didn't things just look nicer in the good old days.

Gary Stephenson

was sorting through some old keys and locks, nothing out of the ordinary fancy, just standard stuff, but it was just made and finished nicer than modern stuff, even the cylinder key.
And the chubb lead seal, on the key packet, I also have some wax sealed chubb key packets.

Gary Stephenson

will try again

Arcade Al

I have a refurbed Manifoil in a specially made canvas bag with drawstring holes that’s sealed in a similar fashion.

Gary Stephenson

I have seen the aed cords on chubb safes and strongrooms terminated with the lead seals to stop them unravelling, memory suggests I might even have one of these hand clamps somewhere.

Huw Eastwood

Gary Stephenson wrote
I have seen the aed cords on chubb safes and strongrooms terminated with the lead seals to stop them unravelling, memory suggests I might even have one of these hand clamps somewhere.

There’s some really nice keys in that photo Gary.
You mentioning the crimping pliers for AED wires and Al the kit bags for Manifoils brought back memories for me.

When I think back Re-wiring relockers, although very infrequent, was probably one of my most dreaded tasks. You’d look at the manufacturers perfect crimps (no matter how powerful the compressed Spring was! Some on Bankers safes could launch you to the moon) and I’d always be thinking are mine going to hold as good or will it very slowly start to slip through…
Neednt have worried, never did have one fail but that was probably down to me crimping about 6 ferrules on instead of 2!

Have never seen those Lead seals used for Chubb keys before, but have seen hundreds of the Manifoils like Al has.

Going back the Rebuilt detector locks were also re-issued in slightly smaller versions, but the Merseys always boxed with the polystyrene packing pieces.

[unknown]

Paul Prescott

Huw - is that a Fotherigham key machine just out of shot in the second picture ?

Huw Eastwood

oldlock wrote
Huw - is that a Fotherigham key machine just out of shot in the second picture ?

Well spotted oldlock it is indeed a Fotheringham Blades Vectis- had it from new

[unknown]

Paul Prescott

Any chance of a piccy ?

When I was a sprog the first place I worked had one of those and I expect it’s still going strong !

Huw Eastwood

oldlock wrote
Any chance of a piccy ?

When I was a sprog the first place I worked had one of those and I expect it’s still going strong !

Here ya go, thought it was just me that had a soft spot for these! I heard many didnt get on with all the fiddly adjustments, but it’s that and it’s build that makes it so great. We also had an old Mancuna and a massive 350SL? Keden, but always found myself using this. Brilliant all-rounder, Rolls Royce-like build and equally at home cutting the tiniest finest wards or a Chatwood double bitted that’s two foot long. It’s having a well deserved retirement break these days, gets about 5 or 10 mins use a year now!

[unknown]

Tom Gordon

Huw Eastwood wrote
Here ya go, thought it was just me that had a soft spot for these! I heard many didnt get on with all the fiddly adjustments, but it’s that and it’s build that makes it so great. We also had an old Mancuna and a massive 350SL? Keden, but always found myself using this. Brilliant all-rounder, Rolls Royce-like build and equally at home cutting the tiniest finest wards or a Chatwood double bitted that’s two foot long. It’s having a well deserved retirement break these days, gets about 5 or 10 mins use a year now!
[ATTACH=CONFIG]17502[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]17503[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]17504[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]17505[/ATTACH]

I still use mine for cutting a key to a lock, warded, bulleted, long, etc.
When I went to collect my new machine, Mr Fothers made me 2 covers to stop swarf getting onto the slides -10 minutes and perfect, even painted to match -you would never realise that they hadnt been designed, prototyped, tested and refined before manufacture. And then he asked if I wanted to buy a second machine, but despite his sales enthuisiasm, I couldnt work out how to operate two at the same time.

[unknown]

Paul Prescott

Hmm, not quite the same (from memory) I have a vague recollection that the one I used was a very early one sold to a few members of the then GLMLA.

It had longer spokes and the advance / withdraw handle was on the right with the motor underneath.

Tom Gordon

I think he offered me a left handed machine - it might have been the old one!

Gary Stephenson

Found that seal crimper;

Huw Eastwood

And it’s a Chubb too, that’s pretty cool Gary there can’t be that many of those around it’s certainly an unusual bit of kit to have!