Imagine yourself returning home from the office, exhausted; and when you put your hands into your pocket you find nothing! If you cannot find the keys inside your bag, too. What do you do? In such situation, it is always advisable to make a call to the after hours’ locksmith since no one else can help you get into the house.
Once the locksmith arrives, he will start working on your job immediately. He will unlock the door for you with a bump key.
What Is A Bump Key?
Bump keys are cut keys that are used in a technique called bumping performed to unlock the lockin which the key is with a bump key.
How Can You Make A Bump Key?
- Get any key that fits into the lock. It is obvious that the teeth of the key will not align with the key and therefore, there is no question of turning the key. But make sure it slides into the keyhole.
- Now, carefully examine the space between each tooth. Below the tooth lies the space that needs to be filed so as to get the look of the main key. While filing the key, be careful enough not to file too shallow. If the spacing and teeth are mended carefully and in the right position, it will not help open the lock.
- It is better to use a manual file like a wedge to cut and form the valley shape in between each key tooth. After you finish, see that the key has a zigzag look. The depth of the valleys in the keys helps the lock to push the pin from where it got stuck. Generally, locksmiths prefer using 999 keys which have sharp edges and a uniform surface.
- Level down each valley to the same adjacent point. If the cutouts of the valleys both in the front and back differ, the key will not get into the hole. Again, if the back valleys are edged deeper, it will be difficult to remove the key from the hole. At the end part of each valley, a minute triangular depression should be etched out.
- While bumping the key to the lock, insert the key and keep on pressing the key carefully until it makes a click sound, denoting that the key has reached to the bottom section of the pin.
- Next, turn the key in the anti-clockwise direction. Keep on putting pressure on it. Initially, the key will be immovable but gradually with more effort, it will start moving and allow you access to the lock. Avoid being too hard on the key because after all, a key is a metal body. With more unintended pressure it is likely to break soon.
- Hit the back of the key, that is, the part that remains outside, with any hard object. use hand tools such as a screwdriver handle. On hit, the struck pin will slowly pop up and the lock will open. Hitting the key at an angle will not yield any results. Before hitting, check if the key is inserted till the lock. If yes, then pull it out a bit otherwise hitting will not help.
What If The Door Does Not Unlock the First Time?
It is obvious that no one will be successful right at the first try. Take out the key, wiggle it and insert it further and again hit it. Try this process several times. If after multiple trials the key does not budge, then either the carvings are not done properly or the door bolt requires to be turned in the other direction.
This is the only reason why it is important to take help of a professional after hour locksmith rather than doing it yourself. A professional locksmith has got the expertise to unlock your door in less time.
