Figure 40. Try The Key. The Mother Superior tried the keys but struggled during her first few attempts. After being shown that the key had to be fully inserted and held against the spring- loaded pressure before it would turn, she successfully mastered the action, and the gold-plated curved door disappeared. Because it came without keys, she had never seen the inside. She was quite pleased with their purchase. When they mentioned they were taking it to a local jeweler to have the gold plating polished, she asked about getting the keys gold-plated. We advised that doing so would add a layer of plating to the key surface, which could cause the keys to cease operating. We advised against it but left the decision up to her. The world of the locksmith has always been fascinating because of the wide va- riety of challenges we encounter. Like most shops, we enjoy the prospect of do- ing something different or encountering a lock or locking mechanism that is new to us no matter how old-school it actually is. Our shop regularly encounters antique, vintage or unusual hardware that other shops can’t or won’t attempt to work on for a customer. With few exceptions, we jump in and do our best. The ability to share information and photos online with our colleagues through social media has expanded our abilities, and articles in our WWW.ALOA.ORG Figure 41. Heavy Lifting. Because this sturdily constructed unit was built like a safe, its weight was similar. The nuns had brought with them the contractor who was remodeling parts of the convent. With the assistance of his helper, he hoisted it up and walked out the door. trade publications expand that knowledge and experience to even more technicians. When “It Can’t Be Done” turns into “Here’s How I Did It,”, tell the rest of us locksmiths and safe techs the story with photos and text in Keynotes or Safe & Vault Technology magazine — and earn some extra money for sharing your story! Some days, nothing on a job goes as planned. Those turn out to be the most interesting (and sometimes frustrating) jobs we encounter. Think on your feet, do some research, find a solution and then share it. For information, contact [email protected]. Tom Gillespie, CML , CIL, CCL, is a 52-year veteran of the security indust ry. Since 1969, he has expanded his e x p er ience i n t he retail, manufacturing and distribution segments of our industry. Tom has taught educational seminars throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has authored numerous books, newslet ters and ar ticles for securi ty indust ry publicat ions. He is semi-retired but is still active in locksmithing. Tom can be reached at [email protected]. MARCH 2022 KEYNOTES 35
