Pete thanks that is a lot of substitutes to look for. A few days ago before I posted here I did look through all the blanks in the ilco catalog for something that would be close that I would readily have available I could modify. Funny thing is Russwin 5981R was the one that looked the most promising I have boxes of. The top section looked really close the bottom section was not as large by a lot looking at the actual Taylor SE1 I have and would not go into the locks. But it was close so got out my files. After a lot of filing was able to get it to go into 3 of the 4 locks that I have. Each one had different wear so had to continue filing to make it work on all of those 3. The 4th one it was way harder to get it to fit by a long shot. So much so was about to just give up. Had to file it down even in thickness which I didn’t have to do with the other 3.
What I originally had done to check the keyway was cut the head off of the Taylor SE1 -1022 that I have, ground the tip to match the original end and it went in effortless with lots of wiggle room into all 4 locks. So I made temporary keys like this to fit keys to the locks so when real blanks came along I could just copy the cuts and be done with it, the blanks never arrived. You are thinking if you cut the head off how did you make working keys. I drilled small hole on the original end of the key put tiny split ring in it that acts as a shoulder stopping point and added a larger ring to be able to pull it out. Reminds me of a hand grenade pull pin. Being push key locks you don’t need a head on the key you just put the key in and pull on the shackle. See pictures works effortlessly using the Taylor SE1 - 1022 blank. These locks may not be real Segal keyways so is likely why the 981 doesn’t work out of the box in them.
Now finding out as you say that the Russwin 5981R are suppose to be actually made for Segal and don’t fit these locks wonder of Ilco 1022L will be identically made like 981 and not go into these locks like the Taylor SE1 cut off and reversed do. I don’t have an actual Ilco 1022 to cut off and reversed to check it. Sure would be bad news if I had ordered the Ilco 1022L from ilco at their insane price and they wouldn’t work any better than the real Russwin 5981R I have. Was quoted from Ilco $3.70 each minimum order of 40 and 6 to 8 weeks out for delivery. That total comes to $148.00 plus shipping are they insane?
I was hoping to be able to get blanks that fit perfectly like these reversed Taylor SE1 do but now concerned that Ilco 1022L will not work like the reversed Taylor SE 1 do if they come identical to 5981R. So with all that being said I would like to get at least one real Ilco 1022L to check it but doubt that is going to happen. Wanted to be able to make keys without doing any blank modification on future locks like these I may get or that someone else has that wants me to make keys for them.
As you can see the Blank Comparison of the Taylor SE1 and original Russwin 5981R is very different. If the Ilco 1022L isn’t like the SE1 but reversed it will be no use to me. So hope to get one to try.
Richard
