Codelocks CL5510 - New Product Shines Where Others Dont

Codelocks 5510 appears to (me, to) be the bees knees for Smart Locks.

This digital wireless product answers virtually all the checkboxes when it comes to entry options (except WiFi/LAN Controller)

You can use the codepad, a key, a cellphone or even a proximity card/tag, providing up to 350 individual users with access using one of the credentials.

Also, the use of Netcodes offers management the ability to provide timed access on the fly. That means that a manager can send a code by text to a users cellphone to grant them access for a limited (programmed) time. Click on the link above to learn more about using NetCodes.

Using the K3 Connect app, which is available in both IOS and Android, allows bluetooth featured cellphones to access the lock.

The added convenience for managers and security personnel using Audit Trail, allows for instant recognition of which credential was used at what time.

The product complies with ANSI Grade 2 specification. Grade 2 is often considered heavy duty residential/light duty commercial quality but often in a commercial setting Grade 2 hardware will perform like a Grade 1, but is significantly more competitively priced.

The product is not cheap, but quality products are worth more than the other garbage in the market.
Codelocks are a sought after product offering by many locksmiths and security hardware providers across the world.
For more details click the source below.


(source...)

Raycor Garage Door Lock - Rekeying Procedure Without New Tumblers

 About 6 weeks ago we took a call from a customer who requested service that no one else would provide,

The customer has an old Raynor brand garage roller door on her garage and wanted to have the lock rekeyed.

This door is about 75 years old and all the companies she called (before me) would not work on the existing product, preferring to instead attempt to talk her into buying a new automatic roller door.

After becoming annoyed at not having her needs met, her search for service led her to find me.

This first image shows the Raynor Operating handle and key cylinder from the outside.

 You can see in this second image, the configuration of the inside mechanism and how the lock and handle attaches to the door.

The chains on each side are attached to spring loaded "latches" that firmly hold the door when closed, into the running tracks.

It is not necessary to remove the lever handle to work on the key cylinder, simply remove the four screws to pull the lock casing from the frame.

The rim cylinder is quite old and still functioning well for it's age even though it appears to be slightly corroded.

The tailpiece is secured with a roll pin through the back of the cylinder plug/barrel

Here is another view of the rear of the cylinder. You can see the roll pin sitting through the tailpiece and the back of the barrel

This is an image with the roll pin and tailpiece removed

This image shows the plug/barrel with each pin tumbler removed

 We set the plug up with the new keyblank inserted, into our vise after switching some tumblers around to "alter the combination" making it different to the original key.

Measuring the new key blank and the existing plug with the new combination pins correctly inserted

 Next, we marked each corresponding spacing of each pin tumbler using our impressioning file.

Using the impressioning file to "cut" the new key directly from the pinning

 A different angle shows the progress being made in forming the new key

 Slow and steady processes, are important to maintain meticulous and exact work. We only file a little at a time and constantly check and recheck our work, so we dont "mess" it up.

This helps to make sure we do not ever need to replace parts if we accidentally lost them because we wont.

Careful processes lead to positive results

The key is almost completed

 Constantly rechecking our work to ensure the best quality.

 The completed "new key" is the brass one. The old key is the silver one we are changing

Completed and rebuilt without the need to replace anything.


Now, you can purchase after market cylinders still for these doors, but I am old school and prefer to keep as much original as i can.

One reason is that manufactured items in previous years were often produced to a higher standard and designed to last.

Unlike many of the products found in the modern era that are deliberately made using inferior raw materials and streamlined processes that often punch out significantly greater quantities while giving up quality control, in the sole intention of making sure consumers are required to constantly be purchasing new and replacement parts. (thereby keeping manufacturers in business).



The art of the craft of locksmithery can be very interesting to us old time trades people. This is just another example of the types of requests we locksmiths receive.

A Stroke Of Genius - Kwikset Smartkey Defeat With No Damage

Yesterday we attended to a client for whom we had previously rekeyed their new home about 8 weeks ago, who had accidentally locked themselves out.

The husband and wife had traveled out of state for a vacation and one of the spouses had inadvertently left their spare key inside the house, while the other spouse with the key was still interstate.

The types of locks they have on their doors are Kwikset Smartkey designer series locks similar to the style presented in the picture here.

Typically, many locksmiths would choose to drill and destroy a Kwikset Smartkey lock because typically they can be somewhat difficult to manipulate without causing unrepairable damage.

Many doors that use Kwikset Smartkey locks, tend to have a separate entry set from a deadbolt lock. Often defeating an entry set, without damage is painlessly simple and there are methods to bypass a Kwikset Smartkey deadbolt that are considered "outside the box". We deliberately choose NOT to share these unique bypass methods for fear of those details getting into the wrong hands.

