Intro To Key Making: Georgian Wire Bow

Keys are the building block of every lock. They give important dimensions for the size of the lock and where and how the various parts will fit and interact. Students will learn the basics to making a hollow-stem single-piece forged key. This style is known as a Georgian wire bow. Not only will we cover the steps to form a key, but also making some of the necessary tools to do so. Cold work is an important part of traditional locksmithing. Students will take their rough forgings and file them to shape. Although we are making a particular sized key, the skills and techniques learned in this class can be applied to produce many more keys in other shapes and sizes. Students who have previously taken one of my padlock classes, have my book Basic Handmade Padlock, or are signed up for the Chest Lock class will find this key ideal for those projects. Students in this class should at least be well seasoned beginners that are comfortable in the forge, having taken at least a basic forging class and spent some time practicing the basic skills.

Skills and Techniques:

• Forging to dimension
• Shouldering
• Forging to Round
• Hot Punching
• Drifting
• Tapering
• Heat Treating
• Filing
• Drilling

Materials Fee: $20 Paid directly to the instructor.

Special Tools or Equipment: If students have them: Small Files (roughly 1/2 wide) – round, half round, flat safe edge, outside calipers, small forging hammer (roughly 1” face) in addition to regular forging hammer, stool to sit at the vise

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