Cutting keys without cutting into your savings

I do not want to spend 1700 dollars on a machine to cut keys when local lock smiths will do it for a couple of bucks no matter the source... So I watched some videos, i evaluated the cost effective options and I found something people have missed...

I bought a $120 dollar key machine. It is a manual duplicator (mile type) that many videos on YouTube support for its value. I watched on video and they complained that they had to modify the vices to hold a key and made a paper spacer to go between it to move it up high enough to be cut without the mill blade hitting the vices themselves. Obvious complaints about the jaws holding keys themselves but the trick is.... the vices are meant to hold more precise key jigs you can buy cheap on aliexpress.... obviously I bought a vice for the key type this machine is not designed to support but its very common in vehicles.

With a 1.5mm mill bit and 1.5mm tracer bit it was accurate enough to cut a key that looks identical by eye. Obviously having multiple jibs in play required careful consideration to align them properly but for the first time using the machine.... There were no complaints. It was all just quick and easy. Of course the set bolt for the bit height was not as easy to place so I ended up doing bit height manually as I did multiple passes. That is not the solution for all keys but it worked great this time. Maybe next time I will get a small bit that has a longer cutting edge.... but the setup needs tweeking regardless. The stand for the end of the key that keeps it from tilting up and down vibrated out during cutting not sure what I can do there but the jigs literally eliminated all the issues previous reviewers commented on.

And ther are more jigs to purchase to do everything purpose but this is just a cheap option for now so I can get started doing keys. I do not mind having to spend time properly setting up the machine for the cost savings I shared. And here I am sharing with you something no one else has even thought about.... apocryphon indeed.

This is what the customer was doing when he realized the steering wheel would not unlock. Oddly enough with the transponder key head broken off the customer still claimed the vehicle started and ran although the wheel wouldnt unlock ( has an electric mechanism for that ). Once I do all keys lost and give them their 1 new key and 1 revived physical key modified to accept a replacement head that has a chip slot then all will be will in the universe. The vehicle in question is a 2006 Toyota RAV4 just FYI.