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 had a quick question on how I purchase a key blank that has do not duplicate And have my key matched to it?

Asked by Nate about 5 years ago

“Do not duplicate” is nothing more than an honor system. It’s can be a normal every day house key with the words “do not duplicate” stamped on it. Some go as far as to have different key heads, or “bows”. At that point it’s up to the person working at the store on whether they want to duplicate the key or not. True key control is done through a patented key system such as Medeco M3, Schlage Primus, or Mul-T-Lock. Some require special machines to cut the keys, some don’t.

What made you want to do this?

Asked by Mario about 5 years ago

My uncle needed some help, a part time employee. I was ready for a career change so I tried it out. Eventually that turned into full time. I said I would do it until I found something better...still here!

Have you ever called someone a moron in your head before because the situation was so stupid? What happened?

Asked by Jimmy almost 5 years ago

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.

I have a Sentry combination safe and the number is broke and not turning the things inside to open my safe. How can fix this ?

Asked by Angel about 5 years ago

Pry it open with some big pry bars, throw it in the trash & buy a better safe. They are not worth much more than that unfortunately. They’re plastic, pop metal, & sheet metal. The cost to have a locksmith professionally open it with expensive tools, & try to repair it would cost you more than buying a brand new safe.

Where I work we recently installed Medeco X4 SFIC and have semi-frequent issues with pin chamber misalignment (key won't pull out of lock). I know the work around of holding the plug in place while extracting, but is there an actual fix for this?

Asked by Sabin almost 5 years ago

Yes, there is a C clip on the back of the core. Pop that clip off, and SLIGHTLY twist it. Doing so will put retention on the plug. That should fix your issue.

Any job to big or small for you to do?

Asked by Zara about 5 years ago

Nope, it’s all just proper management and mental hurdles.

How can I find a dummy lever door handle for a set of exterior french doors that match the inside depth of the keyed side?

Asked by Dreppun about 5 years ago

Not sure what you mean by the “inside depth“. Feel free to text me if you’d like further help. (737) 757-0004