Cutter Wheel Didn't Seem to Last Long
Several things can cause this to happen.
1. The cutter will last the longest if it only duplicates brass keys.
2.
Premium quality Nickel-Silver key blanks are abrasive to the cutter wheel and will dull the
cutter more rapidly than brass keys. Here's what you can do to get the maximum life out of
your cutter wheel on these premium blanks
a).
Duplicate them a little slower. Racing through the job, especially in large
rekeying jobs will put more wear on the cutter wheel than going a little slower. The
machine's high-speed "stick-shift" feature, extremely powerful motor and extra large
diameter cutter are a real temptation to push the machine faster and faster.
b). You should charge a little bit more money for cutting premium key blanks and
put that difference aside for the purchase of a new cutter.
3. You really cut more keys than you thought you did. Often we calculate how many months the
cutter lasted instead of how many keys you cut. If you really want to know how long your cutter
lasted—keep an accurate inventory of your key blanks—or put a simple mechanical counter on
your key machine and you'll be surprised with results.
4. You cut steel keys. You can cut them, but we don't recommend it. No question about it—steel keys are
hard on cutters....period!
5. You cut a beautiful brand new Automotive "Presentation" key that the customer brought in.
You
cut the key and "toasted" the cutter.
What you cut was a Gold plated hardened steel key.
They're out there—they were made by mistake sometime ago and they continue to surface from
time to time. Best thing to do is:
a). Never cut a key that's brought in by your customer. Cut only what you know
and make sure it always comes from YOUR inventory.
b). Place a small magnet near your key machine. Test any key that's suspicious—
if it's magnetic its not brass or Nickely-Silver..period.
Cutter Wobbles
This situation may be caused by a key cutting on the face of the cuter shaft preventing the cutter wheel
from seating properly. Fix it by removing the cutter wheel and cleaning all the surfaces and
reinstalling the cutter wheel. If the cutter wheel still wobbles its time to replace the cutter shaft
assembly with a new one. REMEMBER: Cutter wheel is secured with a Left-Hand Nut. You must
"tighten" to loosen.
Cutter Leaves Big Burrs on Cut Keys
A sharp cutter requires almost no deburring. A dull cutter requires a lot of deburring. A dull cutter
seems to make the keys "float" and you're always "force-feeding" the keys into the stylus and cutter
wheel. Replace the cutter or get it resharpened.
My Resharpened Cutter Doesn't Work Well
You probably didn't have it reground—instead you went to a service that used a different means
such as etching or striking. Simply put.. .your cutter wheel should always be sharpened by
grinding—and you need a quality service to do it right.
I'm Mobile and My Power Converter Won't Work
Your 115 VAC motor needs a mobile generator to work. Power converters work fine on electric
drills, TV's and radios—not split phase capacitor motors. Buy a Redi-Line or similar generator and
you'll get the performance you need.
I'm Mobile and My Machine Won't Cut Keys
You have your 12 Volt D.C. motor running in reverse. Reverse your motor wire connections and
you'11 be O.K.
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