"Nick" wrote in message
...

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
snip

Simply heat the blank key blade and coat it with a thin layer of
black
wax. Insert it gently and carefully into the lock then gently turn
it
in the appropriate direction. It will stop, of course - at which
point
you turn it back and carefully remove it.
You'll see a mark in the wax...cut or file it out. Recoat the
blade
with wax and repeat.

It takes a while, and the impressions can sometimes be a bit of a
puzzle to figure out ( is it a slot, or a groove? ), but the job
satisfaction quota is brilliant.
If you succeed...get a spare cut straightaway!

Regards,


Many thanks,
good info which makes sense & I'm a patient soul
Regards
Nick.



Surely the bits of the lock that need moving to unlock it will also
leave impressions on the black wax. If you file away where any mark is
made I can see you ending up with a key that turns in the lock but
fails to operate it ! Presumably you need to be able to differentiate
between the two cases - maybe firmness of impression or some such ?

AWEM