Why are all the good posts so old?

[Commander J. Bloodmaker]

lasers are one of the most influential technologies ever created. Also unique in that it is truly man made, not occurring in nature. I don't know that I would call it useless.

I spent 30 years as a top locksmith, now retired/disabled. not sure which is more fun.

Im gonna say laser for 1000. Lock picking is ok, but you cant light a smoke with a pick. Lol. I dabble in picking. Only up to two security pins at the moment.

You forget nature makes the most powerful laser ever!!! an we can't make it yet!! THE GAMMA LASER!!!! lol. Nature makes 'em so big, a small one would wipe out all life on earth at best, and 99% of all life at worst. I would love to have a gamma laser. An that is from light years away. lol

 

[icecruncher]

Im gonna say laser for 1000. Lock picking is ok, but you cant light a smoke with a pick. Lol. I dabble in picking. Only up to two security pins at the moment.

Lock picking was a VERY small part of being a locksmith! I worked on vaults and safes. I worked on alarm systems, I worked on locks and keys. I have done work for all the 3 letter government groups, in addition to making keys for most types of cars. I have done work at celebrities homes and worked on opening walls of safe deposit boxes.

Locksmithing is much more than just "picking locks". In fact over 50% of any locksmiths normal work is just rekeying locks. (making a new key, fit an old lock) and a good portion is installing locks. But, how about creating a 4 level master key system, where the owner has a single key that fits every store and every lock, but each store manager has his own key, that fits every door in only his building. Along with each store employee having keys that only open what they need to, but maintenance has keys that fit all the buildings and all the doors except the store managers offices in each building and HR, etc. We did those kind of things every day.

We could be called and asked to open a store the manager lost their keys to and needed to be set up for work an hour ago. Or bypassing a keyless entry system or mag lock on the door.

Or opening an ATM machine, or a money drop machine at a gas station. Or removing the king pin lock off an 18 wheeler. Or changing the safe combos on all the Kaba X-07 electronic safes for all the marshals in the courthouse. Every day was different. I once was called to the airport to make keys for a jet airplane gas cap they lost keys to. Or opening crack houses and watching the police take them away. Regularly did work on evictions and worked with the tax collectors - locking people out of buildings.

Knowing that you can open/bypass almost any door and any lock is awesome. But also dangerous. You have to be licensed and bonded and fingerprinted and have a clean record to work on much of this.

 

[bulukaki]

Lock picking was a VERY small part of being a locksmith! I worked on vaults and safes. I worked on alarm systems, I worked on locks and keys. I have done work for all the 3 letter government groups, in addition to making keys for most types of cars. I have done work at celebrities homes and worked on opening walls of safe deposit boxes.

Locksmithing is much more than just "picking locks". In fact over 50% of any locksmiths normal work is just rekeying locks. (making a new key, fit an old lock) and a good portion is installing locks. But, how about creating a 4 level master key system, where the owner has a single key that fits every store and every lock, but each store manager has his own key, that fits every door in only his building. Along with each store employee having keys that only open what they need to, but maintenance has keys that fit all the buildings and all the doors except the store managers offices in each building and HR, etc. We did those kind of things every day.

We could be called and asked to open a store the manager lost their keys to and needed to be set up for work an hour ago. Or bypassing a keyless entry system or mag lock on the door.

Or opening an ATM machine, or a money drop machine at a gas station. Or removing the king pin lock off an 18 wheeler. Or changing the safe combos on all the Kaba X-07 electronic safes for all the marshals in the courthouse. Every day was different. I once was called to the airport to make keys for a jet airplane gas cap they lost keys to. Or opening crack houses and watching the police take them away. Regularly did work on evictions and worked with the tax collectors - locking people out of buildings.

Knowing that you can open/bypass almost any door and any lock is awesome. But also dangerous. You have to be licensed and bonded and fingerprinted and have a clean record to work on much of this.

I've always been fascinated by locks and lockpicking. It surely is a weird feeling, understanding that the backbone of our society's security system mostly relies on small pins and springs (also other small, metal bits).

 

[danielcrawfo30]

I think all the good posts are old because forums aren't as popular as they used to be.

 

[icecruncher]

I've always been fascinated by locks and lockpicking. It surely is a weird feeling, understanding that the backbone of our society's security system mostly relies on small pins and springs (also other small, metal bits).

yup and most cuts on keys only vary typically by 15 thousandths of an inch (.015")

But, I'm very sorry for going so far off topic Please excuse the tangent!

Re: Good Posts - I'm sure Covid has also messed with the lives of many people and what they spend time doing, laser forums included.

Good posts still happen from time to time if you keep your eyes open

 

[Commander J. Bloodmaker]

yup and most cuts on keys only vary typically by 15 thousandths of an inch (.015")

But, I'm very sorry for going so far off topic Please excuse the tangent!

Re: Good Posts - I'm sure Covid has also messed with the lives of many people and what they spend time doing, laser forums included.

Good posts still happen from time to time if you keep your eyes open

Oh its my post, drift as far as ya want. I was reading with interest. Lol. Always wanted to be able to crack safes like some secret agent. So far i can do cheapo security locks. I started learning because I do maintence. Please continue!!! I wanna hear your crazy stories.

 

[icecruncher]

Oh its my post, drift as far as ya want. I was reading with interest. Lol. Always wanted to be able to crack safes like some secret agent. So far i can do cheapo security locks. I started learning because I do maintence. Please continue!!! I wanna hear your crazy stories.

If you open safes as part of your job, you will find that they rarely have anything in them. However, the very first safe I drilled and opened in Texas was full of stuff. Silver spurs, Guns, old coins, money, medals and an antique gold Hamilton pocket watch. The gentleman I opened it for was very nice and appreciative that I opened it and on finding all the things in it. I was all excited about it especially being my first one to open. He came to the shop to pick up the contents when I wasn't there, so the shop owner gave him all the contents. He came back to the shop the next day and gave me the Hamilton pocket watch as a gift. I still have it.

Creepiest thing was having to rekey all the doors in a mental institution that was shut down and being sold. The building had been closed a few months. No one there and there were several padded rooms I had to do.

First few years I did lots of after hours work and its amazing how stupid drunk people are. I'd get calls, multiple times at 3 in the morning. People wanting keys for their car or pretending they were the owner of the car or the house they wanted to get in. Or being asked to open a car and the person didn't want to pay. So I'd throw the keys back in the car and lock it back up. We would sometimes get burglars calling, asking us to open a house for them. Funny, but I was required to always checked ID so it didn't go very far.

We had a situation where we rekeyed a home about 7 times in a divorce proceeding. Husband call and lock wife out, then the wife would call and lock the husband out.

I regularly did a couple armored car companies facilities. With armed guards everywhere and money up to your shoulders. I also regularly did a county jail facility including the evidence lockers.

Saddest things was rekeying the county animal shelter and seeing piles and piles of dead dogs and cats ready to be incinerated. .

 

[Commander J. Bloodmaker]

If you open safes as part of your job, you will find that they rarely have anything in them. However, the very first safe I drilled and opened in Texas was full of stuff. Silver spurs, Guns, old coins, money, medals and an antique gold Hamilton pocket watch. The gentleman I opened it for was very nice and appreciative that I opened it and on finding all the things in it. I was all excited about it especially being my first one to open. He came to the shop to pick up the contents when I wasn't there, so the shop owner gave him all the contents. He came back to the shop the next day and gave me the Hamilton pocket watch as a gift. I still have it.

Creepiest thing was having to rekey all the doors in a mental institution that was shut down and being sold. The building had been closed a few months. No one there and there were several padded rooms I had to do.

First few years I did lots of after hours work and its amazing how stupid drunk people are. I'd get calls, multiple times at 3 in the morning. People wanting keys for their car or pretending they were the owner of the car or the house they wanted to get in. Or being asked to open a car and the person didn't want to pay. So I'd throw the keys back in the car and lock it back up. We would sometimes get burglars calling, asking us to open a house for them. Funny, but I was required to always checked ID so it didn't go very far.

We had a situation where we rekeyed a home about 7 times in a divorce proceeding. Husband call and lock wife out, then the wife would call and lock the husband out.

I regularly did a couple armored car companies facilities. With armed guards everywhere and money up to your shoulders. I also regularly did a county jail facility including the evidence lockers.

Saddest things was rekeying the county animal shelter and seeing piles and piles of dead dogs and cats ready to be incinerated. .

I lt would have sucked to be at the animal shelter. Big animal guy here, an my pet pig is pretty big too.
Thats sweet with the watch. Cool customer to give a gift like that, wow!!
Never said smart and criminal go together. Lol. Bet they wigged out you didnt help them rob a house. Lol.
Who the coolest star ya met?

 

[icecruncher]

I lt would have sucked to be at the animal shelter. Big animal guy here, an my pet pig is pretty big too.
Thats sweet with the watch. Cool customer to give a gift like that, wow!!
Never said smart and criminal go together. Lol. Bet they wigged out you didnt help them rob a house. Lol.
Who the coolest star ya met?

We are in the middle of NASCAR country. I rekeyed Jimmie Johnsons' home. Although he wasn't there at the time. Actually only lives about a mile from me. Most celebrities have "people" that do the appts and meet others.

For a while I was rekeying some of the NASCAR shops in Mooresville, NC where most have shops and I'd run into celebrities and drivers along with mechanics from time to time. Some were very cool, a few were total jerks. Like anything.

