Josh-the-Locksmith
25 Years Experience
Austin, TX
Male, 46
I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.
Trying to walk someone through that who doesn't have experience working with safe dials is like asking a mechanic to walk you through rebuilding an engine over the phone. You'll have to either take the safe to a locksmith or have 1 come out to do that for you. You're just lucky you got a safe that didn't need to be drilled open! $$$
Share Answer: 
Depends on what state you live in. Some you can't even be a locksmith until you're 21. Some don't have any restrictions, no licensing. Some do background checks, fingerprints etc. Find out what the laws are in your state, & if you're of age, check with some shops & see what they'll do.
Share Answer: 
Unfortunately yes you have to replace the entire desdbolt. There are a few replacement parts needed for the conversion, & manufacturers just don't sell conversion kits. But hey, look on the bright side, if you just bought your house, you need to rekey your locks anyways, so you're killing 2 birds with 1 stone!
Share Answer: 
No, I have never come across one of those.
Share Answer: 
Special Education Teacher
Should special-needs students be separated from other students?
Radio program/music director
What's your take on the whole Don Imus racism scandal?
Suicide Hotline Manager
Has anyone killed themselves during a call?
If you had the plug in your hand, you'll see 6 brass wafers. 5 are matched to the cuts of your key, & the one all the way at the end by the tip of your key is called a "retainer". That is what holds the plug inside its housing. The spring or wafer may be wore out. You probably need to replace the whole plug. A locksmith can order those, or you may be able to buy it online. To reinstall it correctly, you'll need to put your key into the plug, & on the back of the plug you'll see it has a rectangular drive. If you look into the housing you'll see a female rectangular shape. The plug seems like it could go in 2 ways, but it actually will only go in 1 way. If after you've pushed the plug in, if it's sticking out an 1/8" or more, you have it in wrong. Flip it 180 degrees & try again. If you have it in correctly, it should only be sticking out about 1/16" of an inch. Hold the plug & pull your key out. You'll need a stiff paper clip or something similar to reach into the far back of the plug & pull that retainer back as you push on the plug. It should fall in once you've pulled that retainer back. Once seated correctly, it will be flush.
Share Answer: 
I think working for another well-rounded locksmith for at least 5-10 years would give you enough training to start a locksmith business. Why not get paid to learn the trade? Otherwise you'll spend all your time learning instead of making money. This is 1 of those jobs where most of what you learn, you'll learn in the field. ALOA puts on a lot of classes, there are online classes, & there's always Youtube!
Share Answer: 
That's a hard question to answer since I don't know what area you live in. I believe Pop-a-lock does subcontacting & they're nationwide. There aren't many though.
Share Answer: 
-OR-
Login with Facebook (max 20 characters - letters, numbers, and underscores only. Note that your username is private, and you have the option to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
(A valid e-mail address is required. Your e-mail will not be shared with anyone.)
(min 5 characters)
By checking this box, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to Jobstr.com’s Terms and Privacy Policy.
-OR-
Register with Facebook(Don't worry: you'll be able to choose an alias when asking questions or hosting a Q&A.)
Browse Jobs
Host a Q&A
Search
Submit Your Question
Host a Q&A
Last 7
