Have you ever had an OLD sewing machine case that you cannot find the barrel key for? Like a German machine?
I have more than once now...
I got a great Pfaff TS convertable treadle/portable in the most beautiful case... with no key.... locked.
and then again when I got to the Kinetic Carnivale this last weekend and had a person close the lid on my Anker/Hengstenberg with the key sitting on the bed... (German cases frequently auto-lock when closed)
So, I made this "key". The trick is to get it vertically past the mid divider and under the pin that should go in a real key. When that is done you can turn the key clockwise and it will lever against the mid divider and push on the striker release. click...
This has worked on the two above machines and on my Frister & Rossman that I got in trade from Cathy(Mizkaki) but with no key..
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The wire is not special, i just had it laying around, it is NOT spring or hard steel.
Just Orchard Supply Hardware 12ga wire