Asked by Sue almost 9 years ago

Glad to hear and you’re welcome.