The lock that can't be opened with a key.

[FarmerFreak]

It isn't a typo. I made a lock that a key can't be made to work it, but it can be picked!! I made it because otherwise I would have been bored....

How does it work? The first, second, third, fifth, and sixth pins can't be lifted until the fourth pin is lifted. Basically a key can't enter the lock, unless you make a key that can lift the fourth pin first!


Ignore the hole drilled above the keyway, it was pointless. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I did that.


I had to re-drill the retaining pin hole. It wouldn't have worked very well in it's original hole.


Now you get to see how it works. The slider piece partially covers the pins when in it's resting position. The fourth pin is beveled, so it can push the slider to the front of the lock. Thus allowing the other pins the freedom to move.




I had to re-drill the chambers a little larger, with the exception of the fourth chamber. I also had to put a stronger spring in the fourth chamber (two twisted together). This was done because when finished with the lock it was difficult to get all the pins to drop down all the way and allow the slider back into place. Now all you need to do is lift only the fourth pin, let the others drop back down, and then the dual springs in the fourth chamber are strong enough to push that one down as well.

If I used dual springs in all the chambers, then the spooled pins would be held in a more vertical position. Which coincidentally won't allow the slider to move over far enough to hold the bottom pins down.

Now you have a lock that only people of a certain skill can get through. Enjoy.

[mh]

funny idea

[mhole]

Farmer Freak,

I work with locks and keys all day, but I still get a real kick out of your lock mods, which would often be utterly useless in the commercial environmentI'm wokring in, but which are always conceptually interesting and *fun*.

Keep it up - I always enjoy seeing what you're coming up with!

[MacGnG1]

yeah man that is cool stuff. i was skeptical until i scrolled down nice job

[FarmerFreak]

Farmer Freak,

I work with locks and keys all day, but I still get a real kick out of your lock mods, which would often be utterly useless in the commercial environmentI'm wokring in, but which are always conceptually interesting and *fun*.

Keep it up - I always enjoy seeing what you're coming up with!

Thanks. As long as I can keep getting ideas, I will keep posting them.

Even though I do most of the modding at work. I keep it separate from real work. You're right, it isn't applicable in a commercial environment. It's certainly fun though.

[NanoDuke]

This could be adapted into a working lock, though.

Imagine a scissor action key, that can push on the fourth pin.



You slide the key into the lock, engage the fourth pin, then push the key bittings into the rest of the pins. It'd mean you can't have a restrictive keyway, though.
Your lock would be bump-resistant, though.

[FarmerFreak]

I'm sorry NanoDuke, your idea won't work the way you have planned. Here is why.

You slide the key into the lock

This can't happen, you see the first pin in the lock is stuck in the 9 depth position and can't be lifted. It can't be lifted until the fourth pin has been lifted. This means that your key won't enter the lock unless it is cut at all 9's, and not like a bump key, it couldn't have the peaks between the cuts.

If you really wanted to use a key, you could make a thinner key which allows for a thin pick on the side of it. Use the pick to lift the fourth pin, and then slide the key into the lock. You will always have to use the pick first.

[NanoDuke]

Oops. Yeah thinner key, or a taller keyhole.

[jwhou]

Hmmm, I wonder if there is a practical application. In another thread somebody was asking about a lock that worked serially such that the pins could not be picked out of order hence you could not just pick which pin binded first. If you did the slider in say three segments then you could have a scenario where the first pin would have to be raised before any other pin could be moved, the third pin would have to be raised before pins 4, 5 or 6 and pin 5 would have to be raised before pin 6 could move. The only problem that I see is that the two bitting spots furthest from the bow must be shallow so as to push the various pins into place and hold it in place for the others to be set.

[Evan]

What about using a very powerful vibrator on the front of the cylinder while trying to insert the normal cut key for the bitting the lock is keyed to...

Since your plug is cut and is spring loaded you should be able to move it around enough with some sort of vibratory force applied and be able to insert the key normally...

I mean since all your fourth pin is doing is moving the upper sliced part of the plug back towards the front of the cylinder into the proper alignment so the bottom pins can move normally... I think that such motion would be possible using a vibrator on the cylinder...

~~ Evan

[vov35]

could it be set up such that the pins would need to be actuated consecutively? that was a key would be able to enter, but a picking effort would fail due to binding order not being consecutive front to back?

[Raymond]

What if you hit or slapped the face of the cylinder with a light hammer? Would the inertia holding the slider be overcome enough to get a pick or key under the first pin to raise it enough to slide the key all the way in?

Stronger than normal springs can be found on tire valve inserts. Ask your locat tire repair facility for the take out-throw away valve stems and remove the springs.

[SnowyBoy]

Quirky! I like it.

Love the beveled 4th pin to push the top.

[dls]

a very simple way to make a plug more pick resistant would be to place a small hard pin horizontaly behind the last pin so that if someone over lifted or bumped it the pin would pop out under the last pin and it would be jammed up in the wrong position. both pins would have to be hardend and the horizontal one it would have to be mushroom shaped so it couldnt be pushed back easily. it would probably catch out novice pickers or anybody who wasnt aware of it, as for bumping it might work but would have to be out of the way of the bump key so it couldnt push it back. this would act like a relocker in a safe thats cross locked
what do ypu think

[MBI]

Every time I see one of your ideas I'm impressed. Some are quite useful, others are insane, impractical, or just plain odd. But they all show a certain mechanical genius. I can't escape the thought that one of these days ASSA/Abloy, or some other lock company is going to see what you do and offer you an unreasonably large salary to work for them in R&D.