I am trying to make copies of my truck keys. I guess these Original Ford keys are hard to copy. I bought 2 sets and my local key store could not copy them successfully. What is the deal with these keys?
Any good key places around Berkeley, California?
Thanks in advance.

 

What was their reason for not being able to duplicate? Just did not work?

Take a dial caliper to the deepest part of any cut and compare that measurement to your original in the same spot. If they are more than one thousanth the the stores key machine is not properly adjusted.

 

They just did not work. Both stores said they were the harder keys they have seen. None work. Neither ignition, nor glove box.

 

Hmmm, I'm not buying the hardness of the key part. If they have a automatic machine alot of times the deeper cut will not get cut completely as the machine is moving sideways on it's own.

You can cut keys manually on the same machine which is what I do all the time just to eliminate that sort of problem.

Have them cut them manually and after they are cut move the cutter back and forth a few times to make sure they are cut all the way.

There is your Ace Hardware "tip of the day"

 

Mine were cut fine at an small hardware store. Nothing special about cutting machine.

 

I had mine done at Lowes for like $3 and they work perfectly.

 

Vsanzbajo, I agree with the others, someone is blowing smoke up your skirt. Not hard to believe that with all the double side auto keys some could be a little confused. Any locksmith or hardware store, should be able to cut them for you.

I suppose the blanks could have been made in China and be too hard, just never heard of such. Any blank needs to be cut to work.


John

 

10 cut double sided hand cut key cutter...different than 5 cut key cutter. After one side is cut, key removed, flipped over, then the other side cut. Lotsa fun (NOT!).

Ignition/door key inserted on one side of cutter, glovebox/trunk key inserted on opposite side of cutter.

Some people hated to cut these keys, had to hold the key in position firmly with one hand, while the other hand squeezed the handle of key cutter. If key slipped, tossed away, whole process repeated again.

Actor Lorne Greene (Bonanza) bought a new 1988 Lincoln Town Car, told salespeep he wanted 8 (!) extra sets of keys. All we had was a hand cutter, it took me almost 30 minutes to cut 16 fracatta keys!

After keys are cut, a hand file is used to remove the burrs. Careful with that file, cuz if used too aggressively, key won't work. After I cut keys, rubbed the cuts on a piece of wood...worked better than file.

 

Flipping the key blank over to cut the second side is still the method used to cut double cuts. These blanks are placed in the clamps and aligned by using the end of the key rather than the stop(there is no stop on a Ford key of these years).

Also,I'm betting the OP is just taking his original keys in and using the stores blanks.

Bill is right...some of those old blanks were made out of a much harder material than today. I don't remember having to do anything special to debur as the oldest machine I've ever used(circa early 70's) still had a rotating brush to knock those off.

Even some of the new keys from some manufacturers are too hard for the auto machine to cut properly. If you see they guy pushing a button and standing back to watch it being cut I would inspect closely before leaving the store.

 

1967/72 F100/750:

C7TZ-8122050-A .. Door/Ignition Lock Set w/2 keyed alike keys / Obsolete

NOS PARTS LTD in Waxahachie TX has 1 = 972-937-2201.

MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS in Binghamton NY has 1 = 607-722-5371.

CARPENTER NOS OBSOLETE PARTS in Concord NC has 1 = 800-476-9653.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
C7TZ-8122053-A .. Door/Ignition Key Blank ~ Square Head / Marked: 'Ford Motor Company Family of Fine Cars' with Ford oval in center / Obsolete

MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS has 6.

KAMA OBSOLETE PARTS in East Bethel MN has 9 = 763-434-0123.

GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has 10 = 800-543-4959.
---------------------------------------------------------
C7AZ-6243562-A .. Glovebox/Tool Compartment Key Blank ~ Round Head / Marked: 'Ford Motor Company Family of Fine Cars' with Ford oval in center / Obsolete

1967/72 F100/350 Glovebox / 1970/72 F100/350 Tool Compartment // 1967/72 Passenger Car Glovebox & Trunk.

NOS PARTS LTD has 9.

MILLER OBSOLETE PARTS has 9.

GREEN SALES CO. has 32.

 

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A good locksmith can fix you up. Here one problem have a duplicate key made. You get a duplicate copy of a warn down key unless the key cutter knows what he's doing.
I was keep a new key put away just for making duplicate off of it any time I change out the lock cylinders. Many guys don't give it a 2nd thought too do this plus end up having a big ol bunch of keys on a key-ring that swing all over while driving which is not the best thing on the tumblers and the key as, I've been told by an old locksmith that, I got my replacement keys from when needed..orich