Replacement key for Emco stand cupboards

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Hi Everyone, I hope everyone is keeping well and safe.

During the enforced idleness of lockdown I have been having a good tidy up and rearranging the workshop. Doing all those 'roundtuit' jobs that get put off to some other day. Judging by the number of skips on driveways in my area it looks like we are all doing some deep 'spring cleaning' – only my scrap will be going to be weighed in for 'beer tokens', you don't get much for old carpets.

Any road, on to the gist of the topic – I have an Emco Maximat Super 11 and when it came out of a school it came with no keys to the under cabinets in the stand (along with no handles or a tailstock barrel!). I adapted some magnets to keep the doors closed but it has always been my intention to fix the locks. I also wanted some replacement keys for some Bisley flat file drawers (useful for all those little tools, drills and nuts and bolts). I approached a couple of replacement lock and key firms I found on 'Tinterweb' and they were able to immediately get me the correct keys for the filling cabinets but no luck with the Emco cupboards. The locks are simple single tumbler style with a hollow key shaft so I'm looking to making some keys to suit.

I have removed the locks from the cupboard doors and it appears they are made by REFORM (well that is what is stamped on them) and the key reference is number '6' (so there does not appear to be a grand selection!). The locks are formed 'tinwork' and look to be held together as an assembly by a single rivet. Has any one got a key for an Emco cupboard which they could give me the dimensions off – of particular interest is the length and throw of the key levers.

Any pointers to locksmithing would of course be gratefully received!

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Quite by chance the die cast key on my lathe cabinets is a No 6.

The round body of the key is 6 mm diameter with a 3.8 mm hole by 10 mm deep in the end.

The blade is 2.75 mm thick and measures 7 mm long from the end of the key. The over all projection including the 6 mm key body is 13.5 mm. There are 4 steps in the blade just like a staircase. Top step is on the end of the key and is the 13.5 mm height. The bottom step is 8.9 mm across the 6 mm body of the key and 5 mm from the front end of the blade.

The next step is 10.1 mm from the back of the 6 mm body and 3.5 mm from the end of the blade. The last step but one is 11.5 from the back of the body and 2 mm from the end of the blade.

I made new keys for my lathe and mill years ago. The steps were produced on the lathe after fabricating the blanks out of brass.

Regards

Gray,

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Thank you for that response Graham. Brilliant that you have a No. 6 key! like I said there doesn't seem to be an overly large selection of keys – if it had been 006 I would have been a bit more worried.

Can I trouble you for a nice photo of the key?

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Gone one better and made a drawing,

Regards

Gray,

[Oily RagParticipant @oilyrag]

Graham,

I owe you a favour big time! Thanks for the drawing and you will be glad to know that I have made a key and it worked first time of asking.

I finished up with a hybrid key – brass shaft with a steel key 'spade' silver soldered on after milling a 1mm deep slot to embed it (i.e give it a little strength) – I increased the shaft diameter from 6mm to 7mm to give additional meat for the key 'spade'. For the 'handle' I used an old Victorian 'Bun' halfpenny which I found during the recent clear up. The steps were milled on the key and after light dressing with a file to remove the frazes it worked perfectly.

What a great forum this is – when we can have all this amazing experience, detailed information and knowledge available at our fingertips – thanks again Graham! My question now is were all Emco Maximat Super 11's sold with number 6 key????

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Glad I could be of help.

I am afraid I cannot answer that one, but of the Emco FB 2 mills that I have had, all three have had different keys. The current key I have is "0" and this machine was one of the last machines to be made in Austria.

Regards

Gray,

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

At the rate I lose keys, I stay away from things like that ! The locks on my lathe just click shut, I forget where the keys ever went.

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