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

Is there such a thing as a lock which is a manual deadbolt on the inside and can be opened with a key from the outside? The application would be for classroom security in a public university, as against an active shooter threat. Thank you

Asked by Steve about 5 years ago

Sounds like you are describing the most common deadbolt that people put on their houses and retail storefronts. One problem I see with that is there is what may be more secure against a physical attack may not comply with your local fire code. Being a classroom you have to comply with a code that requires 1 motion for your students to get out in a fire. Such as a lever handle, you just turn and walk out. If you had a separate deadbolt on the door, it would require knowledge of the deadbolt being locked & having to turn the lever. Makes a big difference when the room is filled with smoke in a panic situation.

I think in an active shooter situation, a locked lever handle is going to stop someone unless they’re willing to shoot their way through, and then you have a different problem. They’re not going to take the time to get tools out and pry the door open.

To me the most common sense solution is a lever that can be locked or unlocked with a key from both sides. So a teacher can lock the EXTERIOR lever of the classroom from the inside or the outside with a KEY. Yet when the inside lever is turned, people can still escape if they had to whether it had been locked or not. It would also allow emergency responders to get into the room with a master key. That function does exist by the way. It carries different names depending on the manufacturer. The more common lever style is a thumb turn on the inside, keyed on the outside. The problem with that is it allows a student to lock the door, which in normal day-to-day operation could be a problem with students messing with it, potentially locking a teacher out of their own classroom.

What is the best redundant lock on the market?

Asked by lance1177@gmail.com almost 7 years ago

Not quite sure what you mean by that, but if you mean the MOST redundant lock, it would be the residential locking door knob/lever in an exterior application. I always recommend people to replace them with a non-locking handle, or disable the one they have so it no longer locks. Most people who get locked out of their homes do so because they walk out with a key and it automatically locks behind them. You don't really have the problem with a deadbolt. That is of course assuming they have a deadbolt. Also, compared to a deadbolt, there are no comparison in the security. Deadbolts are MUCH more secure, and adding a locking knob/lever doesn't really help the security of the door.

I have a 2015 Nissan Micra base model with no remote locks but when the dealership changed the ignition they didn't recorded the new code for programming now i lost 2 keys nd no locksmith in here was able to start my car do u think its possible?

Asked by Sawad almost 5 years ago

I haven’t worked on cars in over 10 years. Some cars the computers need to be reflashed with a tool, some the keys can just be reprogrammed to the car. Unfortunately I can’t give you an accurate answer. Find a locksmith who works on those who will come out to you, or get it towed to the dealer.

I have multiple facilities that I use and want to have a limited number of keys. Can I use the keys I currently have to make a master key?

Asked by KC about 5 years ago

That’s not an easy thing to answer. In a nutshell, if all of your locks take the same type of key, you can use ONE of your keys and build a master key system using that key as a starting point, but you will have to recut every other key. Typically you can’t take a bunch of random keys and make them all work in a master key system. If someone tells you they can, they are not doing you any favors.

I have an old Schlage deadbolt lock that appears to have a round type screw head to anchor the two cylinders together .
Is there a special tool to use to loosen them or do you have a recommendation to loosen the screws?

Asked by George about 5 years ago

I believe I know what you’re talking about. A 1-way screw. Either order or go to Harbor Freight or probably about any hardware store & get a security bit set. The bit you need looks like a flat head screwdriver with a slot in the middle. Almost like a tiny fork with only 2 points. Put a lot of pressure on that screw & twist.

Had a key fob programmed. Remote start not working.

Asked by Ray about 6 years ago

Not sure how that would effect it unless they took some wiring apart. I’d call the locksmith back and see if they can help you. I don’t have much experience with programming keys on newer vehicles.

hello, im wondering if i can get a mechanical digital lock with a smart lock in 1 door?

Asked by nadia almost 5 years ago

It either has to be digital or mechanical. And if it’s digital, there are plenty of smart locks to choose from. The only thing smart about a mechanical lock is they don’t require batteries. :-)