Our customer being out of state, while their spouse was on their way home without a copy of their Kwikset Smartkey operating key, contacted me to attend the site and unlock the door on behalf of their spouse. When the spouse arrived at the airport they contacted me to arrange a suitable time.

Being as cold as it is presently, I did not want to keep the customer waiting for long while I attempted to manipulate the lock cylinder. I did not want to drill and destroy the lock, because getting a replacement on such short notice was not possible, so I asked the spouse interstate to snap a picture of their operating key and text it to me.

Upon receiving the image, I attended the home just prior (about 15 minutes) before the spouse arrived home from the airport. I grabbed the appropriate Kwikset key blank and set about making a copy of their operating key with my handheld impressioning file.

Having a clear image from which to determine the cuts of the key proved the stroke of genius in this move, because I was able to recreate the operating key in about 10 minutes and it operated flawlessly in the deadbolt (pictured above). This allowed me to unlock their door without any damage nor signs of forced or manipulated entry. The clients existing key (inside the house) still worked like new and we saved the inconvenience of trying to replace a special order lock product.

NOW - Obviously you can see a security issue here that can be distressing. If someone has enough time to take a picture of your house key, potentially they could simply contact a locksmith who could also provide the same service and make a copy of the key. Ethically and morally many locksmiths would not do this, unless they knew the customer and they could prove they belong to the address in question. But not everyone lives by a code of ethics.

A few years ago we wrote an article that talked about creating key duplicates using the credit cards you often get on the mail from promoters.

See Credit Cards Used To Duplicate Keys

Another article we wrote about 5 years ago talked about a service created by some enterprising engineers in California called Shloosl, See the link

Here is an article from about 10 years ago that discusses the ease in creating a copy of your key by picture..... Key Photograph Key Cutting


Simply put, there is only 1 way to prevent unauthorised key duplication. Using a High-Security Restricted Key System. Systems that require your signature authorization in advance of origination. There are many systems available across the world in today's market. Some better than others. We choose to offer the Bilock Extreme Security restricted key system.

Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock And Range To Be Discontinued By Us

After careful consideration, we have decided to discontinue selling this product.

We have been selling this product for 9 years and due to rising costs and reducing sales (even being significantly cheaper than competitors), we have decided to discontinue representing this type of pocket door lock in North America.

In the last 9 years we have sold thousands of this product with repeat customers ordering again and again to satisfy the needs of their clients.

We will sell our remaining inventory (about 18 keyed units and 10 privacy sets and 10 passage sets) at a fire sale discount until no more product remains.

We expect to change the sales page with the new discounted price in the next few days.

Thank you all for your continued interest in this fabulous product and we hope you can still purchase it in future from other providers.

Strikemaster II To The Rescue - Again

 This week, we were called to another Home Advisor door repair project for a client who experienced door frame failure.

The image to the right here, shows the Strikemaster II product installed to repair the busted door frame. This particular installation required me to check the entire 5' strike plate into the existing frame after removing the weather stripping.

The Strikemaster II used here is NOT the Strikemaster II Pro, which is the updated product. We used the older product because the door, on a house built in the 1960's, was a very tight fit in its opening and the clearance between the door and frame when closed was about 1/16th". The typical gap around the edges of a door within it's frame should be 1/8th". This allows for weathering or frame movement if the house settles.

The second image shows the trim moulding removed. We had some difficulty sourcing replacement moulding because the width of the required moulding was 1-3/4" wide. That size hasnt been produced since at least 1970. All door trim moulding found today is a minimum 2" wide. We managed to source a supplier who could rip a new piece of moulding to enable to install it to the 1-3/4" frame and allow for the trim to neatly fit inside the brick clad wall, without having to damage the existing clad brick.








And the final image shows the new moulding reattached to the frame, ready for painting.

Being that the average door and frame replacement cost in our local region is ~$1100 - $1500 commonly, using a Strikemaster II or the newer Strikemaster II Pro can cut repair costs and time down to less than $300 total.

UFO3 - New Improved High Security Lock For Vans and Cargo Vehicles

We have been the North American distributors for the broad range of Meroni products for about 8 years now and recently aligned with another distributor based in Minnesota who is distributing the fabulous UFO range of high-security locks for delivery vans, tradespeople vans, trucks among other applications. The new distributor is in  Minnesota will cater primarily to the automotive sector with this product line. We will continue to support them with key duplication and creation requests.

