On 05 Dec 2006 18:43:25 -0600, (Todd H.) wrote:

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

You do know that if you look closely at the boxes of locksets, you can
find key codes and just make sure to buy boxes with the same key code,
eliminating the need to rekey locks, right?

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Todd H. wrote:
Eric writes:
Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

That's what they've been saying in alt.locksmithing lately.

--
Asking Iran and Syria to help us succeed in Iraq is like your local fire
department asking a couple of arsonists to help put out the fire.
-- Joe Lieberman

Kk wrote:
barbie gee wrote:
On Tue, 5 Dec 2006, kenji wrote:
"USA1st" wrote:
kenji wrote:
In article , Ajanta

wrote:

For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
from getting frozen?

Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's
because
we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few
days
then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw
then
dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Why not use a blow dryer on high heat and high fan....that should dry
them out.

because I would have to sit there for an hour

plans are to just put the locksets in the furnace register for 1/2 day

or how about in the oven for an hour?

my oven is broken

Do you have one of those that uses electronic spark ignition?

--
Asking Iran and Syria to help us succeed in Iraq is like your local fire
department asking a couple of arsonists to help put out the fire.
-- Joe Lieberman

"clifto" wrote in message
...
Todd H. wrote:
Eric writes:
Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

That's what they've been saying in alt.locksmithing lately.

Not defending Schlage quality, but for residential use in a
less-than-high-crime area, probably good enough. As to getting them keyed
alike, just buy knobs and deadbolt sets with the same keying number printed
on the box. If you can get there just after a shipment comes in, getting 2
or 3 sets with the same keying should not be a problem. That is what I did
when I moved into this place.

No, they ain't commercial-grade locks, but then again, I paid about 40 bucks
a door, not 200. I wouldn't put them on a door that had a key inserted 40
times a day, but for twice a day, I expect they will easily last a decade or
more.

aem sends...

aem sends...

In article ,
wrote:

inserted 40
times a day, but for twice a day, I expect they will easily last a decade or
more.

you married with a girlfriend?

KLS writes:

On 05 Dec 2006 18:43:25 -0600, (Todd H.) wrote:

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

You do know that if you look closely at the boxes of locksets, you can
find key codes and just make sure to buy boxes with the same key code,
eliminating the need to rekey locks, right?

Yes, in the ideal world where they have the mix of lock styles you
need with that came code in stock, it does eliminate the need to have
a home depot employee cuss at Schlage tolerances and machining.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

:Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
:put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

: It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

OK, in your case use a flint and steel.

trent

In article , trent wrote:
Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing
wrote:

:Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand,
and
:put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to
turn...

: It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

OK, in your case use a flint and steel.

Or just buy a BIC lighter, for Pete's sake, and put it in your pocket -- they
cost, what, a whole dollar?? I don't smoke, but after the second time getting
shut out of my car by a frozen lock, I started carrying a lighter with me in
the winter. Until I sold that car, that is. I never had that problem on any
other car I've ever owned, before or after.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and
stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If you
need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware store or a
locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express Hardware in
Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you where
to find something, but little else.

In article , Eric
wrote:

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you where
to find something, but little else.

recently on craigslist there was a guy who said he was an employee and that he
was giving tea room service at specific times at a Menards.

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and
stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If you
need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware store or a
locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express Hardware in
Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you where
to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man
--
HUey

HUey wrote in
:

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and
stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage
to get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If
you need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware store
or a locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express
Hardware in Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you
where to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man

I saw some milk bottle cap molds on clearance over in the tool aisle. You
should check them out.

In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
:

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and
stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage
to get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If
you need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware store
or a locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express
Hardware in Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you
where to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man

I saw some milk bottle cap molds on clearance over in the tool aisle. You
should check them out.

stop it yer killing me!
--
HUey

HUey wrote in
:

In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
m:

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage,
and stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they
manage to get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If
you need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware
store or a locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express
Hardware in Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you
where to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man

I saw some milk bottle cap molds on clearance over in the tool aisle.
You should check them out.

stop it yer killing me!

These were for 110% heterosexual milk bottles. That may be a bit much for
you .

In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
:

In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
:

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage,
and stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they
manage to get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If
you need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware
store or a locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express
Hardware in Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you
where to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man

I saw some milk bottle cap molds on clearance over in the tool aisle.
You should check them out.

stop it yer killing me!

These were for 110% heterosexual milk bottles. That may be a bit much for
you .

yer on a roll!
--
HUey

In article , HUey wrote:
In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
m:

In article ,
says...
HUey wrote in
m:

In article ,
says...
(Todd H.) wrote in :

Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage,
and stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they
manage to get your locks keyed the same.

The moral of the story is to not have your locksets keyed at HD. If
you need a thinking person to help you, then go to the hardware
store or a locksmith. If you're in business then I recommend Express
Hardware in Barrington, but they don't sell retail.

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you
where to find something, but little else.

thank you, mr. obvious man

I saw some milk bottle cap molds on clearance over in the tool aisle.
You should check them out.

stop it yer killing me!

These were for 110% heterosexual milk bottles. That may be a bit much for
you .

yer on a roll!

Why don't you two guys go get a room?!

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

In article , says...
Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

Nonsense. The Schlage locks at Home Depot are the same as the same model
of Schlage locks anywhere else -- the HD employees are blaming the
hardware for their own incompetence. You want competent locksmith
service, you hire a locksmith. You want hack work, have it done by a
hack at a home center.

I had several Schlage locks rekeyed this spring by a professional
locksmith; he didn't have any trouble at all. Dropped three locks off
with him and went to the post office, came back in twenty minutes and
all three were sitting on the counter waiting for me.

