This isn’t a hack that shows you how to start a car without the keys. It’s a way to ditch the bulky keyring for a set of fold-out keys. [Colonel Crunch] removed the blades from the pocket knife and replaced them with the two keys for his car (one is ignition and door locks, the other opens the trunk). He didn’t take pictures of the process, but he did link to this unrelated guide on how it’s done.
About one minute into the video after the break we see each step in the build process. First the plastic trim is removed from either side of the knife. The blades are basically riveted on; there’s a pin which holds them in and either side of it has been pressed to that it can no longer move through the holes in the frame. To get around this one side is ground off with a rotary tool, and the pin is then tapped out with a hammer. The removed blade/scissors/tool is used as a template to cut the body of the key down to size and shape. The pin is then hammered back into place before putting the plastic trim back on.
[via Reddit]
What an incredibly clever way to make sure that your keys will be confiscated every time you fly.
I hesitate to think what the police accusations will result from this.
Neat, but I’m concerned about the weight this puts on the lock cylinder.
Years ago, a locksmith (fixing my old ignition switch), warned me that too much weight
on the key ring was a common source of failure.
He also warned me against using WD-40 in the cylinder.
P.S. once the scales (plastic sides) come off the knife, they will keep coming off, unless a strong adhesive (epoxy?) is used. DAMHIKT (Don’t Ask Me How I Know That).
And forget about getting these keys through TSA (airport security)!
As long as your cut off the blades, you can take your swiss army knife on the plane. The TSA finds it and looks so happy, like its the first thing they did all day, then you tell them there’s no blade, then they go back to looking like their wasting their life away.
Cork Screw is still on though. That will stop you.
In response to the corkscrew thing, I flew back through SFO with a corkscrew that had an attached razor knife to cut wine labels. I had forgot it was in my laptop bag, since I bought it on the trip.
Nobody cared/said anything, but someone had their nail clippers confiscated in the same line.
It will DEFINITELY cause premature ignition lock failure. This is a Bad Idea(tm). It is wisest to keep your keys mounted such that you can take off just the key you want and put it into the ignition.
What on earth do you people put on your keyrings? Bricks? Animals? 10lb of dope? A complete survival kit uncluding a 1 liter bottle of water?
Maybe a bunch of other keys?
Lead weights.
Yah, it’s cost me one. Had a habit of having every key to everything I ever owned on one straggling bunch with a few keyfobs for good measure. Now I’ve stripped it back to 3 on a small ring for driving.
No, seriously, can you give us some examples? I can’t imagine what you’re lugging around that could actually be a problem. Are we talking keys for six cars, five houses, three sex robots, and the storage locker you use for storing bodies?
My carbiner of key rings:
My minivan (key & fob)
* bike lock
Wife’s minivan (key & fob)
My house key
* four different padlocks
* wedding ring (it is just too big any more)
Work keys (2)
* work locker key
Parent’s house key
* parent’s garage key
Baby ‘biner #1
* ring of a half dozen “rewards” cards
* two empty rings
Baby ‘biner
* three empty rings
* spark plug gapping tool
Three keys for bike locks
Yes, this is a load of keys. I could easily have two or three more work keys, another vehicle (with or without fob), keys for my in-laws, and an LED light fob.
This wouldn’t work with my car key anyways… due to the electronic immobilizer.
Also, same project with a cheap multitool instead of the swiss army knife: http://www.instructables.com/id/Swiss-Army-Keys-Key-and-Leatherman-Mod/
I’ve always had a lot of keys on my keyring. It’s definitely heavier than that little knife. I’m always being told this is going to give me a problem but my life just happens to involve using a lot of keys. If I separated them I am sure I would forget or lose some.
I’ve put about 200k miles on my Jeep with no ignition issues yet. Hypothetically, if it failed at this point was it necessarily because of the weight or just because it is old and heavily used? The same for the about 100k miles each I put on my previous two vehicles.
It was kinda the “Getting away with it” on Chrysler product ignitions that lulled me into a false sense of security about doing it on everything else…. though their problem would be that on a 100k+ one, you could probably start it just with the blade of the penknife, no need to swap the key in.
I have half a dozen keys on my ring along with a keyless entry, and the inigition in my ’99 Jeep Cherokee no longer retains the key when it is started after 145k miles.
also only works for cars that are prehistoric and only require a key shaft.
I wouldnt say prehistoric. I know several modern sports cars that are trying to stay away from the electronic side of things still use simple key shafts.
