Any locksmith recommendation for an obscure key?

[penberth3]

Surely it would be simpler and probably cheaper just to replace the lock?

I've done this before, with twice as many spare keys as I think I need. Cheaper and quicker all round - and you have a brand new lock!

 

[Aleksandrs Nibler]

Any locksmith specialists should know how to do this.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Obviously an old thread, but just wondered if in a similar situation 3D printing might be a solution?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Obviously an old thread, but just wondered if in a similar situation 3D printing might be a solution?

I think you would require very special equipment. First, PLA or similar might not be rigid enough, so you'd need industrial equipment capable of working with metals. Second, achieving the accuracy for a good quality lock might be difficult - most amateur equipment has a resolution of 0.1mm, and of course the accuracy can depend on many issues such as how the plastic behaves as it cools. Finally, scanning the original at the required accuracy might not be easy.

I think it might work for a low quality lock provided the key was used very carefully. But a security lock would probably be beyond amateur equipment.

CNC equipment might be a better bet; that's probably how they're made by the manufacturer.

 

[Praxinoscope]

Changing the lock would still seem to be the most economical solution, all the alternative options seem to involve specialised kit ‘CNC‘ or other’ which would seem to far outweigh the cost and inconvenience of replacing the lock.
I agree a diy 3D printer would probably not be up to the job, but an industrial scanning and printing set-up would probaly do the job but at a cost.