Does anyone here have a locksmith they can (personally) recommend ?

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 10, 2013 at 10:23am

This,

Even with the non-ganged single mailboxes the customer key and the letter-carrier master key are two different lock mechanisms.  Usually the customer-access is a door within the larger door of single or gangable mailbox enclosures.   In some larger buildings the letter-carrier access is on the back side of the boxes accessed from a different room or corridor on the other side of the lobby that the customer access is in.  

Mailbox locks are very simple cylinders with a basic L-latch that is held in place onto the door by a locking nut and/or a clip.  An entire new lock can be purchased for around $10 at a home store like Home Despot. 

Cameron 7.5 mi said:

In a lot of apartment boxes where the carrier has one key that opens a whole row of boxes, the carrier's lock mechanism is independent of the residents' locks. Typically when unlocked with the carrier key the whole faceplate pivots leaving the individual doors locked to the faceplate, but exposing the backside of the mechanisms.

h' 1.0 said:

(and-- how would the mail carrier get it open then?)

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 10, 2013 at 10:30am

I would avoid trying to break into the mailbox using a screwdriver and forcing it.

While it would probably not be very  hard to get the door open the hole that the lock cylinder fits into isn't totally round. It has a flat on it that holds the cylinder from twisting in the hole.  Since most mailbox doors are made of thin aluminum this flat is easily damaged and it is hard to repair it.  Once damaged the lock will easily twist and not only will be very easy to break into in the future but it will often get twisted just from the regular opening/closing of the doors so that it wont stay latched sometimes when the letter-carrier slams the master door shut, spilling all the mail out.

There is a door like that 2 slots down in my condo mailbox and the door is hanging open every few weeks with the mail spilled out on the floor.  The letter carrier doesn't want to deal with it and just leaves it like that.  It's something you might want to avoid. 

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Permalink Reply by Dave Grossman on April 10, 2013 at 11:33am

Rite Lock and Safe in Skokie.  They have been in town for about 60 years.  They are legit.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 10, 2013 at 12:59pm

Strange how simple statements can be misconstrued sometimes, and when they do, the assumption is always complete idiocy on the part of the person asking.

I was not suggesting "forcing" the lock with a screwdriver-- just that if there is part of the key in it it may turn with minimal effort.

My question as to how the mail carrier would open the lock was not whether they had a key (?DUH?) or how mailbox locks work, but how they would get it in the lock if there is already a piece of key in there.

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Permalink Reply by Far'arned Retrogrumpalunkus #63 on April 10, 2013 at 1:27pm

Sorry Howard,  it's a bad habit.

25 years working in construction and in various repair jobs has led me to, "the assumption is always complete idiocy on the part of the user."  Most people wouldn't believe how much stuff gets ruined or seriously damaged by the liberal application of way too much force where it wasn't warranted or remotely needed. 

Keys are pretty strong metal items that can withstand a lot of abuse.  The fact that it got broken/bent off in a lock is already a poor jumping-off point when it comes to gorilla-handling.  Best to err on the side of caution with warnings. 

Least common denominator... 

As for how the letter-carrier can still get in, they don't use the same lock or door.   They have a master key that opens up a master lock in a master door to access multi-gang mailboxes, and single mailboxes are usually "door within a door" type too with a secondary master lock that opens up the whole front of the mailbox, user-key & door included. 

The letter carrier carries a small key ring of a limited number of master keys.  Most of that number is not even their master keys to get into the boxes but those to open up the "gate" as all doorbell buzzers have a special keyhole in them that they put their special key into which allows the door to "buzz" them into the lobby to access indoor mailboxes in many condos. 

h' 1.0 said:

Strange how simple statements can be misconstrued sometimes, and when they do, the assumption is always complete idiocy on the part of the person asking.

I was not suggesting "forcing" the lock with a screwdriver-- just that if there is part of the key in it it may turn with minimal effort.

My question as to how the mail carrier would open the lock was not whether they had a key (?DUH?) or how mailbox locks work, but how they would get it in the lock if there is already a piece of key in there.

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Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on April 10, 2013 at 1:57pm

Oh.  Got it. Thanks.

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