Hi
I’m designing my own high security lock and I want to have somebody else built the prototype (some company with CNC or good machines).
I already have the diagrams and I’m finetuning the design with a 3D CAD program.
I need to know what tolerances are most commonly used and what tolerances I can expect from companies such as firstcut or emachineshop (or other you suggest to make my prototype).
I think some parts of the lock will need to be machined with high accuracy (<0.002in) but I don’t know how much could it be.
I don’t know if the accuracy that these companies offer is higher for smaller pieces.
BBE, since you have being working for a lock manufacturer, let me ask you something.
I have designed a mechanical lock that avoids common lockpicking methods.
After studying all patents related to locks I have not found any like mine.
What do you advise me to do?
An international patent is expensive and I don’t know if afterwards someone would be interested.
I could try to sell the idea to an important lock manufacturer (and they would patent it).
They might want to see the diagrams first. In that case, I am afraid they could reject it and later produce it slightly modified.
I could also try to physically build it myself and show (in a contest) the real model to prove that it is difficult to lockpick, hidding its internals. That would also be difficult or expensive though.
(a famous lockpicker that shows his work at youtube has offered himself to make a review)
If I build the model and it works as expected, do you think it would interest anybody?
I live in Spain and most potential buyers would be American (it would be quite expensive to go to USA), British or German.
I need to hire the services of several different manufacturers because I don’t want that one have all the pieces at once.
regards
