SPP for large MACs

[wa1ker00]

Any suggestions for better navigating large MACs while SPP? I've tried removing the pins/etc from a few chambers to isolate the large MACs and have marginal success at that point but continue to struggle when I re-integrate them into the context of the fully pinned lock. I've tried using a variety of rakes, a small and medium sized diamond, and a few variations of 'lifting' picks (the ones with the 45-90deg curve at the end).

example: I've been working on an Arrow 6pin kik cylinder atm keyed to 317396. I have systematically tried isolating the large MACs in several ways (xxx396, xx739x, x173xx) and so on before attempting with 4-6 chambers filled. The 3-pin variations are usually not too hard to get. Even when going up to a 4-pin variation I am able to get them picked up when I go for anything more than 4, I cannot seem to get (or keep) everything at the sheer line.

[Theist17]

You appear to have a really solid method for attacking this lock. The only thing I can think of is that it's just a more aggressive bitting than what you're used to dealing with.

Are there any security pins? (Spools, serrated, spoorated, mushroom pins?) If so, this may be a contributing factor to your trouble.

Could it be that you're dropping pin stacks as you go? How about overlifting? This is a problem which I encounter quite often when picking anything like this.

[shadow11612]

I do not know if this is your problem or not, but just throwing it out to you.

I have seen many people, when working on progressively pinned cylinders, get the picking order stuck in their head. The picking order of the pin stacks can vary greatly as you add pin stacks.

For example, using 1-2-3-4-5 as the pin stacks, having 3-4-5 in the cylinder you learn that the best picking order is 4-3-5. But when adding stack 2 the order may be 4-2-3-5 or 4-3-2-5 or whatever. The number 2 pin stack can be anywhere in the order.

So if you are adding a pin stack, vary the order in which you pick the added stack. Granted this is compounded with a large MAC difference in adjacent pin stacks.