Spool Pins

[bryang]

Hey guys I recently got a new Schlage lock. It has one standard pin and 4 spool pins. Before this I was only picking standard pin locks but could do so with ease. I can quickly and consistently unlock the new Schlage with the standard and 2 Spools in it. However I added another spool (thats 3 now, 4 pins total) and I haven't been able to unlock it once. From what I've read and taught myself it seems that to set a spool, you need to reverse tensions a bit (pushing on the pin seems to do it automatically). This isn't working great with the new pin added; whenever I decrease tension to set a spool, another pin drops. Well that's what I think is happening, not positive. Any tips? Or tips for spools in general?

[UnlockingBoredom]

Dont give up or get discouraged, this is what happens with spools. They are tricky and they love to drop other pins but when you get that spool set you should be able to go back and set the dropped pins. Just wait until you are working with spools and serrated pins

[Korver15]

If there are spools the first thing to do is to get a false set. A "large" turn of the plug. It isnt actually that much of a turn, but it feels like a big deal. When I pick these locks, I pick like normal until it drops into the false set, and then put pressure on each one until one tells you it wants to be picked. You will know which one because you will feel the counter rotation. After that you just keep picking even if they drop until it opens . Hopefully that was helpful.

[daniel22747]

Yeah dropping pins is no big deal. Just set them again.

When you get to locks with mushroom pins they drop like crazy.

[RecPicker]

Spools are difficult but sometimes can be easier than normal pins, after you have dealt with then for a while. The way i deal with them is to hold moderate tension and rake the lock with a bogota, s rake or L rake until you get a false set. If you're holding moderate to firm tension you will feel the tension wrench drop. Then still holding moderate to light pressure find which pin gives you some feedback on the tension tool by pushing against you. Then with the pick put constant pressure on the pin, let off on the tension tool slowly and you will feel the pin set.
Picking spools can be a pain due to having to revisit the same pins a few times since you have to let off pressure to set them. Just keep going and don't give up. My experience some times is right when im about to give it up is when i just touch a pin and the lock opens.

[HT4]

Hey guys I recently got a new Schlage lock. It has one standard pin and 4 spool pins. Before this I was only picking standard pin locks but could do so with ease. I can quickly and consistently unlock the new Schlage with the standard and 2 Spools in it. However I added another spool (thats 3 now, 4 pins total) and I haven't been able to unlock it once. From what I've read and taught myself it seems that to set a spool, you need to reverse tensions a bit (pushing on the pin seems to do it automatically). This isn't working great with the new pin added; whenever I decrease tension to set a spool, another pin drops. Well that's what I think is happening, not positive. Any tips? Or tips for spools in general?

Sounds like you are letting tension off too much. I know everyone says that super-light tension is required for spools, but that's not my experience at all. For keyways that will accommodate a .025" or .018" thick pick, I keep moderate tension and seesaw between the tension wrench and the pick, pulsing the pick with more and force until I set the pin. This is much easier t control with a heavy tension wrench like a Peterson pry bar. You will still drop a pin every now and then, but my experience is that it doesn't happen nearly as often. For keyways that require a thinner pick (.015" or less), anything but light tension will deform your pick, so you can't do this... it makes things much harder IMO and I usually end up dropping pins far more often... but no worries. You just reset them and it takes a little longer to open.

I will make one additional observation here. Many hobby pickers only have a couple locks to practice on. This is unfortunate because you quickly learn the binding order and don't develop the skills to overcome unknown locks quickly. If I am dealing with a lock that I know well, I don't do any of the pulsing described above. The pulsing technique is a crutch for quickly overcoming the fact that you don't know the (post-false set) setting order of the spools.

[nite0wl]

The trick is that you want to reduce your tension enough that raising the spool pin can overcome the tension enough to squeeze past the shearline but not so much that the whole lock resets. Some times this actually means that a spool or two needs to be set before the standard pins, depending on the binding order of the specific lock.
Finding that magic point of 'just enough' tension is the trick and that can only come from long practice and experimentation.

[HT4]

The trick is that you want to reduce your tension enough that raising the spool pin can overcome the tension enough to squeeze past the shearline but not so much that the whole lock resets. Some times this actually means that a spool or two needs to be set before the standard pins, depending on the binding order of the specific lock.
Finding that magic point of 'just enough' tension is the trick and that can only come from long practice and experimentation.

Well put!