raking technique

[pinsetter]

OK, I've searched the boards and still can't find the answer I'm looking for:

I can single pin pick most locks fairly easily. I have around 40 locks altogether that I practice on. Of those locks I have 3 that I cannot open.

But here's the thing:

I can't rake open ANY of them!! I have NEVER raked a lock open. I'm desperately wanting to learn how to do this, but I need someone that knows raking well to explain the technique to me. At this point I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Any help and advice greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance for any help you may be able to offer!

[pinsetter]

I guess I should probably explain what I'm doing when I try to rake:

I use either a half-diamond, a snake pick, or similar pick. I have even tried with a snowman and round ball pick.

I normally bounce tension on the tension wrench, while rapidly moving the pick in and out of the lock across the pins, I try moving the pick to different angles while doing this, for example raising or lowering the rear of the pick so it hits the pins differently if one way is not working. I always try to apply the tension as I'm pulling the pick out and let up tension when inserting the pick.

The thing is, nothing EVER seems to work!

[CPLP]

Two possibilities:

- You don't know how to rack locks
You need to search the forum for how to correctly do it.

- The locks you have are hard to rack
I rake many locks opened but there are some that I can't rake, because they are hard to rake or even almost impossible. The raking technic isn't unbeatable, usualy when the pins vary in size the lock is hard to rake and so we should single pin pick them.

My english is not so good so I can't explain you correctly how to do it. Just read the MIT guide or get some videos. Lock picking for the new millennium is very good explaining technics.

[CPLP]

Ok, I guess your problem is the tension. Don't bounc it. Put in a regular tension (very light).

[Blink]

I am by no means an expert, but whenever I rake locks open, I always use an eliptical motion. I start with light tension, then progressively put more tension, if that doesn't get the job done, then I start bouncing the tension as if I was using a pick gun.

Here's a cheap picture of the raking motion:

[/img]

[SFGOON]

Raking is anything but reliable, and I consider myself very lucky when I manage to open a lock by this technique alone. It is generally used to set the "easy" pins in a lock, followed by the pin by pin method to open the irregularly keyed ones. If you are dying to pick a lock via raking alone, select a lock with somewhat even pinning or a "stair step" pattern. These rake fairly easily. Good luck to you.

[pinsetter]

thanks guys!

Now I have a general idea of why I'm not getting them raked. I really haven't tried to rake any of my easier locks. I was trying raking on the ones that are difficult to open pin by pin, and those locks have evil pinnings. They are all Hi, Low, Hi type pin configurations and the reason I was trying to rake them is because there are pins I cannot set without upsetting some of the other pins. That is why I was trying to rake with bouncing tension, hoping that the other bottom pins would fall back down when I was bouncing.

I see now that the answer likely isn't raking at all and more likely I'll be needing to make a pick with a longer hook.

Thanks for the input guys!

[clayton1123]

Your problem may be that you just don't own a proper rake. Also, look for scrubbing. It is used during raking and can be very helpful.

http://southord.com/catalog.asp?cat=loc ... owstart=80
Look at the L rake and the S or snake rake.

[pinsetter]

Your problem may be that you just don't own a proper rake.

I do have proper rakes, so that was not the problem. After reading the replies in this post I was able to rake open both of my Kwikset KIK door knobs, one Kwikset deadbolt, and 3 of 5 Master padlocks that I tried.

But the 3 difficult locks that I have are still closed. They don't want to pick pin by pin and they seem to not be succeptable to raking either.

I'm back to thinking I'm gonna have to either make a longer hook pick or maybe some of those hybrid picks like the angled half-diamond, or angled ball.

I WILL get those locks open even if I have to make 75 picks to do it!

[Hardliner]

If you want a real kick (and/or to impress onlookers) try a lock that has fairly even pinning... Then you can it open it in a heartbeat with a single zip of the rake by applying tension and pulling the pick out of the lock quickly.

There was a link to a video floating around here with some German guys (I think) doing this sort of thing and timing themselves with a stopwatch... Looks real impressive until you realise that the bitting of the lock has a lot to do with it.

The discarded mortise cylinder from the entry door to my apartment building is frighteningly susceptible to this technique (no, I didn't pick it on the door -- it was recently replaced and I found the old one lying on the ground when I came home the other night). It opens faster via the rake than with my key..

[vector40]

Try ripping for a change.

[Bahrg]

I have to suggest bogata style rakes, these seem to work so easily on most of my locks its scary.

[Wolfman]

But the 3 difficult locks that I have are still closed. They don't want to pick pin by pin and they seem to not be succeptable to raking either.

I'm back to thinking I'm gonna have to either make a longer hook pick or maybe some of those hybrid picks like the angled half-diamond, or angled ball.

I think its apparent your gonna need something better than picks.

*and thermite doesent work*

My best suggestion is military grade high explosives. The black market is having a sale right now...

"All high explosives half off when you use your MVP card!"

[jimb]

If you want a real kick (and/or to impress onlookers) try a lock that has fairly even pinning... Then you can it open it in a heartbeat with a single zip of the rake by applying tension and pulling the pick out of the lock quickly.

I have one of these. It's a Brinks deadbolt with a kwikset keyway. The cuts are 4 3 5 6 6. I can rake it with a small hook almost every time on the first rake of the pins. Insert pick pull out and it's open!

[KottonKang]

Raking/Scrubbing is easy. Just try to imagine whats going on inside the lock, My trick is applying very light torque on is and scrub back and fourth really fast trying not to let the rake lift to high and push the pins up. When using a half diamond i then apply a harder torque and scrub untill it opens. Just practice my friend.