Notice Board
An Introduction to THE LOCK ID
» TO INTRODUCE THIS PAGE , I would like to explain why I think this website will be useful to you .
It will help increase confidence amongst our fellow locksmiths ; specifically about mortice locks as these can cause frustration for professionals of the trade . There are two main methods of unlocking locks , either by picking or drilling . Just to be clear , in general , picking is usually a better solution than drilling but there will be occasions where drilling is necessary due to a specific situation .
Obvious disadvantages with drilling are that it can be disruptive , messy and may damage property as we all know .
In this particular article , we will be looking into the lock identification process specifically and how easy this website is able to make this for you , with image examples jotted around to demonstrate .
It is important to try to identify the lock correctly ( whether you use your app pictures to help you , by your identification book or by other means ). There is always the possibility that you may not identify it properly though or
it is not possible to distinguish because the lock is rusted or due to another visual problem .
If it has been identified incorrectly you may have to restart or if you may end up not using the right tool for example . You also have to take into account that certain job situations will be easier than others , sometimes it will be very dark , cold , and raining etc .
If this process is incorrect , you could be put in an undesirable and embarrassing situation with a customer on the job .
Locksmiths have access to lock identification books , but even the more recent ones aren ’ t always helpful due to not being completely up to date . Published texts find it hard to keep up with the constant advances in technology / practices .
But you need to be up-todate in order to abide by the British standards regulations that are updated every couple of years . It is therefore going to be even harder to see the images at times when the weather is dire . thelockid . com
Apps have now been developed ( which in my opinion have been better than the books ) but pictures can still be grainy and the flowchart questionnaire and tick boxes that must be scrolled through to double check you are selecting the right lock is often very longwinded . Going through it can be a bit of a slog . The visual aids / clues on the app are not always useful either and occasionally you may have to start the questionnaire again if it has taken you to a wrong lock after wasting time on the initial round of questions .
After all this rigmarole , it was then that I realised this process was potentially causing serious and ultimately unnecessary issues that led me to the idea of THE LOCK ID . I thought to myself why no-one has thought of a simpler idea after all this time ?
I feel the website is pretty self explanatory , but all you really need to do is go to the THE LOCK ID website on your preferred mobile device ( the website works on all general devices / browsers with no known issues ). From there you just need to follow the step-by step links taking you into more in-depth information as you proceed . It gets into more specific information once you get past the colour of the lock selection screen .
We will go into the step-by-step guide in detail below :
1 ) You start with a section to choose whether you have a sash lock or a dead lock .
2 ) Choose the colour of the lock .
16
NOV / DEC 2022
locksmithjournal . co . uk Issue Takeover
Magazine Sponsor