The Three Tumblers

As firefighters, police officers, and citizens who volunteered their efforts recovered bodies and lowered them to the ground below from the eighth, ninth, and tenth floors of the Asch building, people below were placing those bodies in to caskets and loading them on to wagons for transport.    The effects of the shirtwaist factory fire were heavy on all involved. Even the most hardened responders...

William Shepherd walked down the cobblestone streets in Greenwich village on the afternoon of Saturday, March 25th, 1911. It was a trendy place that any young reporter for the united press should be on a weekend. With an inclusive crowd, political activism, and a future home to Jackson Pollock it was, and still is, much like the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Lakewood in Cleveland, or the south end of...

Today it’s difficult for us to imagine how a simple women’s garment, the Industrial Revolution, and labor practices could all be related.  Right now, women wear t-shirts, polos, uniforms of all kinds, and dressy clothes on special occasions. But in 1911 the culture of New York City and the nation, was much different. Labor laws, women’s rights, and building codes all changed after a tragic disaste...

The fire was over… but the story wasn’t.  In the aftermath of the Lake View School fire of 1908, a grieving community searched for answers. How could so many children die just feet from safety?  In Part 4 of this series, we uncover the investigation, the overlooked design flaws, and the critical lessons that reshaped fire safety forever. From deadly bottlenecks just five feet from the exit… to con...

The fire was only the beginning. On March 4, 1908, the Lakeview School fire in Collinwood, Ohio claimed the lives of 175 children and teachers. But outside the building, the tragedy continued as parents, neighbors, and rescuers rushed into a scene of chaos, desperation, and heartbreak. In Part 3 of this series, we tell the stories of the people who tried to save the children—and the devastating re...

It only took minutes. On March 4, 1908, a small fire inside the Lakeview School in Collinwood, Ohio turned into one of the deadliest school disasters in American history. More than 350 children were inside the building. Many never made it out. In Part 2 of this series, we break down exactly what happened inside the school—from the first signs of smoke to the rapid spread of fire, blocked exits, an...

In 1908, the village of Collinwood, Ohio was growing fast—faster than its infrastructure could keep up.  What was once farmland quickly became a crowded industrial hub filled with immigrant families, packed housing, and overwhelmed schools. At the center of it all stood the Lakeview School.  On the morning of March 4th, over 350 children walked through its doors. 175 would never make it home. In P...

Nearly 600 people died in the Iroquois Theatre Fire of 1903. But what happened after the fire is what changed everything.  In Part 3 of this series, we break down how one of the deadliest building fires in U.S. history reshaped fire safety laws, building codes, and door hardware forever.  From blocked exits and complex locks to overcrowding and panic, this disaster exposed critical failures in how...

At 3:15 PM, a small spark from a stage light ignited a curtain.  Within minutes, it became one of the deadliest fires in U.S. history.  In Part 2 of the Iroquois Theatre Fire, we break down how a preventable fire spread out of control — from faulty safety systems to crowd panic and deadly design failures.  Nearly 600 people were trapped inside.  This is the moment everything went wrong.  In this e...

It was called “fireproof.”  In 1903, nearly 2,000 people packed into the Iroquois Theatre in Chicago for a matinee performance. Most were women and children. Within minutes, a small stage fire turned into the deadliest single-building fire in U.S. history. Nearly 600 people never made it out.  In this episode of The Three Tumblers, we break down the design decisions, overcrowding, and overlooked s...

Join us for the start of season 2 on October 2nd.

Hello everyone, I'm Jeff Moss and along with Tim Coleman and Tyler J. Thomas, we are going to discuss lockpicking. Listen to The Three Tumblers anywhere you get your podcasts and, please, follow and give us a review!  The Three Tumblers Podcast: https://podbay.fm/p/the-three-tumblers Follow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/3tumblerspod  Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thethreet...

Hello everyone I'm Tim Coleman and along with Tyler J. Thomas and Jeff Moss, we'll be the best pin ups in the trade and in podcast. It's three o'clock somewhere and this is The Three Tumblers.

Let's talk about standalone keypad locks! Listen to The Three Tumblers anywhere you get your podcasts and, please, follow and give us a review!  The Three Tumblers Podcast: https://podbay.fm/p/the-three-tumblers Follow Us On Twitter: https://twitter.com/3tumblerspod Follow Us On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thethreetumblerspod/

Well, last time we talked about life in the shop. Seems fitting enough that this time we talk about life on the road. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

For some of us, getting on the road is a rare adventure. For others, being in the shop is just as rare. What do you actually do in the shop? Just count pins and key blanks from the 80s? Whether or not you have a store front, we'll give you the insight on being inside all day. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

I'm Tyler J. Thomas along with Jeff Moss, Tim Coleman, and Chris Huffstetler and we will discuss the "ins and outs" of starting a locksmith business. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

You've done the job, gotten your money, and left the site a few days ago. But then that customer calls back and says what you did doesn't work anymore.  Is it common for you? Or is it common for your coworkers? When do you swallow your pride and just give in to make things work? And are two sets of eyes on a problem better than one?  Yes, that's right! Today we're talking about callbacks!

Every job starts somewhere, most of the time it starts with a simple phone call. How do you determine what the person needs and how can you use the call taking process to increase your bottom dollar? From safety, to service, to possibly some badly made references to William Shatner, we'll have the direct line to dispatching. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or...

National retail chains don't have a lot of time to do local research when it comes to locksmithing or any other maintenance needs. That's why they have national service providers find the resources closet to their store locations. Eventually, these NSPs call our phones asking us if we are available to do the work needed. But what's like to work for an NSP directly, what profit can you make from it...

Where do we get the terminology we use as locksmiths when communicating with others in the industry? How do we speak customer, and then translate it to actual terms? And what could happen when we don't use the proper words to describe things to others in the trade? Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

Are you wanting to become a box tech? Maybe you already are and have a great overview of locking containers, including safes. Perhaps all you do is move them. Maybe, you don't have anything to do with them at all! Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

There are certain courtesies that locksmiths should have with their customers, like cleaning up after themselves. But there are also a number of courtesies that customers should have with their locksmiths, like answering the phones. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

Hey! Do y'all make keys? While we honestly just want to blurt out, "No, you dumbass!", making keys is pretty much essential to our jobs, whether it's following the paths of ancient 'smiths, making mathematical calculations, or syncing technology with brass. Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.

Are you tired of running into the same old dry and crusty? Maybe one lube is just as good as another. And why should you charge for lube if you're just using it to help you anyway? Questions, comments, concerns? Email us thethreetumblerspod@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @3tumblerspod.