It’s been nearly a decade since the first proof-of-concept demos showing that keys could be reproduced on 3D printers from distant, angled photos surfaced, and six years since the first parametric Openscad models that could turn easy key-measurements into working house-keys appeared.
There have been a lot of exciting developments in 3D printed keys in the years since.
Now, Dave Pedu has released another Openscad model that can produce any ubiquitous Kwitset house-key from a photo using easy-to-enter parameters on a 3D printer.
I’ve seen a bunch of kiosks that produce keys on demand from photos or keys, and I assume they work the same way.
Rather than simply duplicating an existing key, [Dave] created a parametric key blank in OpenSCAD; he just enters his pin settings and the model generator creates the print file. He printed ABS on a glass plate with a schmeer of acetone on it, and .15mm layer heights. Another reason [Dave] chose Kwikset is that the one he had was super old and super loose — he theorizes that a newer, tighter lock might simply break the key.So, a reminder: Don’t post a picture of your keys on the socials since at this point it’s certainly possible to script the entire process from selecting a picture to pulling the key off the print bed.
3D-PRINTED KWIKSET KEYS PARAMETRICALLY
[John Baichtal/Hackaday]