that is the machine I am referring to.

as long as they carry blanks for your application, you can cut your key there.

The rows of grey molded plastic with cut outs are used as templates to determine which blank to use and which key-machining insert to put in the machine.

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The trick to getting a steel key cut at Lowes/HD is finding someone who doesn't know what cutting that key will do to their machine...

Go early in the day during the week/late on weekends/other odd times to find someone who doesn't know what they're doing to their own equipment.

Follow what was said much earlier in this thread - get the right key from the dealer. Be sure to ask for a master key, not a service key.

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Houston, Texas
1984 300CD 235K miles, Elvira, one owner
1987 300TD 180K miles
1974 TR6 78K miles Sarah Jane, one owner
OBK #27

For emergency use, the 31R blank at HD will work but you will need to do a little filing with a fine hand file to let it go far enough int to the tumbler to work.

What I really want is a factory cut steel key with a solid head that won't break.

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Ron Schroeder
'85 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
'83 300 Turbo Diesel 2 tank WVO
Some former WVO vehicles since ~1980:
'83 Mercedes 240D
'80 Audi 4000D
'83 ISUZU Pup
'70 SAAB 99 with Kubota diesel
'76 Honda Civic with Kubota diesel
'86 Golf
Several diesel generators
All with 2 tank WVO conversion
LI NY