Overview of Wafer locks

[marso]

I must be a few pennys short of a dollar and missed the whole concept of Wafer locks. So I have done a bit of web surfing.

The wafers are flat, spring-loaded tumblers that are much thinner than pins and the distance between them is less. Wafer locks are picked in the same way as pin tumbler locks, but you must compensate for the smaller dimensions

Wafer locks are used on filing cabinets, lockers, most cars, garage doors, desks, and wherever medium security is required.

http://www.blackmarket-press.net/info/l ... rets_6.htm
Note: site promotes bad lock picking

Also note wafer locks can also come with wafers at the top and bottom.

Note: my understand is this picture is sideways.

I am really sorry if this is covered elsewere in the forum however I could not find it (search/browse).

One last question, I have noticed a site which refers to Wafer lock reading. I do not really understand this concept, could someone please explain the basic elements (I know you look and work out but there has to be more to it).
http://www.sievekingprodco.com/wlrbk.html

[marso]

Oh also could someone give me a brief rundown on the difference in picking a wafer from a cylinder pin lock.

Do you have to watch out not to break the wafers? Do you have to use a wider pick (dimond would keep slipping if i understand the concept correctly)? Do wafer locks have same issue with order (some wafers may need to be picked before it plays happy family)?

Sorry but I do not have a lock handy to play with, will soon.

[Greg]

In my experence (*very limited*), the wafer locks I've picked are not all that different than the pins

The main difference comes from the fact that there aren't separate pins (eg. pin pairs - driver and key)
Its just a series of wafers with holes in the middle of them where the key fits through
Push the wafer up far enough, and *click*

In that way it is a hellova lot easier, no wierd situations with false set high, etc. And no bloody security pins.
With the ones I've picked, I used quite a bit more tension than with pins, but perhaps its just the samples I have.
I think I've used a half circle as well as half diamond on those
You just need to be more steady in the fingers for the diamond

Keep in mind, I'm really inexperience myself - just commenting on the wafers I've mastered. They were pretty darn cheap ones I'll admit

[marso]

Hi I have since found one (on my window) and have played for about 5 min.

Thanks your tip helped.

[Greg]

Nice to be able to help someone

[enp]

ok, this is a funny story about wafer locks. I was in spanish class three days ago and noticed a plastic box around the air conditioner. My spanish teacher is really cool and was saying how the school didnt want the teachers messing with the air-conditioner. So i took a look at the box and noticed it was a wafer lock and it only seemed to have two wafers in it. i told her i could probably open it. She looked at me not knowing about my picking hobby and said how. i took my picks out of my bag and had the thing open in less than 30seconds. i couldnt help but laugh as she took the box which had covered the thermostat and threw it in a drawer.

[Greg]

Hehe ... Cute!

[ReverseLogic]

reading wafer locks is a fairly simple concept. I wish I had a diagram to show you, but unfortunately I don't. It involves looking at where the wafers rest in comparison to each other. Assume a lock has five wafers, and each has 5 different possible heights. Looking at the wafers, you that the first wafer is cut higher than the rest of the wafers. To you this indicates that the key cut will be the shallowest for this wafer. you also notice that the back two wafers have the same height of a cut in them, which is the lowest of all tbe wafers. This indicates that they they have the same depth of cut. When you look at wafer 3, you see that it is higher than the last two wafers, but lower than the first wafer. you also notice that wafer 2 is cut lower than the first wafer, but higher than the third wafer. when comparing the differences in the depths of the cuts between wafer 3 & 4, 2 & 3, and 1 & 2, you notice that the difference is the same. This leads you to conclude that the cuts are all an equal number of depths apart, this could mean that wafer one is has a cut depth of Zero, number two has a depth of 2, number three has a depth of 4, and numbers 4 & 5 have a depth of six. But seeing as how this lock only has 5 different depths, that isn't possible. so you then conclude that the difference between the heights is a single cut. This means that the wafers could eithe r be cut at 0,1,2,3,3; or 1,2,3,4,4, leaving you with two possible key combinations. you then cut the keys and see if they work. Hope that helps.


Also, as for the breaking of wafers, don't use a vibration picker on a wafter lock. It tends to break the lock.

[Michael Weston]

The best way I find to pick wafer locks is to use an s-rake and very light tension ( when I say very light I mean feather light) and just rake it a bit. Although some people disaprove raking, it is what works the best on wafer locks. SPP is reserved for locks that actually have pins.