Mysterious vending machine lock

[Spiffytexan]

Hello, all,

I am new to this forum, a transplant from ezpicking.com, before it went bye-bye. I've picked a few locks in my day, and even had the opportunity to assist my fellow dorm-mate in re-entering his room after he lost his key. As newbies on these forums are often viewed with suspicion (for good reason) I would like to assure you that I am neither a kid nor a criminal. I am an honors student, an Eagle Scout, and all sorts of other things I will not bore you with.....


Now that the boring part is out of the way, on to the meat of things. We have a very old vending machine with a mysterious lock. I have obtained the Hall Director's permission to pick the machine (really I have) and fill one slot with plastic army men. (Don't ask) The lock is a circle around 3/4" in diameter, with 8 pins sitting flush with the face of the lock. I have determined that certain pins must be depressed in order for the bolt to turn. Using a magnifying glass, and feeling with a needle, I was able to find what I thought were the 4 pins to depress. I came up with a way to hold 4 needles in there while I turned the bolt with a pair of needlenose pliers. An hour later, still nothing has happened. What am I doing wrong? Do the pins need to be depressed to certain depths?

Will post photos if needed.

Thank you in advance,
Spiffytexan

[Spiffytexan]

Apologies, I meant to type "ezpicking.com" in the first paragraph.

[Spiffytexan]

What? Dang thing changes "e--z--picking.com" to lockpicking101.com?!?! What?

[Squelchtone]

Welcome to the dark side.

The lock you describe sounds awfully like a VANLOCK vending lock.

Does it by any chance look like this?




Here is a video of a VANLOCK being picked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsgDNYJmBc

Applying tension will be your main problem to overcome.

Squelchtone

[Squelchtone]

Please note the 8th pin in the original 1959 patent drawing:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=l_9fAAAAEBAJ&pg=PA1&dq=2993361&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=0_1


Squelchtone

[Spiffytexan]

Thanks, guys! It is the Van-Lock, I mistyped "8 pins" instead of 7 apparently. If I can obtain one of those nifty y-wrnches in that video, I should be fine... Will my local locksmith have one? Who else might? We have crummy locksmiths around here...

[JK_the_CJer]

What? Dang thing changes "e--z--picking.com" to lockpicking101.com?!?! What?

Welcome to censorship for the purpose of protecting business interests.

[Squelchtone]

Thanks, guys! It is the Van-Lock, I mistyped "8 pins" instead of 7 apparently. If I can obtain one of those nifty y-wrnches in that video, I should be fine... Will my local locksmith have one? Who else might? We have crummy locksmiths around here...

Perhaps you missed the part in the video when the guy said he made that wrench himself. Go to it MacGuyver, we expect pictures of the your home made wrench by tomorrow morning.

Squelchtone

[Spiffytexan]

Heh, there were two wrenches, he made one, I could make do with the purchased one. The home-made one will not work on a vending machine, as there is a guard around the outside of the lock housing. I've made a-plenty tools in my day, but I'm here at college now, and can't exactly weld things in my dorm!

[Squelchtone]

but I'm here at college now, and can't exactly weld things in my dorm!

obviously not an engineering major!


The one used in the video is the HPC STW-3
http://www.hpcworld.com/Picks/p_stw.htm

Here's an online place to buy one:
http://www.basshome.com/hpc_stw-3_197939_prd1.htm

Squelchtone

[jimb]

Here is a video of a VANLOCK being picked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsgDNYJmBc

In the video it appears that after the lock is picked that he turns it past the next set of holes. If I'm correct then what keeps the pins from falling into these holes?

[Squelchtone]

Here is a video of a VANLOCK being picked:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opsgDNYJmBc

In the video it appears that after the lock is picked that he turns it past the next set of holes. If I'm correct then what keeps the pins from falling into these holes?

What you mean is what keeps the spring loaded bottom pins from shooting up and pushing the top pins back flush with the surface, thus locking the lock every Nth degrees. I was wondering the same thing, and have no good answer at this point.

vrocco knows these locks, maybe he has an explanation of how this works.

Squelchtone

[Raymond]

Try using a gum type pencil eraser. (square, rectangular, or cut it round) Stick sewing pins through it in line with the lock pins.

[nothumbs]

Two minutes with a large paperclip and a needle-nose pliers should get you a tool that would work. Not much tension needed.

[zeke79]

Is this the "hall directors" machine or does it belong to a vending company who comes to refill it at certain times?