[Captions by Y Translator] Today, our video is sponsored by NordVPN.
In today's video, we're trying a spy movie trick
to see if we can make an impression of a key in clay,
and then make our own copy based on that impression.
[Music]
Calli, have you ever seen a movie
where someone makes a copy of a key by pressing it into clay,
and then having their own version of the key later?
I've heard of one or two.
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure I've seen that movie too,
and we have a common request
from YouTube user Purple Pewdiepie asking
if we can try casting a gallium key in the sand.
Here's the basic idea.
We'll take a key that opens a padlock,
make a mold using some clay,
and then use so gallium to cast a copy of our own.
Purple Pewdiepie, we want to try this idea.
Although, we are going to change it up a little bit.
Instead of using sand,
like we've used for casting some stuff in the past,
we're going to try using an oil-based clay.
Clay, you're going to get much better resolution.
When we're trying to cast that key,
we need all of those fine details,
and all of those teeth.
Clay is going to give us what we need.
Sand can be fairly fine resolution,
but clay is made from just the absolute smallest,
finest, silt-like particles,
and so, this is going to get us like a really accurate result,
and if we want a working key,
I think we need the best detail.
We've got a treasure chest.
It has a lock on it, and we have a key.
So I mean, we can already get inside.
But the point is we want to see
what would happen if like in movies,
you only have a couple of seconds,
maybe you manage to pick someone's pocket or something.
You have their keychain.
You have that key for just a minute.
Just how long do you need
to have their key before you can take an impression of it,
and then make your own copy later?
This is an oil based sculpting clay,
and it does a really good job of picking up details,
but it's also very rigid to the point where it's
actually kind of hard to get an impression in it right now.
It needs to be warmed up
before it's soft enough that we can do stuff with it.
The easiest way to do that, toss it in the microwave.
Now, if this were water based clay, first off,
you wouldn't want to be doing this.
Usually it's a coarser grit,
but also, you can't put in the microwave.
It would not really dry, it kind of explodes.
Don't do that.
Oil-based clay.
This is a really good way of warming up.
Just don't get it too hot.
That's so much better.
That is squishy.
It comes completely squishes apart in your hands.
That's what we're looking for.
We're good to go.
We're trying now to get a nice flat smooth surface
on one side of the clay.
That's going to help us get a better mold.
Although, we are just going to be smooshing it a lot,
so it may or may not make too much of a difference.
Once we've got the key cast,
we're going to need a way to fill it,
and with some kind of metal, you can just pour it in.
But a key doesn't leave a lot of space,
so we're probably going
to want something that can force the metal down into the mold,
and my thought is
that we can use this little plastic dosing syringe.
It will suck up the liquid gallium,
so I think,
we first need to take our little syringe here,
and mold a spot for it into the clay,
and then we'll line up the key.
We're going to be pressing these two pieces of clay together.
But if we normally just take two pieces of clay,
and press them together,
it's sort of just becomes one piece of clay.
It's doesn't like to come back apart.
Really easy way to separate
that is just using some baby powder.
We'll sprinkle it over the surface of the clay.
Then when we press our pieces back together,
we can pull them apart very easily.
[Music]
Now, we've got our syringe marking.
That's where we're going to be able to put
our dosing syringe in,
and inject the metal right into it.
And now, time to do the key.
Just to make sure though,
let's reapply the baby powder. >> Just a little bit.
Kinda align the key up,
so that the top of it intersects with where the syringe will be.
That way, we should have a direct channel
to fill this thing.
[Music]
Pretty well lined up, and now, go for it.
Just smoosh it.
You don't want it to slip at all.
In fact, if we want to stop the slipping a little bit,
we can just take some
of the edges, and pinch them together a little bit.
That should keep it from sliding.
All right.
So we've got this as pressed and as well formed
as we can without it slipping anywhere,
but the clay is still so soft.
It's malleable.
So if we were to peel these apart,
it would still work.
So what we want to do is we want to make this clay
just as hard as it was before.
Best way to do that, bucket of ice water.
[Music]
It should cool down pretty quick actually.
Scalpel.
Let's see what we got.
[Music]
All right.
I made these little score lines on the side, and hopefully,
we'll be able to use those to line up in backup.
But before we put it back together and try
and fill with metal,
there's another step we need to take.
If I try and inject the metal right into this,
it's just not going
to go anywhere because the air won't have any way to get out.
So I'm going to use a knife
and carved just a little air channel.
Hopefully, that will let all of our gallium get out.
And now, to help hold everything together,
and to keep gallium
from leaking out, just pinch closed all of the clay gaps.
There's a good chance we'll get a little bit of flashing,
but this should minimize it.
Flashing is when you get the casting material,
leaving the edges
that are supposed to be defined by the mold.
I want to be able to squish the clay back down.
But if I press in the middle,
it's just going to collapse the key,
and then we'll never get anything usable out of it.
You've got our gallium that still liquid,
but it's not very warm.
Like at this point,
it's probably about on the point of turning back
and start getting some crystals,
which is good because it means it should solidify faster.
I'll try.
[Music]
I think that's actually in there.
And now, what we're going to do is just put this back
in the ice water and let it cool down.
While Nate waits for the gallium to cool down,
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[Music]
Most definitely is key shape.
It does look mostly like a key.
We did get some flashing,
this right here is what I was talking about.
That's flashing.
It's when it just expands beyond where it's supposed to,
but I think we might be able to get that to work.
[Music]
We have a key shape, and it's really not bad,
but I don't think it's clean enough to open the lock.
Yeah, there's just,
there's little bits of flashing and just part sticking out,
and I think we just clean it up with file.
A little bit will get a usable result.
[Music]
Okay, I think...
Ready for test?
I think we're good.
Here it goes.
[Music]
Key fits.
It went in.
[Music]
Lock is popped!
With a gallium key...
That is nuts.
It twisted.
It did.
It actually bend.
The key is just very slightly corkscrewed.
Bend.
Be straightened.
Wonder if it's just like getting too warm,
we'll put it back in the ice water.
[Music]
You can do it!
[Music]
Oh my gosh!
It is done for but we did it.
We got a few opens with this key,
but I think it has had it.
So can you cast a key out of gallium?
You can cast a key out of gallium.
Making the mold of it,
if you had clay, you could smoosh the key
into the mold really quick.
You need some baby powder too to keep it from getting ruined.
But we also found
that it helped a lot to just throw it in the ice water,
so as you're peeling it apart, it didn't completely deform.
Two or three minutes tops.
I mean that's maybe longer than you would ideally want
if you were a spy stealing a key something from someone, but...
Still works.
It works.
We didn't want to try that with a car
because if this broke off in a car's ignition,
it's kind of a bigger problem.
If it breaks off inside the master lock,
not the end of the world.
Probably can just metal too right out.
[Music]
Nate, here you go.
I made that for you.
The key is still in the lock.
It's mostly still in the lock.
Okay, but what was in the treasure chest?
[Music]
It's a King of Random kit.
Wow, I wanted one of these.
Thanks again to Purple Pewdieiie for this awesome idea.
Don't forget to check your inbox,
for we're going to be sending you 25 bucks.
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