Lock but not Unlock?

[UWSDWF]

Where is the edit button?


Anyway, sorry about the mistype. It should have read that I kept it in my pocket "most" of the time.

there is no edit button sorry

[ldnlksmth]

I've got an HPC plug spinner, which I think is very similar in design. I like it, a lot actually. I've never used any other kind, but the old adage is true, you get what you pay for

[Nathand]

I'm using rubber bands now

[whiteknight38]

Nathand asked for a reccomendation on spinners, so I'll give my opinion on two that I've tried.
My vote goes to the Rytan RY57. (There is a review in the FAQ section.)
It's not 100% effective, but its about 95% effective, and some of its failures may have been attributable more to operator error, than to corroded or greasy locks.
I retired my HPC Flipit after a few trys. It was effective less than 50% of the time, and eventually I just gave up on it. I contacted HPC directly, and they offered to replace the spring, (in case I just happened to have picked up a wonky one) but I never got around to mailing it back to the factory. I suspected its a basic design issue, and while some posters have good things to say about it, I'm convinced that the Rytan is a superior design, and less than half the price of the HPC.

Spinners are an invaluable tool for a locksmith,BTW. I've been doing this since 07 April 1993, and I still pick the odd lock backwards on occasion. Especially key-in-knob locks. Or, I'll forget that some locks, like old DL deadbolts, turn in the reverse to the established convention of mounted deadbolts. Or, I'll deliberately pick it backwards when it won't go the right way, because some locks absolutely do pick easier in reverse.
And I'll always prefer to pick a mounted Schlage lock CCW regardless, and pin it the other way, when necessary, because SC-keyway warding favors a tension tool below-the-keyway, which is my preference.
Then of course, there are the inumerable instances when you want to relock the door after picking. The plug spinner will zip the plug past shear-line lock position, and will save you having to re-pick the lock again.

The mouse-trap spinner, looks interesting, but a RY57 is cheap at under 30 bucks, and worth its weight in gold, out in the field.

[ldnlksmth]

Then of course, there are the inumerable instances when you want to relock the door after picking. The plug spinner will zip the plug past shear-line lock position, and will save you having to re-pick the lock again.

Can't say I've ever had to do that. I've never been asked to lock a door without making a key for it (typically the reason I unlocked it). Seems like an interesting scenario. Perhaps in a new thread, we can start into the 'my favorite lockout call' stories...

[Nathand]

Thanks for the advice. I'll take a look at the Rytan RY57, rubber bands only work about 53.01% of the time...

Thanks,
Nathan

[whiteknight38]

The most frequent instances where I’ve had to lock a door after picking it, (where a spinner comes in handy) are when relatives need to check on sick, infirm, or mentally-unstable friends and relatives who aren’t answering the phone. Usually the call comes in from the cops, who are in attendance, and go in first to assess the scene.
I’ve also opened up houses for locked out husbands, again with cops attending, after the wife has had the locks changed. (People aren’t actually allowed to randomly lock out their spouses without first getting a restraining order, but they do it all the time. The cops will, under these circumstances, allow the guy to enter, to pack a suitcase, grab his laptop, or whatever. But it’s an ordeal for the guy, believe me.)
A couple of days ago a landlord asked to get into an apartment where the tenant had left the water running, and a few times I’ve opened up electrical room doors to flip breakers.
A lot of landlords are absentee, and live in cities other than the one where they have rental properties.

It’s easy to open up a picked lock, and make a new key for it. It’s quite another matter to generate a working key while leaving the existing combination intact. Trust me, that’s a challenge. It’s not impossible, but its time consuming and it’s finicky, even with a regular lock, let alone a master-keyed lock with extra pins. If you screw up, and drop a pin, or mix them up while you’re trying to hand file the new key, you’re screwed.
Impressioning is one surefire way, but frankly, I’m not the greatest impressioning guy around, and I don’t own a code duplicator.

I also use my spinner a multitude of times, while wearing my other hat as a professional firefighter. There are many instances in the emergency services where entry is desirable, but damage is inappropriate. We often inspect at alarm calls, where we’ve got bells ringing, but no signs. If I can get us in and out, before the keyholder attends, it’s a bonus. Other times I can open up the units below the fire floor, to do salvage and overhaul, spreading tarps over computers, and the like, to protect from water damage.
Another common one is opening units above an affected apartment, to shut off water leaks. There are tons of instances with EMS as well, where we want to get in, get out, and lock up. And a couple of instances with the ETF. (What we call SWAT guys here.) I recently attended a medical call, involving a nut-job, (sorry, an Emotionally Disturbed Person) who was alone in her high rise apartment, but making threatening noises with a pair of scissors. I opened up the adjacent apartment, so one tactical guy could climb from balcony to balcony, to come up on her from behind.
Tazers are a wonderful thing, but not as cool as plug spinners to lock up afterward.

[ldnlksmth]

Okay, I'll take the NDE with police attending, hadn't thought about that (BTW, I work with a lot of FF's and LEO's, huge respect for that).

I guess making a key for a master keyed system without changing the bitting or knowing what the master key bitting is would be a challenge. Can't say I've done it, but I see how that would work. I bow to your superior experience.

[jimb]

How'd this get past the ebay police.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Automaster-Locksmith-Lock-Pick-Picking-Tools-Lockpick_W0QQitemZ140080804702QQihZ004QQcategoryZ67030QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem