After spending an hour wasting time trying to make a proper shim tool out of aluminum, I gave up and stuck a bunch of jewelers screwdrivers in the same as above.
Removing the third gate successfully rekeyed my N019 to A126. The other gates were already perfectly flush so I kept them. Or, I think so, the barrel inside was slightly sticky (old grease?) so I knocked half the gates out at least once...
For anyone else attempting to replace a missing Quadra key:
- If you don't have a key and want the easiest path, buy an "A126" key. It can be listed under many brands, but A126 generally points to the right thing. The A126 is a generic key pattern used for thousand and thousands of devices. You might even have one already for a filing cabinet, etc. Now you'll question how secure that cabinet is.
- I doubt A126 matches the original lock codes used by C&K, but if it does, it'd be interesting to see if any Quadras came with an A126.
- Alternatively if you want to have a custom key made to a different pattern, buy an IN8 blank.
- Check if key A126 works...if it does you are done (please drop a note with the lock code in this thread!), if not, continue
- Unplug the key switch from the logic board (front left)
- Snake the cable out, it takes some fiddling but you don't have to remove the power supply
- Pinch the two plastic lock clips and push forward
- The lock will come out of the front of the machine
- As @defor suggested, pinch the tiny plastic clips by jamming two slim objects in. I suggest a bright light to see what you're doing.
- With some finagling, push the center post out while the plastic clips are pinched
- The barrel will come out, and if you're lucky, you won't spill all the gates everywhere
- If you stick a key in before you fully remove the barrel it'll prevent this and you'll learn from my mistakes
- Now you can re-key:
- Insert the key into the barrel, NO metal gates should stick out, only the little tab in the rear
- Of course, you know your key doesn't work, so they will
- Swap around or remove gates until none stick out, you'll have to remove the key again while you do this
- If you only remove gates (no swap) the original key will definitely work too, plus your new key
- Now that no gates stick out, the key should work
- Or you can measure the gates to have a correct key made, that exercise is left for the reader
- Once you're done, leave a key in so the gates don't fall out while you rebuild the lock
- Partiallyre-insert the barrel into the lock, you'll have to slightly depress the plastic tab in the rear for it to insert
- It can only go in one direction -- if it won't insert fully, it's upside-down
- Insert it almost all the way but before it clicks, so we can do step 13
- You can now test the key, it should rotate to the three positions
- If it's good, push the barrel all the way in
- Follow steps 1-4 in reverse
Anyway, I'm enjoying the rekey since I'll never be short of one again. Mine was also pretty stiff at first, but it's working pretty well already.
(As an aside, it's really baffling there are so many unique keys for this...you can just unplug the machine! Or press the interrupt button! Or open the dang side panel! Why bother? Talk about only "keeping the honest people honest".)
