Lock Notes: Chelsea, Regent, and Saratoga Mailbox Locks ("Architectural Mailboxes")

UPDATE (7/30/14): somebody brought in a key to be duplicated and a sample mail box lock to try it out with. Duke found a safe key (like the Ilco #SY4) seemed to work; more experimentation needed since this one goes for $10 each (!).

UPDATE (10/14/14): a sample mailbox lock was brought and we had time to experiment. We found that the Taylor #M73N blank (Ilco #HF9) will work for this blank IF ~.020 inches is cut from the bottom of the blank [you can do this by setting it in the Framon machine bottom side up (as far as the mills will let it go in; do NOT allow it to bottom out) and cutting across the bottom to a height of .271"].

Specs for cutting to factory specs (as we have no code series for this...yet):

1st cut: .190"
Spacing: .119"
1. .241
2. .220
3. .202

Towards the end of January 2014, somebody brought in a "mailbox key" to be duplicated. After much searching we happened upon an old Taylor# T66W blank (replaced by Ilco's # TP3 [note from 10/2/14: Ilco's TP3 blank does NOT work very well with this, unless it is ground down on both sides, the same being true for the AG1 blank suggested by IDN H Hoffman])*. Here is what the keys look like:

*UPDATE (10/2/14): In the Fall 2014 edition of the IDN-H. Hoffman newsletter, in the article "Ask the Key Wizard", somebody asked, "What key blank should I use for a Sienna Mailbox lock?" Their answer:"Try the Ilco AG1 which is also the SIlca AGE3." Upon researching the Sienna mailbox lock, I found it under another company's web site with the following logo:

...which as one can see is a spitting image of the logo on the original keys in the picture above. On the following page (http://www.architecturalmailboxes.com/products/wall-mount-mailboxes/sienna/default.aspx), I found a picture of one of their mailbox locks in use (and you can see it looks similar to the ones we have pictured later on in this article), along with a list of "Wall Mount Mailbox" models which included "Chelsea", "Regent", "Saratoga", and "Siena".

When it is found whether or not Ilco's AG1 works on this mailbox, PLEASE make note of it here.