on all orders over $150*
on all orders over $150*
I want to show you a machine with a little history of it. A few days ago, I was walking by a bench, and as I walked by, I stopped. I was like, don't you see what I just saw there? And so I backed up, look at it, and long behold, I'm looking at a unique machine. I immediately start asking questions like, 'How did this thing come to be?' So they tell me the story of the machine, and this is what I was told that They had an Ilco 045 key machine, not the HD, and it had narrow jaws, so if you were to try to cut a Chrysler remote headed key, there wasn't enough room between the two jaws to cut it. What they did is use a different machine. At the same time, they had an HPC Mini Speedex that was in good working order, but they didn't like the motor's size because of the small motor, and they're used to cutting keys much quicker than what the mini Speedex would allow. So, what they did is they took those two machines, and they created this machine.
You're looking at an Ilco 045 base, motor, belt, and pulley paired with an HPC Mini Speedex. What they did is they took off the jaws and the base of the jaws, then they drilled new holes and mounted the HPC Mini Speedex aligned to the belt.
This doesn't look too familiar because the Ilco 045 machines typically have a little plastic cover over them, but because the 045 parts of the machine are probably 20 - 25 years old, those covers break might get damaged and eventually tossed. In other words, this is an HPC Mini Speedex with this Ilco base.
It got me thinking that in the locksmithing industry, in the locking key industry, you guys are constantly called upon to think on your toes real quick about how to fix a lock and fix something that no longer has parts to it. Whether you're an automotive or a residential or commercial locksmith, these are things that you're constantly battling and trying to figure out. I think it's the most under-appreciated skill in the industry, which can think mechanically and fix and make things work. And when I saw this machine, I started thinking about it as a perfect example of that skill in motion. So I just wanted to show you guys this machine. I've named it Frankenstein. I'm going to go give it back to its owner, and it's going to get put to use. Thanks, and we'll see you next time.
