Josh-the-Locksmith
25 Years Experience
Austin, TX
Male, 46
I've been a locksmith since 1998. I did automotive residential & commercial work from 1998 to 2008. From 2008 to 2018, I did some residential, but mostly commercial work. I have been project managing & estimating since 2018. I used to locksmith in the Chicago area, now the Austin area.
Being that I don't know exactly what kind of application you are dealing with, I can only give you some ideas. First off, I've never seen a padlock hasp material that can't be cut with a grinder. What you need to find is something pick-resistant, and something that hides that shackle so bolt cutters and a grinder can't even GET to it. Just for some ideas- https://youtu.be/L6iMmCSayBQDepending on the design of the hasp, a "hockey puck" padlock might be an option. Mul-T-Lock makes a pick-resistant one with restricted keys. Look up model KW-TR100. Other brands make similar more inexpensive ones such as Abus & Master.
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Haha there’s no such thing as a “key that will open anything”. That’s some terrible information, whoever told you that. You can’t lock your landlord out, they own the property. If they find that you have changed the lock without their permission, they have the ability to charge you to correct the problem, assuming that is in the contract you signed. They make privacy deadbolts that allow you to lock the door from the inside with no way to access it from the outside. It’s called a one-sided deadbolt. They require them on all rental properties here in Texas for that very purpose, for privacy so your landlord doesn’t walk in on you. You could request 1 that your landlord let you get 1 of those installed?
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Not usually, but you might be able to get it duplicated onto a new key.
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“Can I fix it myself” that’s something only you can answer. You can do anything with enough determination. Since I don’t know what kind of lock you have, I can’t offer any tips. Just some good practices to follow if you do try it yourself- Take pictures, take something apart. Take more pictures, take another piece off. Etc. To find a reputable locksmith in your area, try using findalocksmith.com. It’s owned by the most reputable locksmith association in America.
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I assume you have a glass and aluminum storefront door. You can replace that inside keyed cylinder with a thumb turn, they are very inexpensive, usually $10-15. Labor time is 2-5 min. You can have a locksmith come out and do it for you, or probably YouTube it if you’re trying to save yourself money. https://youtu.be/nJT0moSoNJM
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Anything is possible. It may require some modifications though. The fact that the wire comes into the safe so high above the lock is what seems questionable to me. normally that's probably where the dial spindle would come though, and that's quite a distance above the lock. You may want to call your local locksmith and find someone who does a lot of safe work. Send them that photo, safe brand and model, maybe even a picture of the front as well, and see if they would be willing to tackle it. Some conversions are quick and simple, I wouldn't say that one will be.
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Yes you should be able to do that.
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