House · office · mailbox · antique
Spare keys cut from your original, at the van or when you stop by
Spares for house, office, mailbox, garage, master, transponder, high-security and antique keys, cut at the van or when you stop by.
Tracer and cutter: how a copy gets made
A key duplicator holds your original on one side and a blank on the other. A tracer follows the original's cuts while a cutter wheel mirrors them into the blank. The machine is only as good as its setup, so the first job is picking a blank that matches the original's keyway and clamping both squarely.
A fresh copy still has to be tried. Burrs are cleaned off the cut edges, and the key is run in the lock it was made for, because a copy that almost fits will bind in January and break in the door by March. Locksmith Of Gilbert checks every copy against the lock where we can.
Cutter wheel of a key-duplicating machine with a brass blank clamped beside its original
Worn originals and keys that cannot be copied
A copy of a copy loses a little accuracy every generation. If your only key is rounded off from years of use, the cuts have worn shallow, and a tracer will faithfully copy that wear. The fix is often to cut a new key from the lock's code or from the lock itself, instead of from the tired original.
Some keys are not meant to be copied freely. Restricted keyways need blanks that hardware stores do not stock, and keys stamped Do Not Duplicate exist so a copy cannot be made without the account holder's say. High-security keys with milled or dimple cuts also need the matching machine. If your key falls into one of these groups, call (480) 980-9308 and we will tell you what is possible and what authorisation it needs.
Cut at the van, or call first and stop by
Mobile duplication comes to you. We cut the spare in the van parked outside your home, shop or job site anywhere in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, Queen Creek and the East Valley, so you do not lose an hour of the day to it.
Stop by or call us for quick and reliable key duplication. There is no storefront counter to walk up to, so call first and we will tell you where to meet and what to bring. For a car key with a chip, see car key replacement. For a whole set of new locks keyed alike, ask about a rekey.
“They can reprogram key fobs and cut new keys right on sight.” JLM Air Conditioning and Heating, a fleet customer
The key rack
Nine kinds of key we cut, and what each blank asks for.
- 01House keys
Standard pin-tumbler blanks, cut against the original and tried in the lock.
- 02Office keys
Brass blanks matched to the keyway stamped on the original.
- 03Mailbox keys
Small, thin blanks that wear fast from daily use.
- 04Garage keys
Side-door and padlock keys, often a different keyway from the house.
- 05Master keys
Cut so the key still sits correctly in the building's hierarchy.
- 06Car keys
Metal-only blades, a straight mechanical cut.
- 07Transponder Car Keys
Blade cut first, then the chip paired to the car.
- 08High-security keys
Milled and dimpled cuts that need the right blank and the right machine.
- 09Antique keys
Old brass and iron blanks, often filed by hand to fit worn wards.
A key that is not on the rack may still be one we can cut. Describe it when you call (480) 980-9308.