You can see our articles already written about the UFO range by Meroni by clicking here

The above video shows the installation steps for the newest model the UFO3.

The straightforward installation procedure can be handled easily by a trained technician or almost anybody, provided they have the correct tools and follow the guidelines in the instructions.

There is another new product, recently developed with Meroni in Europe aimed at UFO range of high-security automotive locking products that is a Cloud-Controlled access control system designed for fleet operators to enable simple access control for their fleets of deliver and transportation vehicles.

The UFO Cloud is a system that uses the SHA256 Encrypted Communication Protocol based on the design developed by the NSA.

The practicality of the UFO Cloud, transforms mechanical keyed products into a virtual keychain using a cellphone app and dedicated dashboard.

For further details on the UFO Cloud and the wide range of UFO products by Meroni, check the source below.

(source...)

Door Transformations - Modifying Your Entry Door To Increase Curb Appeal

A few years ago, we held a booth at the St Louis Home Show to display our unique ranges of products and services.

While there, we met a company that provides a unique service to homeowners that can modify an existing solid door to a beautiful glass door insert that often can cost about half the cost of replacing your existing door with a new door and frame.

Yesterday, we attended to a returning customer requesting us to install a new replacement lock on their existing storm door (that a handyman was unable to perform) and the client spoke to us about getting a new door that included a glass window in it, to provide more light at the entry.

We remembered the company we met a few years earlier and recommended them to the client, because their existing door had already been modified from a double door to a single door, but the contractor did not replace the existing double door with a new door and frame, they just built the inside staircase and walled in the fixed leaf. this would make it significantly more expensive to have the door and frame removed to install a more aesthetic entry door to their liking.

Entrypoint are an interesting company based in the St Peters Missouri area that provide the unique service  as described in the above video.

This is a product and service that we are also exploring to beautify our own entry door at our home too.

When you consider the cost to replace the door and frame with a completely new installation, modifying your existing door is a significantly more competitive option worth considering.

Entrypoint's site is in the source below.

(source...)

Today Marks Our 12th Birthday

We started our business December 26, 2006 and being our 12th birthday today we have decided to offer a special deal for the next 12 months.

Here forward, for the next twelve months we will offer a 12% discount on any and all parts purchased through us. The 12% discount will apply only on the 12th business day of the month.

January - Wednesday January 17th, 2019
February - We will be closed. Apologies.
March -  Monday March 18th, 2019
April - Tuesday April 16th, 2019
May - Thursday May 16th, 2019
June - Tuesday June 18th, 2019
July - Tuesday July 16th, 2019
August - We will be closed. Apologies.
September - Tuesday September 17th, 2019
October - Wednesday October 16th, 2019
November - Monday November 18th, 2019
December - Tuesday December 17th, 2019

The special 12% discount will apply before tax and is in addition to any other discount offered.
The discounts apply to all purchases of parts (not labor) whether online or offline.

We take this opportunity to thank our many customers for their trust and their custom. We look forward to your continued custom.

Warm Regards,
Danny Gurvis
President
Master Key Systems America LLC
https://locks210.blogspot.com/
314-266-1533

AI Powered 3D Security Camera Manufacturer Closes Down

Back in mid 2017, a new company formed to produce and sell an ambitious new product called the Lighthouse AI Security Camera.

Well known former Google manager Andy Rubin was instrumental in the development of this technology.

Well, another one bites the dust....

The company just announced that they are closing due to insufficient sales orders of the revolutionary product.


Originally the company claimed...

The camera is powered by AI and a 3D sensor that can supposedly distinguish people from pets and recognize faces. Its onboard laser (similar to the 3D sensing devices used by self-driving cars) can measure the structure of what it sees and therefore differentiate objects and people from one another. Because of this capability, Lighthouse promises that you won't be bothered by false security alerts from shadows or pets because the camera can tell small objects from large ones.

The AI also understands normal speech patterns, so you can ask the camera questions like, "Did anyone walk the dog between 10 and 11 am?" The different types of tech within the camera work in tandem to deliver a full experience.

"Custom optics for a time-of-flight camera that directly measures the 3D structure of the environment," CEO Alex Teichman says in a blog post. "Recurrent neural networks for computer vision specifically tailored for use cases within the home. And a natural language interface to simplify -- and amplify -- the user experience."

A announcement on their website (in the source) below explains they are shutting down and closing their doors. It seems apparent that not enough customers were happy to pay $300 for each unit and a $10/month access fee for this advanced technology.

The announcement thanks their few customers for their interest.

(source...)

