Hello All,
I need to re-key some Schlage locks. I have a Kwikset keying kit and I read somewhere that I can key Schlage with it also. Does anyone know if this is true? Are the pins (tumblers) the same size?
Thanks,
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Engineered materials and vacuum-press laminations prevent warping and keep a tall, flush-panel door from being excessively heavy.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
I've never tried it, but the way to find out for sure is just to take a Schlage apart and see. Turn it, run the follower in, catch the old pins, and compare them with KwikSet pins.
If it works, fine. If not, you can always put the Schlage back together. No harm either way.
-- J.S.
I thought of that but I was hoping that someone else had already gone through the trials and tribulations. I'd buy another keying kit for Schlage but I'd hate if the pins were the same.John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
I also have a Kwikset kit. My experience was it didn't work with Schlage. Pins weren't the same. Close, no cigar. Employer at the time ended up buying a Schlage kit.
PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I re-keyed some locks a couple of years ago and had to get both the Schlage and Qwikset kits. The re-keying process was similar, but the details weren't the same. I used the inexpensive (~$10) DIY kits you can get at Home Depot and they worked fine.
I usually just take the locksets to the store where I get my doors. Wayne can re-key 3-4 locksets in the time it takes me to do one - lol.
I got the KwikSet stuff from:
http://www.lockhouse.com/
With 27 cylinders on the old place, and locksmiths charging $5-7 each, it was well worth it. It's easy, and more fun than the drive/wait/drive way of spending my day.
-- J.S.
John,
There is a difference in bottom pin heights. Kwik-Set has a .023 difference between 7 different sizes (#1B-#7B) while Schlage has a .015 between 10 different sizes. (0-9)
Doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to make them non-compatible.
For the three locks that I need to re-key I'll be visiting the local locksmith.
Thanks for all the replies,John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
Two KwikSet steps would be only 0.001" more than three Schlage steps. So, if the diameters are the same, it could be that three or four sizes would work in both. But if the KwikSet #4 falls midway between two Schlages, it could be that none of them would work in both.
I have found that some of the KwikSet clone makes need pins a whole step bigger that the real KwikSets. So, if you have a 7 in your combination, you're SOL.
-- J.S.