Sometimes you have a lock and need a key made for it. This isn’t necessarily the cheapest way to go about getting a working key for your lock. If you need a key made for your lock I may be able to help you, especially if the lock has an alphanumeric key code or I at least have a blank that enters the keyway. If I don’t have a blank I can make a key but it will be very expensive.
Time is money and custom making a key blank and then making a working key out of it is a lot of time.
Impressioning a key is the process of marking a key where it rubs inside a lock until the key eventually turns the lock. I have done this in file cabinets, desks, padlocks, electric bicycles, and motorcycles. I charge $120 and up to come out, $35 to impression a key to a file cabinet or desk or something, $200-250 to do this for a motorcycle.
The process of impressioning is turning a key so that the wafers or pins bind and then wiggling the key around so that the bound wafers or pins make little marks on the key blank. If done for long enough eventually the key will turn.