International Building Code Integral To Life Safety And Protection On Display in Alaska Earthquake

Image source

The recent earthquake that hit just south of Anchorage Alaska has been all over the news in recent days, however for some reason it appears to have been forced back from the headlines, unfortunately due to no deaths and little injuries having occurred.

Reporting has been slow, especially about the fact that Alaska took it upon themselves to ensure strict adherence to the International Building Code, to shore up and protect the citizens and residents of Alaska.

There is considerable, continuing discussion across my industry about building codes and life safety codes because the locksmith and door industry perform integral acts in installation of doors and lock systems that can have telling effects on all our lives.

The International Building Code has been agreed upon by an international coalition of countries as a minimum standard by which all people on the planet can benefit from the safety concerns of our leaders. If you care to notice, the quantity of natural disasters appears to be on the increase in recent years, though this may also be due to better reporting by the mainstream news outlets too.

An article I read yesterday peaked my curiosity and leads me to write this post.

The article (in the source below) is by ABC News and tells about how the strict adherence to some of the highest standards of the International Building Code in Alaska, actually made a huge difference in protecting the residents and citizens who choose to live in that beautiful state.

The article tells that the magnitude 7.0 earthquake was one of the largest recorded in state history since the devastating 1964 quake that caused monumental losses of life and properties.

And that the primary reason there was little damage (comparatively), this time around was because Alaska adopted strict building code policies, some superior to the agreed minimum standards set forth by the agreed International Building Code.

The article quotes the current Alaskan Governor Bill Walker, "Building codes mean something". Gov. Walker himself was very thankful for the building codes, saying that sometimes people, including himself, gripe about stringent building codes but he's really glad they are in place because he only had minor water damage in his own home.

Further distressing was the after-shock that occurred within minutes of the initial 7.0. The 5.7 after-shock itself is also considered very substantial. There have been 550 plus after shocks since with at least 11 measuring 4.5 or greater.

The locksmith industry is often in the drivers seat of adherence to life safety codes and International Building Code adoptions. A great many consumers desire to install some products that just do not comply with the minimum standards set forth by the code, in attempt to increase their perception of security for their homes and work places. We often are asked to install double-cylinder deadbolt locks to residents primary entrance doors, for which we refuse every time. We always advise our clients and potential clients that life safety ALWAYS exceeds security, We only recommend single-cylinder deadbolts be installed to primary entrances (like the main front door and main back door).

I will often quote a story I remember from the late 1980's, when I lived and worked in California. There was an instance where a burglar had broken into a home that actually had double-cylinder locks installed on their doors. The burglar had pulled some shingles from the roof and jumped in through the ceiling. Unfortunately an electrical fire started while the burglar was inside and he was killed in the fire while the house was burned down. Now, many people might think that he received his come-uppence and bad luck for him. But the investigators proved that the reason the burglar perished was due to the installation of double cylinder deadbolt locks that prevented him from easily escaping the burning building. Authorities proceeded to charge and convict the homeowner and the technician and company that installed the locks with manslaughter. The courts threw the book at these people and each convicted person received the maximum sentence available to the court of 25 years incarceration and $250,000 fine each. To top it off, the insurance company refused to compensate the homeowners for the loss of their property because "Ignorance is no defense" and to continue to insure them for clearly violating the law might have supposedly put the insurance company as an accessory after the fact.

So, not only were the company who provided the locks found guilty and incarcerated, but the specific technician too, the homeowner and the homeowners family was refused compensation by the insurance company. I later heard that the burglars next of kin also sued in civil court for loss of income, but i am not sure about that outcome.

This example, reiterates why, as a locksmith professional it is vital and important that we stay apprised of changes and modifications to the International Building Code and any modifications that separate local and state governments might apply in local regions. The health, welfare and life safety can depend on our being compliant with the codes written deliberately to protect us.

(source...)

Artificial Intelligence Now Capable Of Bypassing Fingerprint Security

Artificial Intelligence has grown in recent years to such a point that according to a team of 5 NYU researchers, fingerprint identification, found in many products today, including but not limited to deadbolt locks, entrance sets, electric strike user interfaces, access control and time clocks, among other modern day electronic products, is now able to contravene the once thought of high security alternative to mechanical key entry systems.

We have previously touted the benefits of biometric fingerprint security scanners that were/are included in a great many differing products, including a (now discontinued) high security deadbolt lock that we sold many years ago. We realized the error of our ways, when a number of older clients were finding tremendous difficulty in registering and using the fingerprint deadbolt locks we once recommended. Specifically we found that if you were over 55 years of age, your fingerprints wear more quickly as you age. This proved to be an impediment to future sales of fingerprint operated biometric products because many elder users would have been the primary beneficiaries of keyless, fingerprint operated lock systems.