Ok so who is going to be the first person to jam a remote key fob into this sucker?
Make sure you take the transponder out of the ignition key otherwise the immobiliser won’t let the car start.
Neat idea, for all but the car keys for the above reasons. I might have to do something like this.
I hope having a show on HBO will help him make next months rent…
That rigid torque arm is going to turn off the ignition if you tap the brakes hard.
I think you might want to check over those calculations again.
No, it’s not.
I did the same thing with a Crank Brother’s bike tool since I was tired of the clanking of my key ring. There was enough space to retain the 2mm, 3mm, 4mm and phillips screwdriver as well. I haven’t had any problems with TSA security, either, since there are no blades on the tool. Photos: http://www.nycresistor.com/2011/05/11/reinventing-the-key-chain/
This is beautiful….and so much easier to pull off. I just ordered one of those tools to make one myself
Just did one of these myself, already been through two airport security checkpoints without any hitches (besides being asked to fan the keys out for better x-ray coverage).
I’m just watching re-runs of MacGyver – he’s been doing this with locks for years! :)
It doesn’t look at all like you’ve stolen that car.
HAHA, that’s funny :)
I like the fact that he left the corkscrew on the knife, you have to admire a man so committed to drunk driving.
@ Hudson – Your key knife (is that what this thing is called) is far superior.
The weight on the lock and the corkscrew were the first things I noticed too. I wouldn’t want to do it due to the stress on the ignition lock, but having the corkscrew almost makes it worth it. Still… it’s a pretty cool idea even if it’s got some serious drawbacks.
I would rather use my phone as my keychain http://www.unikey.com/
Good luck getting back in when the battery dies in either the phone or lock. I also question the security of the device when they wont even state which encryption algorithm or authentication system it uses; let alone subject it to peer review.
Better make the corkscrew unavailable while the car is running.
From the photo, I’d say the corkscrew is pretty much “unavailable” while the key is in use. Considerably more unavailable than the various bottle-cap-popper key fobs sold at C-Stores and souvenir shops everywhere.
But later, you’ll be glad you left that on there: modifying Swiss Army knives is thirsty business.
Now, on to replacing the saw or magnifying glass with a memory stick.
I will agree with RB that if your car uses a RFID tag this hack will not work unless you harvest the chip from the old key. IF the tag is in a glass ampule then you will be in luck just put the head of the key in acetone and let the plastic dissolve. you might have to replace the saturated acetone a few times until all the plastic is gone.
Just be ware that if the tag is not in a glass ampule the acetone will dissolve the enamel coating on the antenna wire of the tag and you will be SOL. Good luck.
once you have the tag you can use a Dremel to carve out a notch on the inside of one of the handles close to the end where the key is.
Beware that you more than likely can only do this for one car the tags might inter fear with each other.
BTW I think there’s a similar in concept commercial version of this, you can get for your elderly relatives, to put doorkeys in when they start having issues with a weak grip and need the leverage to turn them.
This is so much better than that overpriced piece of SkyMall crap known as the “Keyport Slide.”
Dork Factor set to EXTREME.
I love it!
So what if its not necessarily good for the lock, we do plenty of things that are not good for us or the tech in our lives.
Have fun with it for god sakes! Great job guys!
Although, do be careful with the police lol….
Oh… I’m just starting my friends car with a swiss army kn—-key!
Yet more content lazily pulled from reddit
you can give that up man. People send us tips from wherever they find them. we’re not going to ignore them just because they’ve been on reddit. Just skim right on past if you’ve already seen it. Just like the people who follow individual hackers skim right past when they’ve already seen things.
Agreed!
Word.
thumb print reader RPI nuff said
Overkill much?
Thumb print ignitions are a Bad Idea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4396831.stm
Why does he call it “art” in the video? Why is it in black and white? Seems like this guy is desperately trying to be a hipster. I swap a PC component is that art? How about replacing a part on my car? What about installing a extra electrical circuit in my home?
OMG people, its a sweet ass hack/build. I’m sure that for all the more he drives (clearly not much) it will be fine. FFS. Just enjoy the novelty.
If you don’t like it, are afraid that your lock will wear out faster, or that the nanny state government will throw you into prison and confiscate your keys DON’T DO IT. Otherwise its a neat idea
all the key replicas work on the first try?
I have a used 2001 impala. My knife came with a built in key for it. Its called a knife.
Should i fix the ignition??