Don’t know what ‘lock impressioning’ means? No worries! You are not expected to know unless of course you are a lock professional.

Lock impressioning refers to the process of creating a new key without causing damage to the internal components of the lock. A major benefit of lock impressioning is that there is no need to pull apart your entire lock.

Professional locksmiths prefer this method over techniques like lock picking and bumping. Let’s take a look at why this is the case:

What Is Lock Impressioning?

In lock impressioning, the locksmith inserts a blank key inside the lock and marks the locations of the pins inside the cylinder.

This way, you have a spare key that you can use in case you get locked out of your home.

This technique can be used on all kinds of locks however; the time it takes to create an impression on the key varies. For example, it will take longer to create an impression of a high security lock. This is because these locks have complex mechanism.

Tools Required

Grips, magnifying glass, and key blanks are just some of the tools that locksmiths use for creating an impression of the lock on a key.

In addition to that, they will also need a key grip. This tool holds the key blank in place while the locksmith is working.

The locksmith will use a file to whittle away on the key blank and create cuts, which correspond with the lock pins.

The Process

The first thing the locksmith will do is prep the key blank. This is important because it allows the locksmith to clearly see the markings made on blank.

Once they’ve prepared the key blank, they insert the blank in the lock and start marking the key blank. The lock won’t open initially since the depth of the markings on the blank do not correspond with the lock pins.

There are separate ways in which locksmiths can mark the key blank. These include pushing, tapping or rocking.

In the pulling method, the locksmith inserts the key and applies force in order to bind the pins. This method works best on pin tumbler locks.

The tapping method involves jostling the key blank while it is inserted in the lock. Throughout the process, the locksmith gently taps the key with a mallet or a screwdriver. Rocking method is quite similar to tapping. The locksmith rocks the key while it is inserted inside the lock. This is done in order to mark positions of the pins on the blank.

Once the marks have been made on the blank, the locksmith files them. There are some locksmiths you use equipment like cutting machine in order to create marks on the blank. The process will be repeated as long as new marks are being made on the blank.

Locked out of your home? Get in touch with us. We offer locksmith services in Georgia. In addition to commercial and residential locksmith services, we also offer automotive services like broken car key removal.

Contact us at 404-281-3140.