It is obvious that Apple, recognized the limitations of fingerprint identification systems when they decided to discontinue fingerprint readers in many of their largest selling product lines, like the iPhone, the iPad and other products. Many competing product manufacturers also included fingerprint readers in a host of other products, hoping to also cash in on the once burgeoning sector of the electronics products markets.

An excerpt from the article quoted in the source below explains....

"Named ‘DeepMasterPrints’, the set of fake fingerprints was generated by the NYU scientists using a neural network to be some sort of ‘master key’ for biometric authentication systems that have an error rate of one in a thousand. To work this well, DeepMasterPrints takes advantage of two properties fingerprint authentication systems have: that they scan only a part of the finger at any given time and not the whole finger; and that some features of fingerprints are more common than others. 

So, the weakness in the system here, explains The Guardian, is that fingerprint scanners never blend all the partial images to match a full fingerprint against a full record. Instead, they just compare a partial scan against partial records. This means that attackers need only match one of tens or even hundreds of recorded fingerprints in order to gain access into a secured system.

The scientists’ presented their research paper at a biometrics conference in Los Angeles in October. “The underlying method is likely to have broad applications in fingerprint security as well as fingerprint synthesis,” said NYU’s Philip Bontrager, the lead author of the paper in a statement to Gizmodo. “A similar setup to ours could be used for nefarious purposes, but it would likely not have the success rate we reported unless they optimized it for a smartphone system."

Naturally, as a security services and products provider, we try to remain updated on issues affecting security products and services to enable us to provide our growing lists of customers with updated information regarding products and services aimed at minimizing issues and mitigating security loopholes.

Apple, introduced facial recognition in many of their products, which seems to be becoming quite widely accepted across the wider marketplace.

We highly recommend consulting your local trained and qualified locksmith technician, who can advise you on great quality secure products that will provide continued secure access to your properties and security systems.

At Master Key Systems America LLC, we provide Extreme Security Bilock Restricted mechanical key systems that are virtually unparalleled across the world for bump proof and virtually pick proof locks and cylinders that use virtually copy proof, unique color coded keys. We can produce complex master key systems that can operate up to 1.7 billion separate locks.

There are other brands of high security mechanical key systems that also offer quality security. Contact your local professional locksmith to learn more.

(source...)

New Award

For the 11th consecutive year we have been selected as a recipient of the St Louis Award - Locksmith and Keys category.

While it is nice to be recognized, we are not in business to receive awards. Our reward comes from helping our customer with their keys, locks and door issues.

A copy of the press release is below and a link to the source too.



Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Master Key Systems America, LLC Receives 2018 St. Louis Award

St. Louis Award Program Honors the Achievement
ST. LOUIS November 14, 2018 -- Master Key Systems America, LLC has been selected for the 2018 St. Louis Award in the Locksmiths & Keys category by the St. Louis Award Program.
Each year, the St. Louis Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the St. Louis area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 St. Louis Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the St. Louis Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About St. Louis Award Program

The St. Louis Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the St. Louis area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The St. Louis Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: St. Louis Award Program

CONTACT:
St. Louis Award Program

(source...)

Has New York City Fixed It's Key Problems?

A post we made in October 2012 continues to find traction and views as it is still of important knowledge to us all today, as much if not more since first written in 2012. We just updated some of the links to working links (over time websites need to keep up with their broken links to avoid the pitfalls of search engine pagerank issues) so you can view the videos and some of the links we include. Continuing to provide links to the source of our content (even though we write our own content) credits the source and avoids us being called plagiarists. The following story is worth remembering and continue to be an important piece of knowledge, not just for the industry but also the marketplace... The Society Of Professional Locksmiths is an organization of professional locksmith owners and tradespersons whose intentions are to bring respect and admiration with ethical and moral business practises back to an industry that has seen the erosion of confidence in locksmiths, wane over the past few years, thanks to improprieties and shortcoming of other supposed industry organizations. The SOPL is fast becoming the industry's leading respected voice, training facility and source of products and services, that the market and industry have long been seeking. Unlike other locksmith industry organizations and training offerings, the SOPL developed their own superb in-house training guide and mentoring system that is second to none in the North American market. The following article is copied directly (with permission) from their website. If you like the article, please consider clicking the like buttons in the post. FDNY Keys Sold on EBAY - The NY Post - Where there's Smoke, there's Fire 10/07/2012 2 Comments On October 1st, 2012 a news story ran in the NY Post about a retired locksmith named Daniel Ferraris from New Jersey who sold a set of 5 keys on Ebay that were being called Masterkeys for the New York City Fire Department. Source - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lock_away_these_nyc_keys_g3PWCp3FzMapURRjyssJ4J This apparently angered NY City officials and public advocate Bill DeBlasio who raised concerns over terrorism. Keywords such as being alarmed, angered, lives at risk, safety, and more surfaced. Calls to Home Land Security were even made! DeBlasio himself went so far to say -  "We cannot let anyone sell the safety of over 8 million people so easily. Having these keys on the open market literally puts lives at risk. The billions we've spent on counter-terrorism have been severely undercut by this breech [sic]." A NYFD lieutenant said, “This guy should be prosecuted for selling something like that."

