Locksmith Tip | Key Cutting Machine Trick for keys that won't sit flat

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you're trying to cut a key for a customer, and you can't get it to clamp down right on the jaws of your key machine? End up spinning the jaws around so much, trying to get it figured out. And sometimes, it looks like you're trying to put a key on a carousel at the fair. Check this locksmith tip and utilize what you have to get it done. 

SCENARIO

Trying to cut a key with big grooves, like the B106 style key, can cause you some problems. Especially if you have two-way jaws or even if you have four ways, sometimes it'll get someone a little flustered.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION

Often, when someone is trying to cut a key with big grooves, they want to put it in the jaw, just like the image below. It seems fine at first, but because there's not much to clamp on to brass-wise when you cut it, the key goes flying or flip-up, leading to ruining the key.

The next option is to try to lower it all the way and clamp it right down on the central groove. Which, as you start clamping it down, you can see it's going to move the key into an angle that will result in a miscut key.

LOCKBOSS TIP

You need to open the clamp, take a paper clip on the approximate size of the grooves, and slide it in. It will give the clamp something to grip onto. Once you have it, tighten the jaw a little bit. At this point, you can get it aligned and straight on your tip stop or whatever you need to do. Then, clamped it tight, and you're ready to cut.