Author: Bjørn Madsen

If you are reading this, chances are that you are holding the head of a broken key.  Usually when keys break it is because people are either torquing them too hard in the lock because they are turning the lock in the wrong direction, the lock is installed improperly, or the lock needs lubrication.  When…

Locks, like other mechanical systems with moving parts, need to be lubricated to increase their lifespan of trouble-free functioning.  If you don’t lubricate your lock, it will become fussy after some years.  If you have trouble with your lock not turning even though you or your husband or wife has been liberally coating the inside…

Imagine this: you have just come home from a long day with the groceries and your feet hurt and you need a cup of tea and an easy chair in a bad way.  You stick your key in the lock and unlock the door and turn it back to the position for removing the key,…

Most sliding doors can be retrofitted with a lock cylinder.  If your sliding door doesn’t have a lock on it and you want to be able to enter through this door, check to see if there is a small circular indentation in the middle of the handle on the outside.  If there is, this is…

This morning I was browsing my usual collection of websites and rss feeds when I came across some really interesting stuff: these guys combined an arduino with some 8 sided magnets to make a decoder for magnetic locks such as the mcs and the miwa.  What does this mean?  It means that somebody with one…

If you own a warehouse in a bad part of town, people at some point might try to get into it.  They usually attempt brute force attacks like hammering the lever or deadbolt off of the wall, or twisting the lever as hard as they can until a small part breaks inside which is why…

Snow seems to throw people for a loop because it interrupts their well-practiced routines.  When it gets really cold and starts snowing and icing, people do silly things that result in getting locked out of their houses and more often their cars.  They turn the car on to get warm while they scrape the snow…

What if I told you that you can get a padlock for your toolshed or gate that used the same key as your front door?  I know, I know: “Get out of town, you weaver of tales!” you will say.  And yet, it is true!  The Abus 83 series is rekeyable.  I can sell you…

When you move into a new house, you may consider rekeying it.  If you want to have it rekeyed, call me.  If you don’t, please consider the following reasons why you should have it rekeyed: 1.  You don’t think your house needs to be rekeyed because the house was just built/is new.  This boils down…