10 Years On And This Toy Proved A Novelty But Never Took Off

Biometric Voice Activated Safe

Yes! This is a novelty item. Especially for the holiday season.

Just say the word! This ultra-secure, high-tech safe only opens at the sound of your voice.

• Uses voice-recognition technology
• Prompts you for biometric verification
• Identifies the sound waves of your voice
• Door opens automatically
• Provides hands-free access
• Alarm sounds when someone tries to physically open it
• Features a handy shelf and drawer

Keep your secret treasures secure in this cool, cutting-edge safe.

Ages:	8 +
Batteries:	Requires 3 AA batteries (not included)
Dimensions:	5.75" L x 6.5" W x 7.75" H
Weight:	1.4 Pounds
Made In:	China
Made Of:	Plastic
Model Number:	0205606
Gift Box:	Available

(source...)

It would not surprise me one bit, to see a large tech giant like Amazon come out with a safe that you can activate by voice.

Of course you'd probably have to plug it in to mains electricity

About To Celebrate Our 12th Anniversary With The Home Advisor/Angie's List Network

Below you can see our page hosted on Home Advisor. We have been continued members since 2007 of the Home Advisor network of service professionals.

When the parent company of Home Advisor acquired Angie's List late last year and completed merging the two networks together, the created a behemoth in the lead generation market, a market that has seen meteoric rise since Google began their Adwords program.

The early days of lead generation began with companies developing advertisements using the Google Adwords platform. At that time PPC (pay per click) was in it's infancy and costs for clicks were around 1-5 cents per click. 

Enter lead generation marketers.

They discovered methods through the Google architecture to use prime positioning in Adwords to build their lead generation networks, effectively raising the cost per click to prices unsustainable by small businesses alone. Then they could sell memberships to service providers and charge for customer's contact details. This opened a modern market formerly controlled by Yellow Pages and other directory advertising portals. What makes gthese lead generation companies money is the ability to sell these leads to multiple service professionals at rates significantly less than those service professionals would have to spend to acquire customers in ways past.

We are lucky enough to have received 380+ reviews from customers we have served with most being 5 star, Please enjoy the page shown below and feel free to comment in the box provided beneath.

(source...)

Do You Understand What Makes A Safe ..... Safe?

In November 2008, we posted an article (below) about safes and why/how they are constructed and regulations as determined by the most populous state in the USA.

The details are still important knowledge for locksmiths, safe workers, even the general consumer....

Safes

Choosing a safe is often difficult. I have been asked many times over the years to make a recommendation to customers wishing to purchase a safe.

Before making a recommendation, I feel it necessary to ask some specific questions to a customer to help in determining a suitable product to recommend.

Many people do not understand the ratings systems for safes, probably because there is no written industry standard.

In the early 1990's, I worked for one of Australia's oldest manufacturers of quality safes, Kelly Safe Co PTY LTD. (they closed down in 1995, I believe). Kelly safes were considered a staple of the Australian landscape for about 100 years previously. They manufactured impressive quality safes for many of Australia's institutions, banks, high-society clubs, hotels etc.

The increasing competition from foreign products combined with the significant increase in raw materials cost, saw Kelly become less competitive in later years.

I learned much from my short time with them about how to grade safes.

There are many classifications of safes that are determined by each individual country/locallity as suitable for local conditions. The leading tester in the world (most respected) is known as the Underwriters Laboratory.

The questions I like to ask my clients are:

1. What approximate cash value of personal documents, jewellery, bank notes etc are you looking to secure?

This determines what grade of safe would be suitable for the contents.

2. Approximately how big (dimensions) would the individual pieces of content be for storage?

This determines the necessary internal dimensions of the recommended safe.

