Unlocked

[offcntr]

Discovered just before our trip that the deadbolt on my studio door was broken. Knob turned, but the bolt didn't. Took it apart to find what was wrong. See that little round hole with what looks like half of a plus sign? That should be a whole plus sign, that a bar from the lock goes through. It's a little cam, held in place by a spring. Should be an easy fix, right?

The first locksmith I went to--highly rated online, been in business 40 years!--kinda sniffed at it. It's an Ultra, a bargain brand that I installed because a) our homeowners insurance would be cheaper if I had deadbolts on all the doors, and b) Keith Brown's Bargain Shed had 'em in four-packs, two doorknobs and two deadbolts, all on the same key. Well, he said, I can only fix it if it's [major brand] or [other major brand]. Could you re-key a new lock to my existing key? Sure, that's easy. I said I'd think about it.

I actually was going to swing by Bring Recycling over the weekend, see if they had any used locks I could scavenge for parts, but Friday I had to drive out to west Eugene to pick up a bale of grocery bags, and Emerald City Locksmith was only two blocks off my route, so I threw the locks in the car and stopped in. Put the bolt on the counter, said, It's broke. He agreed it was; I told him previous locksmith couldn't fix it because wrong brand. He took it in back, and two minutes later, brought out an identical, unbroken bolt, set them both on the counter. Delighted, I took out my card to pay, and he wouldn't accept it. Said it was free.

So I gave him an Off Center Ceramics business card, told him if he was ever at Saturday Market, he should stop by my booth and pick out a piece of pottery. Says he just might.