Small, but very important

Depositing new metal to an antique may easily be more trouble than it is worth. But I do have a couple of suggestions.

First, your problem may not be with this electronic key. You may have too much of an oxide layer on the contacts of the safe's key reader. You might wish to fabricate a contact cleaning card of the same physical dimensions as this key. Strategic use of mild abrasives and/or contact cleaning solvents can break down the contacts insulating layer and permit communication. I believe you will find this your most productive solution.

Along this vein, you might just have some bent or broken contacts on the safe's key reader. These circumstances will require your destructive approach.

Before plating new metal on the key's contacts, you might consider using a conductive paint or a layer of solder on the contacts. This will be a temporary repair for this will not be as durable as the original contacts and will oxidize much quicker.

Lastly, you can attempt to do a repair yourself using a circuit repair kit. This will be more durable than the paint or solder approach but also less durable than the original key.

But I would be hesitant to send your pass key to anyone but a reputable locksmith who knows this type of key.

Well, it is likely that the manufacturer told the buyer what they were buying.

They may have had a contract.

"You don't pay, we don't play."

I myself in one case stopped working for a particular company because they simply didn't understand all of the issues involved.

In my case some of them were life and death issues, which is different than an expensive inconvience.

If I was building an electronically controlled safe, I may very well think that putting the power for it, inside the safe, was a good idea.

In my experience somebody comes along and says, "We don't need them anymore, one of our guys will take care of it."

In the case of my particular job, the woman I had dealt with started saying stuff, like, "My husband says, you don't really need to do that."

She was very nice looking with very green eyes.

I've told this story before. The long and short of it is I did not say, "You're f##king husband doesn't know sh**t about this."

Later, too late in my opinion, I get a call, "We have an emergency!"

I say, "Call this number. They may or may not take care of it. They know what they are doing. The price will likely be 4 times as much, and I hope so...at the least."

-actually the last quotes are closer than I like, but the suggestion is that you actually see if the original people who created these things will help you out.

-just a thought.

GA Garth (did you realize that your name is (a) GArth!!)

I wanted to say that. If they had replaced all the batteries on a planned regular basis, the problem would have been solved (never happened!)

Old German say:- "He saves money no matter what it costs!"

Maybe I am reading it wrongly, but I (still) understood low battery power was the problem....

We have 7 buildings in which the safes are located, and we do engage in preventative maintainence in switching out the batteries, every 6 months. Most batteries that we have seen, last for up to one year and also, some rooms are not in use at all times, some stay vacant for some time, but the problem with the batteries that we have found is that all batteries are not all created equal in power, of the same manufacturing and 'burn' out more quickly. We use exclusively, alkaline batteries for their durablity. The batteries operate at a level of 6 volts and are rendered useless below 2.9 volts when in use. This power is utilized through a solenoid via the PC board. We have found, through time, that the following creates premature failures in battery power: Lot's of small children are fascinated with buttons and play with the finger keypad (10 digits to select the numerical input code); sometimes a short develops in the finger operated keypad to where the finger digit microbutton is fused from too much pressure of being depressed too hard or too often, also due to corrosion or of lesser quality workmanship, which sometimes does slip by quality control of the manufacturer, or a failure in the PC board, solenoid, or the microswitch which engages the power itself. Also, physical damage to the face of the keypad created by unknowns. The digit keypad itself is where the override key, in which the key is flat physically, is inserted into the bottom, and in order for the hotel security personell to utilize this key to override, is that they have to 'lean' this key, once inserted, forward or backwards in order to make contact within the receiving port. This is when there is sufficient power in the safe batteries for this key. When the power of the batteries inside is low, a smaller PC board with the same demensions as the key, along with a battery pack to 'recharge' the safe batteries is inserted into the digit keypad, it also has a port for the key to be inserted to engage the override feature. The key has two 'faces' of contact, one on each side of the key, and must make contact with the two' faces' of contact inside the port in order to open up the safe, to recharge the batteries and at the same time, to override the code entry. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. Then they have to call me to open the safe by seperating the digit keypad from the safe and 'fooling' the PC board inside. All of this creates damage to the consumeable parts when I have to open up the safe door, to which the broken parts have to be replaced. I have done all the repairs and servicing of these safes outside of the manufacturer tech support for many years, learning on my own, and very knowledgeable of the intimate workings of the way they work. Thank you very much for your reply. Bob

I don't know what such a safe costs in the US, but around €50 here or around$60 or so....surely just replacing them is the answer.....

The modern ones (that I have seen here) come with a master key (each safe has its own) that opens the safe in the event of a low battery or forgotten keycode.....

I know that because many total idiots store the key in the safe, then you have to cut open the safe!!! It makes a livlihood for many companies!!!

Look you...Stop being so logical

There are those who need to justify their existance by fixing things that should never have broke..

But you're right...a bit of PM would go a long way to making this easier.

The clients would be happy too.

Regards,
Sapper

Actually it looks like I was wrong

Ham fisted little kids & idiots can screw up anything, no matter how good the planning

Yeah, but I have to admit I have seen evidence and protocols that made the show go on.

I did do many jobs in the job of a stagehand.

It was protocol to put brand new batteries in everything that needed them prior to the show, and throw them out, or give them away at the end of the show, regardless of what might be left in them afterwards.

That's an excellent idea! I have 2 other keys with microchips inside, but they are useless because they were first used for the original 'mapping' and encoding of the PC boards upon the first time installation. (Old technology) I could cut off the business end off of these keys and meld the plastic portions together and solder the contacts together. Thanks so much for this workable idea.

To add to Sapper's suggestion of using a pencil eraser (that has an oil), use a dry eraser, otherwise known as a typewriter eraser. Usually white in color.

I reread your posts and the posts of the thread. It would appear that I engaged in what is known as "Transference", and was really offbase. I congratulate others for doing better.

A variation of bush plating called pen plating is usually used for this.

Try these links:

http://www.sra-solder.com/pen_plating.htm

http://www.contenti.com/products/plating/350-734.html

http://www.intertronics.co.uk/products/chun.htm

bioramani