3. Are you looking for Burglary Protection, Fire Protection or both?

4. Would you prefer a bolt down facility, free-standing, on castors, wall-mount, floor mount, vault etc?

5. How much are you looking to spend?

The most important question is question #1, because this separates the designations of safes from each other and directly guides a professional to make the most suitable recommendation.
In California, the CDOJ (California Department Of Justice) uses the following terms:

California Department of Justice Burglary Rating (CDOJ)
Regulatory Gun Safe StandardsDOJ regulatory standards require a gun safe to meet either: 
All of the following requirements:

1. Shall be able to fully contain firearms and provide for their secure storage.
2. Shall have a locking system consisting of at minimum a mechanical or electronic combination lock. The mechanical or electronic combination lock utilized by the safe shall have at least 10,000 possible combinations consisting of a minimum three numbers, letters, or symbols. The lock shall be protected by a case-hardened (Rc 60+) drill-resistant steel plate, or drill-resistant material of equivalent strength.
3. Boltwork shall consist of a minimum of three steel locking bolts of at least ½ inch thickness that intrude from the door of the safe into the body of the safe or from the body of the safe into the door of the safe, which are operated by a separate handle and secured by the lock.
4. Shall be capable of repeated use. The exterior walls shall be constructed of a minimum 12-gauge thick steel for a single-walled safe, or the sum of the steel walls shall add up to at least .100 inches for safes with two walls. Doors shall be constructed of a minimum of two layers of 12-gauge steel, or one layer of 7-gauge steel compound construction.
5. Door hinges shall be protected to prevent the removal of the door. Protective features include, but are not limited to: hinges not exposed to the outside, interlocking door designs, dead bars, jeweler’s lugs and active or inactive locking bolts.

or All of the following requirements:

1. Is listed as an Underwriters Laboratories Residential Security Container;
2. Is able to fully contain firearms;
3. Provides for the secure storage of firearms.

BURGLAR SAFES:
Burglar safes are usually made of solid steel plate or a combination of solid steel and composite fill material such as concrete. These safes are divided into categories based on the level of protection delivered and the testing endured. Here we will discuss only seven classes: B-Rate, U.L. RSC Rating, B/C Rate, C-Rate, U.L. TL-15, U.L. TL-30 and TL-30 X6.

B-RATE SAFES (ALSO U.L. RSC, RESIDENTIAL SECURITY CONTAINERS):

B-Rate is a catchall rating for essentially any box with a lock on it. The safe industry had an unwritten standard of ¼ inch body, ½ inch door. As steel prices (and shipping costs) increased manufacturers tried many things to reduce their costs. No tests are given to provide this rating. When buying a B-rate safe, look at things such as lock work, hard plates, and relocks.

U.L. Residential Security Container rating (RSC) - This UL rating is based on testing conducted for a net working time of five minutes, on all sides, with a range of tools. See U.L. TL-15 and TL-30 descriptions below for "net working time" description.

B/C-Rate Safes

This is a catchall rating for safes with at least a 1/4" steel body, 1/2 inch door PLUS additional 10 or 12 guage metal layers where composite fire resistant material is also deployed. No tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.

C-Rate Safes

This is defined as a ½ inch thick steel box with a 1-inch thick door and a lock. As before, NO tests are given to provide this rating. Look at the lock work, relocks and other features when making your decision.


The Underwriters Laboratory information:

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Ratings
http://www.ul.com

TL-15

Safes given a U.L. TL-15 rating have all passed standardized tests defined in UL Standard 687 using the same tools and usually the same group of testing engineers.Construction Requirements

• U.L. listed Group II, 1 or 1R combination lock.
• 750 lbs. minimum or comes with instructions for anchoring in a larger safe, concrete blocks or on the premises where used.
• Body walls of material equivalent to at least 1" open hearth steel with a minimum tensile strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• Walls fastened in a manner equivalent to continuous 1/4" penetration weld of open hearth steel with minimum tensile
  strength of 50,000 P.S.I.
• One hole 1/4" or less, to accommodate electrical conductors arranged to have no direct view of the door or locking mechanism.

The label means that the safe successfully resisted entry (i.e. opening the door or making a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face) for a NET working time of 15 minutes using "…common hand tools, drills, punches hammers, and pressure applying devices." Net working time means simply "when the tool comes off the safe the clock stops". There are over fifty different types of attacks that can be used to gain entrance into the safe. Usually they will try only 2 or 3 based on what they know about the product, and they know a lot.

TL-30

Construction requirements are identical to the TL-15 above. Tests are essentially the same as the TL-15 tests except for the net working time. Testors are allowed 30 minutes and a few more tools (abrasive cutting wheels and power saws) to help them gain entrance. The label signifies the testors were unable to open the door or make a 6" square opening entirely through the door or front face within 30 minutes. Keep in mind these engineers have the manufacturing blue prints and can disassemble the safe being tested before the test begins to see how it works. They know their stuff. TL-30 x 6 - The TL-30 (30-minute) test is conducted on all six (6) sides of the safe.

