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

Hello. Dad’s fun safe needed a new 9v battery. Replaced with 4 different Energizer batteries. Keypad beeps as buttons are pressed, there are two quick beeps at then end, indicator lights not illuminating. Please help! Thanks

Asked by Ceilia almost 5 years ago

I don’t service safes very often, but it could be either the keypad or the electronic lock inside the safe. Sounds like it’s time to call a safe technician out. It probably won’t be something you can handle.

Hello there! I have a Brinks Fire safe with a digicode/key system. Lost the key, but have the main key that I can use to get it. Wondering if you can get me a key for Brinks 2147 (code on tumbler)

Asked by Jason B about 7 years ago

Contact Brinks for that key, or call your local locksmith. I looked up that code, & it didn’t bring up anything. If you just need a key copied, they might be able to do that in house; if not, they can probably order you a key.

I have an antique door mechanism that I need to remove. The knob and latches are off, the jamb plate unscrewed, so it’ll slide out - except for one problem: I can’t get the spindle off. Is there a release catch? Can’t see one. Suggestions?

Asked by John Douglas almost 5 years ago

Hard to say without knowing what kind of lock exactly, but sometimes those old mortise locks have a split spindle. You remove 1 half by sliding it out, and the other half hooks into the lock. You just unhook it. Some brands have a solid spindle that goes all the way through, but I’ve never seen it get stuck. Some have a screw that screws into the spindle from the backside, but if you don’t see a place where a screw would go into it, that’s probably not the case. Those are my best guesses. Any one spindle has always been either solid and once you get 1 knob off, it just slides out of the lock, of the split spindle style.

Do u ever get called to hotels

Asked by Mr C over 5 years ago

Yes all the time.

Hi. I am trying to locate a padlock that has the following fearures:

-Can be opened by multiple keys (preferably 12)

-Displays or records the last action (lock or unlock) of each key seperately.

Advice? The application is a buildingwide trash bin.

Asked by Joss almost 6 years ago

Yes, Medeco makes a few different options. I would recommend finding a local locksmith who sells Medeco and buying through them. There are a few options with different features. Medeco XT, Medeco Classic Cliq, and M3 X4 Cliq. Classic Cliq might be your best option, economically. Your local rep could probably give you some better guidance.

2001 ford ranger lost keys.chip in key. what is my best and cheapest option?

Asked by Allen over 6 years ago

The “best” and “cheapest” won’t be the same. I’d say get prices from your Ford dealer and a few local locksmiths. Sometimes the dealer is cheaper, sometimes locksmiths are cheaper. Keep in mind that if you go to the dealer, you’ll be paying for a tow as well. Locksmiths will usually come to you and do it on site.

I want to buy a Schlage smart lock. Preferably a Sense. However, I want it work with a master key of blank type SC8 (other locks are A series). Will this work? If not, what smart lock will?

Asked by RJ over 6 years ago

If you can find a 5-Pin E key-in-lever (also called key-in-knob) cylinder, you can replace the one that comes stock in the Sense with that one. The only problem is, most aftermarket KIK cylinders are 6-pin, so you might have a hard time finding one.

An alternative would be a Yale Real Living deadbolt. They come touch screen or with a physical keypad. They’re much more aftermarket cylinder friendly. Just purchase an aftermarket Schlage E key-in-knob cylinder, have it keyed to your key, & have the locksmith install it into the deadbolt for you.