Classic Rotary Phones Forum

Telephone Talk => Flea Market/Yard Sale/Antique Store/Thrift Store Finds => Topic started by: kleenax on February 06, 2018, 09:59:06 AM

Title: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 06, 2018, 09:59:06 AM
My wooden crate that I keep my 21B locks in disintegrated.......What a mess!
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: HarrySmith on February 06, 2018, 10:07:02 AM
WOW! That is a lot of locks! Just put a shovel full or two in a box and send them to me :D
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: tallguy58 on February 08, 2018, 06:37:14 PM
I'll take one if you have a Northern. LOL
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: ..... on February 08, 2018, 06:49:20 PM
I think I said this somewhere else but, Maybe you could return them to Keil Lock Co for a new crate of locks.  ;D
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 08, 2018, 11:32:17 PM
Quote from: tallguy58 on February 08, 2018, 06:37:14 PM
I'll take one if you have a Northern. LOL
Uh, Bill; 21B locks ARE Northerns ;-)
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: AE_Collector on February 08, 2018, 11:40:25 PM
So are they upper locks for NE 3 Slot phones, All keyed the same?

Terry
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 09, 2018, 09:27:58 AM
Quote from: AE_Collector on February 08, 2018, 11:40:25 PM
So are they upper locks for NE 3 Slot phones, All keyed the same?

Terry
Yessir; 21B
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: ..... on February 09, 2018, 11:43:27 AM
So the next question Ray would be....

Are you selling them and if so, how much each and in bulk?  ;)
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: AE_Collector on February 09, 2018, 11:48:05 AM
are 21B keys readily available or not so much? I think I have two or three 21B keys here somewhere.

Terry
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: ..... on February 09, 2018, 12:08:27 PM
Quote from: AE_Collector on February 09, 2018, 11:48:05 AM
are 21B keys readily available or not so much? I think I have two or three 21B keys here somewhere.

Terry

I have a couple here as well.
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: TelePlay on February 09, 2018, 12:28:02 PM
Quote from: AE_Collector on February 09, 2018, 11:48:05 AM
are 21B keys readily available or not so much? I think I have two or three 21B keys here somewhere.

They run around $20 plus shipping on eBay when they do show up. Here are the current listings for these keys. I paid about that for a 21B key about 2 years ago so the price is stable, somewhat.
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: tallguy58 on February 09, 2018, 03:03:11 PM
Quote from: kleenax on February 08, 2018, 11:32:17 PM
Uh, Bill; 21B locks ARE Northerns ;-)

Was being funny. LOL
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: Payphone installer on February 09, 2018, 04:11:25 PM
They are from the Paul Vaerchack estate,he was a lock collector that's where the wood crates came from also. I believe those are the bad ones aren't they Ray? I remember seeing them on one of my visits. I also got a bunch of broken ones from him.
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 09, 2018, 07:29:22 PM
Quote from: Payphone installer on February 09, 2018, 04:11:25 PM
They are from the Paul Vaerchack estate,he was a lock collector that's where the wood crates came from also. I believe those are the bad ones aren't they Ray? I remember seeing them on one of my visits. I also got a bunch of broken ones from him.

Hey James;

some of them are bad, but most are good. He always HATED 21B locks for some reason, so he'd make me buy some whenever I visited. I remember once he brought out a 5-gallon bucket about 3/4 full of em for me! How could I resist! They're like single-slots; sooner or later, they will be in NEED! ;-)

In the last 2 yrs or so of his life, he started "pushing" a lot of stuff off on Gene and I for WAY low prices (sometimes free).
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: Payphone installer on February 10, 2018, 07:56:05 AM
These are the only locks that will fit in a A/E vault with the right modification to the key. Jim
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 10, 2018, 08:20:17 AM
Quote from: Payphone installer on February 10, 2018, 07:56:05 AM
These are the only locks that will fit in a A/E vault with the right modification to the key. Jim

Yes, and I can do that; no problem. You also have to shave about 1/16" off of the mounting bars too, but that's it.
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: AE_Collector on February 10, 2018, 11:41:35 AM
More info please!

I know that AE 3 slot payphones had standard 29S locks in the upper and I have not encountered any 8nstances of local Telcos having their own specific version of the lock and key. But of course the vaults were all keyed uniquely. What is the type of lick original to AE 3 Slot phones?

21B locks will fit as replacements for AE vaults? Thus someone could equip the vault doors on all their AE 3 Slot phones with these locks and use a 21B key for the vault? What is the modification and why?

This can solve missing keys for the original unique vault locks and help prevent future loss of keys from locking you out of your AE phones.

Terry
Title: Re: Crate of 21B top locks
Post by: kleenax on February 11, 2018, 06:32:51 AM
Quote from: AE_Collector on February 10, 2018, 11:41:35 AM
More info please!

I know that AE 3 slot payphones had standard 29S locks in the upper and I have not encountered any 8nstances of local Telcos having their own specific version of the lock and key. But of course the vaults were all keyed uniquely. What is the type of lick original to AE 3 Slot phones?

21B locks will fit as replacements for AE vaults? Thus someone could equip the vault doors on all their AE 3 Slot phones with these locks and use a 21B key for the vault? What is the modification and why?

This can solve missing keys for the original unique vault locks and help prevent future loss of keys from locking you out of your AE phones.

Terry
The AE coin vault lock is the 10L, which are uniquely keyed, and not that common (or cheap). Paul Vaverchak taught me a way to utilize the MUCH more common NE 21B key for the AE vault door lock with only a few modifications. Remember, the 21B is the all-keyed-the-same top lock for Northern Electric 3-slot phones.

I don't have photos right now, but basically it simply involves some simple work with your dremel tool to place an additional groove in the 21B key so that it will turn in the AE vault door. And the other grinding you will have to do is to take about 1/8" off of the ends of those little 10L lock bars that come with a 10L lock so that the 21B lock can be positioned perfectly in place of the 10L on the back of the vault door.

If you do this little mod, and also utilize a 21B for the top lock of your AE 3-slot, you only require 1 single key to open your entire phone. Certainly it's not "proper", but it works just fine, and your phone looks and works "proper"!

AND, if any of you have any original AE 10L locks, I am looking for them please!