Other Considerations

When you begin the search for a safe it is a good idea to speak to your insurance agent and see if a particular type of safe will reduce your insurance costs. Many times you can justify the additional expense of a higher security safe because of the premium reduction. Remember no safe is burglar proof, you are buying time. The longer it takes to break in the greater the chance to be caught, and thieves don’t like to get caught.

---

10 Things You Didn't Know About UL's Safe Testing

1. The best safecrackers in the business never steal a penny. They work for UL.
   
2. UL has been testing and certifying safes for more than 80 years. The first safe tested for burglary resistance was in 1923 and the first bank vault in 1925.
   
3. Chisels, wenches, screwdrivers, power saws, cutting torches, crowbars, abrasive cutting wheels, jackhammers, even specified amounts of nitroglycerin are just a few of the "tools" UL technicians use during a safe attack. The idea is to test safes to worst-case scenarios. They use tools that could be found at any construction site or hardware store. They also analyze blueprints as if the burglar might have blueprints of the design and attack its weakest points to evaluate the safe for certification.
   
4. UL's safe attack tests are conducted by a two-person crew. The object is to create an opening large enough to withdraw "valuables" (anywhere from 2- to 6-square-inches on a safe and up to 96-square-inches on a vault), activate the locking mechanism so the door opens or to cut as many bolts from the door as necessary to pry it open before the time specified in the rating requirement expires.
   
5. Safes are rated for their resistance to attack against specific tools for a set period of time. There are a dozen different ratings, everything from ATM machines, to gun safes to bank vaults. For example, a safe that bears a Class TRTL-15X6 rating, which might be found in a jewelry store, should resist a hand tool and torch attack for a minimum of 15 minutes. A TRTL-30X6-rated safe, which would protect important documents or store money, should withstand an attack for 30 minutes. The ultimate safe rating-a TXTL60-should withstand an hour's worth of attack that includes the use of 8 ounces of nitroglycerin.
   
6. Because of the size and weight of certain safes and vault doors, it is not always practical to have the product shipped to UL's laboratory locations. UL's burglary protection staff has traveled to destinations such as Japan, France, Israel, England, Finland, Taiwan and India.
   
7. In addition to burglary protection ratings, UL also rates safes for their fire resistance protection. Class 350 safes protect paper documents, Class 150 safes protect magnetic tape and photographic film, while Class 125 safes protect floppy disks. In addition to the Class Rating, safes obtain an hourly rating for fire resistance-anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.
   
8. Another cool test UL runs on safes is an impact test. This test simulates a safe falling though multiple stories of a building-resulting from a fire that has weakened the structure. After the safe is heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in a furnace, it's raised three stories and dropped onto a pile of bricks. In order to meet the requirement, the safe can't pop open. Temperatures inside can't rise to above 300 degrees Fahrenheit and sample papers left inside have to be readable.
   
9. The specialized suits you sometimes find technicians wearing are not just for show. Their entire ensemble, including protective coat, helmet and gloves, protects the crew against the adverse effects of sparking. After all, safety can't be taken for granted, even within the walls of UL.
   
10. Safes are just one of the 19,000 product categories that UL tests and certifies. While UL's burglary protection team cracks combinations, shatters glass and fires .44-caliber bullets at body armor, other UL engineers and technicians keep busy testing everything from TVs, coffee makers and holiday light strings to fire extinguishers, medical CAT scan equipment and building materials.

(source...)

Security On Sale....

A little over 10 years ago we posted an article (below) that included a video about quality versus garbage products, that has seen  a significant number of page views and continues to be on of our multitude of viral posts.

The post was titled "Big Box Store Or Product Specialist?"

In the last 10 years, Amazon has grown to become one of the most competitive marketplaces for goods available. they have almost taken over from Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Target, K-Mart, Sears etc, among other companies that have failed as a consequence.

Locksmiths and Safe Specialists across the planet have deliberately trained in their chosen vocations, to deliver quality services and products to the many discerning customers, demanding more from their security products







April 25, 2008

Many customers prefer to purchase their products today from the big box stores, primarily due to their more competitive prices.

The following video explains why you are better served by a professional security company with respect to your personal and business security requirements.

Whereas, the video is about safes specifically, the same applies to your doors, locks and keys.

The choice is yours. Big box or Security Specialist?

REMEMBER: You only get what you pay for! And "if you only want to pay peanuts, expect to get monkeys!"





(source...)