Easily Create An Emergency Spare Key In 5 Minutes

How many times have you thought about making a spare key, but never followed through? How many times have you lost a key in your house or at a friend's place then had to have one made from scratch by a locksmith? They're not cheap to get made. Well, now there's a solution that won't cost you hardly anything and can be done in five minutes, depending on your skill at cutting metal. If you keep these simple materials on hand, you won't have to agonize the next time you lose or misplace one of your keys.

Here's the materials you'll need: sturdy scissors, clear tape, the top of a metal can, a lighter and the key you want copied.

[Image Source : Dave Hax,Youtube]

Step 1: Take the key you want to copy and place a flame from the lighter underneath it. Be careful not to burn your fingers. Get the key nice and hot.
Step 2: After you've sufficiently heated the key, place a piece of tape on top of the hot key. Press down hard then remove the tape. You'll see a black outline of the key appear on the tape.
Step 3: Put the tape securely onto the metal can piece.
Step 4: Carefully cut out the shape of the key using scissors. Be careful not to cut your fingers on the metal while you're doing this. Also, when you cut the grooved outlines of the key shape, do this very slowly and deliberately. This step is crucial to get right. 

Tip: This method works for padlock style keys that are small. Also, after you've cut out your key, turn it slowly in the lock and try not to twist it too fast. The metal is very thin, so you must be careful not to tear it when turning it inside the lock.

To see a step-by-step video tutorial, here you go:

Article written by Leah Stephens. She is a writer, artist, and experimenter. She recently self-published her first book, Un-Crap Your Life. You can follow her on Twitter or Medium.

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