cant pick a lock..am i doing something wrong?

[nightwingh20]

i just got a lock picking set from southord and ive tried picking a club lock and a normal house door lock but it doesnt seem to work, I put my tension wrench the way the key would turn the lock and i using the rake method but the wrench just wont turn, im not putting too much pressure on the wrench either, and when i try pushing each individual pin up the pins just fall back down. can someone help?

[Shifty]

Hey man, i had a lot of problems starting out. What advice i can give you that helped me tons is this:

Take the "house door" lock apart. (Also, make sure this is an extra and not one that is in use.) You should be able to remove all the pins except one, and then put it back together. If you can't figure out how to take it apart, browse through these forums, i am sure i've seen quite a few posts about taking them apart. When you have just one pin stack left, put it together and practice that. It helps because then you can get a feel for how high you have to raise it. It doesn't help with tension until you put two pin stacks in though because you don't have to set the pin, you just have to break the sheer line with the one. However, it will be good for morale and getting a feel for too much tension. So after that, take it apart, put another pin stack in, then try that. This will make you apply the correct tension because you have to leave one pin on the sheer line and pick the other. Keep adding pin stacks as you get the hang of it.

Also, make sure you didn't skip the tutorials that all the experts have put on here. Especially be sure you understand the concept of binding order. I completely overlooked that my first time learning (Although my first lock didn't require me to understand that, it was cheap). But make sure you've read plenty of tutorials and posts on here, and also taken the lock apart so you can see inside to help give you an understanding of what's going on in there (And to make sure there aren't any security pins or anything).

[squelchtone]

Lockpicks are not magical, they take time and practice to master. They are also not as fast as in the movies, so whatever you think you know, try to block it out and follow Shifty's advice on taking a lock apart.

Also, don't pick house locks that are actually being used, if something goes wrong while learning how to pick, next thing you know you're explaining to your parents, room mates, or landlord how you broke the lock and nobody's key works any more. yeah, it happens sometimes.

i went to Walmart and got a Brinks deadbolt for $12, best deal out there and I took it apart and learned how all the parts work together. That's much better than inserting a pick and jiggling it around hoping for the lock to open.

keep practicing!
Squelchtone

[atticRR]

what shifty and squelchtone said is oh so true. I'm very new to this sport myself and ive read A LOT of stuff on this site and put into practice and its translated into real gains for picking early in my 'career' here. These guys have so much good info. Mine the data on this site and you should be able to start opening locks soon, once you do you'll never go back- i hope!