Home security

A few hints and tips on improving home security based on bitter experience.






For a quick way to produce seals on an A4 sheet of sticky labels, see:
SEAL.XLS and SEAL2.XLS. Axes may need rescaling - add axis labels back and rescale. Also: CELTKNOT.XLS and SEALBAKE.XLS.


Pic of Yale lock blanks - one five-pin, one six-pin, with five 'mice' - one tied to one of the blanks, four 'used':


Another warning on using Yale keyhole blanks with mice - they don't just get caught on pin holes. If you get them wrong, they can get stuck because of the pins. Pins behind and pins in front come down. At that point, they won't go forward, and they won't go back. You then have to pick at them for ages with a needle to move them. Test them in barrel only before assembling into complete lock! Then, when you're confident, test them in the complete lock before installing it!
When using bullets on deadlocks, you have to bear in mind all lever 'legs' on the key before you decide on the bullet arrangement. Otherwise you may have a design requiring you to file off part of the top of one lever 'leg'.
When working with non-expanded sheet polystyrene, all you have to do to cut it to shape is score it and snap it. No need to plough numerous furrows until you cut through. Really simple. Really easy. Really quick.
Plastic weld (dichloromethane liquid) is just a solvent for polystyrene. You use an old paintbrush to paint it along a join. The two edges melt together. It's quick. But, it does take a while before it is fully set. And, it doesn't penetrate too far in between the pieces (if flats together, for example). For larger areas, use superglue gel. May be advisable to make a bottle stand for it - I've knocked at least two over. Very depressing. Especially when it's old, as you end up with a solution of plastic, which will be deposited permanently over whatever it falls on, once it has evaporated - which it does very quickly.
Diagram of inside of a five-lever deadlock is based on the diagram in 'The paper locksmith', by Rob Ives. Publ: Tarquin, 1997. ISBN: 1-899618-03-1. Original price: GBP4.50. May be discontinued, now.