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

(alphageek at milmac dot com)

http://milmac.com/ww-pics/furniture/Workshop3.JPG

I'm jealous

In article ,
kenji wrote:

In article ,
(Doug Miller) wrote:

(alphageek at milmac dot com)

http://milmac.com/ww-pics/furniture/Workshop3.JPG

I'm jealous

http://milmac.com/BlockedFlue.JPG

I'm laughing

(Todd H.) wrote in :

Sherlock Holmes writes:

In article , says...
Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage,
and stay away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have
them key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage
to get your locks keyed the same.

Nonsense. The Schlage locks at Home Depot are the same as the same
model of Schlage locks anywhere else -- the HD employees are blaming
the hardware for their own incompetence.

Maybe.

But do professional locksmiths often have to file off large metal
burrs left on top of holes where the pins drop in so the cylinder plug
can go back in without binding? Seems like sloppy manufacturing to
me to leave burrs like that that need to be filed off.

And I'm not sure why on two separate occasions folks at two different
home depots, 2 years apart, had similar struggles and both,
unprompted, volunteered that they don't have nearly as much trouble
rekeying other brands.

Incompentence. I rekey locks all the time, both Kwikset and Schlage, and
they're both fine from that point of view. The plastic components in the
Kwikset locks are what bothers me. I never had the problems you describe
with either lock.

And to add additional circumstantial evidence to my forming "Schlage =
crap" opinion, over Thanksgiving, I visited a relative with a fancy
new front door lockset and handle. Pressed down on the thumb lever --
solid, wouldn't move. They open the door and welcome us inside,
puzzled since the door was unlocked. For some reason, the mechanism
would randomly bind so no one could get in, key or not.

Imagine my surprise when I looked at the brand stamp on that
mechanism. And guess where it was purchased when I asked the
homeowner where they happened to get it. Could be his error, but not
too sure what you could do to cause metal on metal binding randomly.

So Schlage may be the cat's ass of locks, but based on these three
experiences I won't be buying any more any time soon.

Any lock installed improperly will seem like a piece of junk.

Sherlock Holmes writes:

In article , says...
Eric writes:

Yes, but you can get the same ones at HD. Just go with Schlage, and stay
away from Kwikset (and no-name brands).

FWIW, the Schlage crap at Home Depot sucks too. Just try to have them
key a few locks the same and watch them cuss over the sloppy
manufacturing tolerances and ruin a few locksets before they manage to
get your locks keyed the same.

Nonsense. The Schlage locks at Home Depot are the same as the same model
of Schlage locks anywhere else -- the HD employees are blaming the
hardware for their own incompetence.

Maybe.

But do professional locksmiths often have to file off large metal
burrs left on top of holes where the pins drop in so the cylinder plug
can go back in without binding? Seems like sloppy manufacturing to
me to leave burrs like that that need to be filed off.

And I'm not sure why on two separate occasions folks at two different
home depots, 2 years apart, had similar struggles and both,
unprompted, volunteered that they don't have nearly as much trouble
rekeying other brands.

And to add additional circumstantial evidence to my forming "Schlage =
crap" opinion, over Thanksgiving, I visited a relative with a fancy
new front door lockset and handle. Pressed down on the thumb lever --
solid, wouldn't move. They open the door and welcome us inside,
puzzled since the door was unlocked. For some reason, the mechanism
would randomly bind so no one could get in, key or not.

Imagine my surprise when I looked at the brand stamp on that
mechanism. And guess where it was purchased when I asked the
homeowner where they happened to get it. Could be his error, but not
too sure what you could do to cause metal on metal binding randomly.

So Schlage may be the cat's ass of locks, but based on these three
experiences I won't be buying any more any time soon.

Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Kk writes:

In article , (Todd H.) wrote:

So Schlage may be the cat's ass of locks, but based on these three
experiences I won't be buying any more any time soon.

In your entire life how many total dollars have you directly spent on
door locks?

What is the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?


--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

Kk writes:

point being it was stupid to sum up your lock thang by exclaiming you
aren't going to buy some company's product

No, my personally avoiding a given manufacturer in the future isn't
going to bring them to their knees, but that wasn't my aim. Telling
folks that looking beyond both Kwickset and Schlage might be warranted
was my aim. Point was just that I had plenty of datapoints (in my
admittedly very limited lock purchasing experience) that suggest
Schlage may not be The Grand Poobah of locksets.


And what I was thinking and didn't say earlier is that their
popularity also makes them low hanging fruit, and being low hanging
fruit might be something that disturbs you after watching this:

Bump keys:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...13949300140850


Best Regards,
--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

In chi.general Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
: In chi.general Doug Miller wrote:
: : In article , Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

: :Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and
: :put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn...

: : It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

: That assumes one has a lighter... when standing out in the parking lot one
: uses what one has available... what was more frustrating for me is it's
: always the alarm key that freezes, not the door lock... so I could get in the
: car, but the alarm would run out the battery if I did...

: Oh the torment...

I would recommend however if your having this problem, park in the hancock
tower parking garage for a while... it's a neat ride up the ramp and the
garage is heated... great place to thaw the car...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In chi.general kenji wrote:
: In article , Ajanta
: wrote:

: For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do
: I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking)
: from getting frozen?
:
: Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

: I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because
: we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days
: then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

: Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then
: dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

Can I recommend a storm door? Keeps the rain off your interior locks (provided
you actually have a storm window and not a screen in it in the winter)...

Easy to install too (but I wouldn't do it this week...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

kenji wrote:

In article , Eric
wrote:

The people that work at HD and Menards might be good for telling you where
to find something, but little else.

recently on craigslist there was a guy who said he was an employee and that he
was giving tea room service at specific times at a Menards.

What, pray tell, might that be?

trent