Dudley Combination Locks

[Stray]

I hate to bringing back topics from the dead but since it's the season...

I finally had a good reason for trying the different methods on this topic. My gf gave me an old Dudley and told me to try finding the combo for it because she didn't know it.

So I came here and spent about 30 mins looking for the topic, finally found it and figured I'd try the different techniques.

Tried the sticking spot technique to no avail. May work for others but maybe my lock was just too abused.

So I finally gave up on it and went with the one thing that I knew in theory worked.

The "anti-theft tag" shim technique.

Not trying to float my own boat here, Just that I hadn't had the opportunity to try it on a Dudley that was neither:
A)cut open in the back thus allowing easy "feeling"
B)A Known combo that could cause me to go for the number rather than feeling the gate.

And after about 1.5 hours of getting used to "feeling" my way to the wheels, and then feeling the gates. I was able to get it open.

I'm sure that with enough practice a Dudley can be opened in about a minute easily. All one needs is a feel for the "tool" rubbing on the wheels.

Since the way the shim is inserted in order to find the wheels is exactly where the wheels should line up there is no guessing at the combo, Just an occasional 1 or 2 digit variance in order to get the lock to pop open smoother.

[taz0x]

so i've been reading this board for quite some time now. and i'm assuming at this point that trying to figure out a dudley combination or opening it by brute force is nearly impossible?

[crimpoff]

I tried all the method described to open a Dudley but none gave a reliable solution that can be done over and over. Since I am still waiting after my lock pick set AND I was not able to find good break down of a Dudley, I decided to make my own. Here it goes:

The Dudley:


The inside:


All parts:






















You will notice that the gold disk come from an other Dudley because you have to break the dial to get it
On other picture you will not see it because it's behind the dial assembly.

The back side of dial assembly:


The inside view of opening sequence:

2 full cw turn and the third stops at 58


Inside. Notice the discs position


1 full ccw turn and the second stops at 24:


Inside


Turn cw until last number is reached. In this case it's 49


Inside


POP! It's open


Inside



If you want other pictures, close up or measure, just ask

I still try to find a way to decode it with an aluminium shim. The result are so so...

Any suggestion?

[yohoho]

Thanks for the great pictures. I was able to open my old dudley lock (the one with the black dial) within about 10min with the thin strips from the anti-theft devices. At first, I thought I got lucky or maybe I subconsciously remembered the combo so I grabbed a few more from my friends and was able to open all of them with relative ease. The ones with the black faces are easiest to open since you can pull the shackle and brute force the 50 or so combinations after getting the first number and the rings won't move out of place.

I cut the strip lengthwise and tapered the end a bit. I also put a curve and a hook at the end of it. That way, when I spun the dial, it would catch onto the first ring. Then I would have to carefully spin the dial the other way, while listening/feeling for the gap of the second ring. That was the hardest part.

I think it would be a lot easier if you had a stethoscope with you.

If anyone wants a picture of my "pick/shim" device, let me know and I will modify my post accordingly.

Anyway, a BIG thank you to the crimpoff for the pictures. It was annoying having locks with forgotten combinations and you came through.