 

[madmacmo]

What Happened to LPF

Back when it all began the driver for LPF popularity, that daily drew thousands to the LPF forums, was the over night sensation of “powerfull” hand held laser pointers becoming the discussion everywhere on the internet and in the news media.

It was the period where the time was ripe for the phenomenon of powerful multi color handheld laser pointers being made possible by the emerging technology of CD burners and laser projectors coupled with the keen ingenuity of the pioneers of harvesting and repurposing of laser diodes coinciding with the peaking popularity of the Star Wars movies where these early hand held laser pointers were immediately likened to Lightsabers being made available for anyone to own.

Several laser pointer forums sprang up, however it was Avery with his creative marketing insight and forum hosting website building talent that led to the success of LPF over and beyond the others. It was a bit rocky at first, but the word got out quickly, and so began the feverish pitched race for bigger better badass laser pointers by the rapidly growing LPF cult of collective collaboration among the influx of a great number of very knowledgeable, highly imaginative and talented individuals joining the LPF ranks as laser diode harvestors, electronic driver designer fabricators, and those early LED flashlight repurposing builders that put it all together into finished products ready for sale. The hype and the shock and awe drew new members and guests in daily by the thousands.

So what happened for us to find ourselves now the few left here on LPF, with our laser pointers still of no real purpose or needfull use?

There was high drama from the very beginning, members taking sides came and went, trolls came and went, scammers came and went, the Rep system was always a distraction, forum hosting and format upgrades came and went.

What changed is simply the novelty, the interest, and the shock and awe upward curve slowed, peaked and began the downward decline now to where the forums have lost the level of interest that before had always kept LPF moving forward inspite of everything else. Where here and now we are left with no clear path ahead and no apparent standard bearer to lead us forward

 

[Ears and Eggs]

We are in the middle of NASCAR country. I rekeyed Jimmie Johnsons' home. Although he wasn't there at the time. Actually only lives about a mile from me. Most celebrities have "people" that do the appts and meet others.

For a while I was rekeying some of the NASCAR shops in Mooresville, NC where most have shops and I'd run into celebrities and drivers along with mechanics from time to time. Some were very cool, a few were total jerks. Like anything.

Been a NASCAR fan since the early 2000s, that is really cool!.

 

[Commander J. Bloodmaker]

We are in the middle of NASCAR country. I rekeyed Jimmie Johnsons' home. Although he wasn't there at the time. Actually only lives about a mile from me. Most celebrities have "people" that do the appts and meet others.

For a while I was rekeying some of the NASCAR shops in Mooresville, NC where most have shops and I'd run into celebrities and drivers along with mechanics from time to time. Some were very cool, a few were total jerks. Like anything.

Now that is sweet. Im not much for the names, but I love to watch the races. I'd be picking them mechanics brains for performance info. Lol.

What Happened to LPF

Back when it all began the driver for LPF popularity, that daily drew thousands to the LPF forums, was the over night sensation of “powerfull” hand held laser pointers becoming the discussion everywhere on the internet and in the news media.

It was the period where the time was ripe for the phenomenon of powerful multi color handheld laser pointers being made possible by the emerging technology of CD burners and laser projectors coupled with the keen ingenuity of the pioneers of harvesting and repurposing of laser diodes coinciding with the peaking popularity of the Star Wars movies where these early hand held laser pointers were immediately likened to Lightsabers being made available for anyone to own.

Several laser pointer forums sprang up, however it was Avery with his creative marketing insight and forum hosting website building talent that led to the success of LPF over and beyond the others. It was a bit rocky at first, but the word got out quickly, and so began the feverish pitched race for bigger better badass laser pointers by the rapidly growing LPF cult of collective collaboration among the influx of a great number of very knowledgeable, highly imaginative and talented individuals joining the LPF ranks as laser diode harvestors, electronic driver designer fabricators, and those early LED flashlight repurposing builders that put it all together into finished products ready for sale. The hype and the shock and awe drew new members and guests in daily by the thousands.

So what happened for us to find ourselves now the few left here on LPF, with our laser pointers still of no real purpose or needfull use?

There was high drama from the very beginning, members taking sides came and went, trolls came and went, scammers came and went, the Rep system was always a distraction, forum hosting and format upgrades came and went.

What changed is simply the novelty, the interest, and the shock and awe upward curve slowed, peaked and began the downward decline now to where the forums have lost the level of interest that before had always kept LPF moving forward inspite of everything else. Where here and now we are left with no clear path ahead and no apparent standard bearer to lead us forward

Well if we all banded together, maybe we can figure out gamma lasers before main stream. It used to be the people figured out the world and the companies used it to rake in the stacks. Lets change the world with lasers.? Ya?