charles writes:

In article
,
chudford wrote:
Hi
Does anyone know if it is possible to replace the barrel of a Yale
lock and still use the original key.
My question relates to our block of flats where the lock on the main
entrance door is worn and difficult to open.
Replacing the lock with a new one and a new key would require issuing
70 new keys to the residents.
Thanks

a good locksmith ought to be able to do this. I've certainly had a barrel
rebuilt to an existing key. Mind you that was 30+ years ago and the art
may have died out.

A bad non-locksmith (me) can do this. All you need is some brass rod of
the appropriate diameter, and a lot of patience in cutting and filing
a set of replacement pins to the appropriate lengths.
When it's a lock which would be used by 70 people, you would have to be
very careful to round the ends of the pins to reduce wear on the lock.
When it's just used for one person's door, that doesn't seem to matter
so much, not that I've seen.
(Actually, main door locks get so much abuse anyway that wear caused by
sharp edges on pins may be the least of the problems.)

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