Pasticine Decoders

[keyman]

Evening Guys
Just after a little help with the union bs lock decoder i meet Berny Wells on saturday at the mla gmex show and asked for a little demo he showed me how to use the plasticine decoder . the problem i have is that he said you take a reading by turning the key as if too lock the door, which works fine until i try it on my own back door which has the union bs lock the readings are no way near but if i take the reading as if to unlock the door they are correct WHY is this can anyone explain cheers.

Keyman

[EvoRed]

Not sure what you're doing wrong there! An unlock read will basically give you all similar length marks so not sure how you can get a correct reading from that, unless I'm missing something.

The odd mark can throw you sometimes but it shouldn't be completely out taking a locking read. The bolt is on isn't it?!

[keyman]

Yes the bolt is on ,the reading i'm getting gives me a number 3 lever,3 lever,3 lever,4 lever 5 lever ,when i should be getting 1-1-1-7-3 , is this because of the 3 high lifts close to the low lift i'm not sure ,the kit works fine on all the other locks i have tried but not this one

[pinky]

too many high lifts next to each other can be misleading and can throw you out sometimes.

[keyman]

thanks pinky you have confirmed my thoughts ,would this also explain why its had to pick with the 2in1 pick?

[keyman]

hard

[pinky]

it can make it harder to pick with the curtain pick, and it can help a little, as you know they are high you can attempt to overlift these 3 levers, as you know they have no lower fence anti picks, a pick the other 2 and if not open feather tension to drop the overlifted levers down into the gate.

[keyman]

cheers i will keep at it, i will get there one day lucky i have the keys

[EvoRed]

I'm concerned how you're getting marks for the three number 1 levers, let alone measuring them as 3's!

If the kit works fine on all the other locks you've tried then you're obviously doing nothing wrong, just a bugger of a lock. There's always one, as they say...

[pinky]

it must be a rogue, you do get the odd one, though he should have had 3 no marks on unlock and 3 fat marks on lock reading, i will set one up to this combination in the morning and have a look,

i had 1 that was lever 12112 , i prepared my lock reader key took reading, then took unlock read only to open the lock with my reader key.

i wonder if each lock has the same lever pack, or has he some very old union levers, they are all BS unions , and not an odd security, and using correct key set, as a No 1 really shouldnt mark at all on the lock reading and should mark fat on the unlock reading.

have you checked to see if old lever pack ?

[keyman]

Removed lock from door, case had hard plate which i already knew from looking into keyway,opened up lock to find old levers as you said pinky ,you certainly know your stuff , but how is this so as they have no anti pick notches how can it be a bs lock . The forend has kitemark on it ,i'm thinking now was this lock a factory trial as i'm from near willenhall and alot of workers at the factory take the odd lock home,so i'm told.i once opened up an era lock which had 5 levers stamped on the forend but when opened up only had 3 and a thick piece of plastic in the shape of a lever. Once again pinky i admire your knowledge.Thinking of contacting you for some lessons.

cheers keyman

[acl]

Id say its more likely to be a so called locksmiths attempt at rekeying the lock !
Andy