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.
Depending on the cylinder, the pins/wafers should able to be removed from the cylinder and have it used the way you are asking. If it’s a cam lock like what you would see on a cabinet, they sell thumb turn style cam locks.
Share Answer: 
Never
Share Answer: 
You say it’s too big for the door. How so? Is your door too thin? If so, you need adapter plates. That’s going to be the case for any equivalent. If your door has a different backset, say 2-3/8” instead of 2-3/4”, you either need to adjust the deadbolt latch, or purchase the correct backset. Depends on brand. If the hole in your door is 1-1/2” in cross bore, you need to get it drilled out to a 2-1/8”. Those high security deadbolts have some flexibility, but not a ton. They are pretty particular as to how they fit, and they’re all pretty similar.
Share Answer: 
As a tech, I would have said the easiest thing to do is residential rekey jobs, the hardest and thing I hated the most was automotive work. Having your arm buried in a door panel in 100 degrees sitting in the sun trying to dig a door lock out; or laying on a customers dirty floorboard working on their ignition. It was the worst.
Love the most, probably all the amazing different places I have been and people I’ve had the opportunity to meet.
Share Answer: 
Business Start-Up Specialist
Should friends go into business together?
Social Network Security Manager
Can you describe the average Internet troll?
Employment Lawyer
Can a man sue if he's denied a job at Hooters?
You should have just purchased a new deadbolt, it’s much easier for a homeowner rather than trying to replace the cylinder. It sounds like you purchased a rim cylinder. The tailpieces on rim cylinders only turn when the key is turned. Tubular deadbolts, such as residential, use what’s called a “lazy tailpiece”. It turns 180 degrees, or so, independently of the key. Depending on which brand and model your deadbolt is, chances are more than likely you can’t just replace the cylinder like you’re thinking anyway. I would highly recommend returning or discarding the cylinder, and just purchasing a replacement deadbolt instead.
Share Answer: 
I wonder the same thing all the time. I have moved into project management, and our company now covers a lot more than just locks. We do commercial doors & frames, glass, aluminum storefronts now too, so I help manage a lot of those big projects now. It’s almost like a career change.
Share Answer: 
Yes, one time a customer locked their keys in the car. My boss unlocked it. He got a block down the road, and they called him back, they did it again. He went back & unlocked the car again for free. Left, they called him AGAIN. He went back and charged them.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
