Picking lock with paperclips

by **shc** » 10 Aug 2007 8:33

First of all hello to everyone. I just bought a padlock to practice lockpicking. I started off with paperclips and used instructions found on this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIvohfrDRDE . Somehow I can't do it, I tried many times with no success. I press the pins up with my second tool for racking and i put the tension wrench too but I can't apply enough pressure to turn the cylinder with my paperclip tension wrench. Does anyone have any tips or manuals to help me out with this one. Every help is appreciated. Thank you.

by **UWSDWF** » 10 Aug 2007 9:34

so if you have the paper clips try doing this.....

by **tmaxx258** » 10 Aug 2007 10:15

Well,if you want to start picking as a hobby i would suggest not to use paperclips.Buy yourself a set of picks,If you dont want to buy picks you can make some picks out of hacksaw blades and make tension wrenches out of windsheild wiper blades.

by **Eyes_Only** » 10 Aug 2007 10:19

Paper clips are just way too weak to serve as an effective DIY tool for picking. Even books on how to pick locks under emergency situations discourages the use of paper clips.

by **MacGyver101** » 10 Aug 2007 10:48

shc wrote: . . . I can't apply enough pressure to turn the cylinder with my paperclip tension wrench . . .

I'd have to agree with the other posters: I think you'll have much more fun getting into the hobby if you stay away from paperclips... they're simply not strong enough.

Having said that, it sounds like your main concern is your tension wrench. The turning tension on most cheap padlocks goes down quite a bit when the lock is open (i.e., when the shackle isn't closed). Try opening the padlock (with the key) and then trying your luck: you may find that your paperclip tension wrench fairs a bit better. :-)

Hope that helps...

by **Proctor** » 10 Aug 2007 11:15

If you cant afford to buy picks, or afford to buy the hacksaw blades, or dont have the right tools to create your own..

Use Hairclips like me, im just waiting for my set to come though

Happy pickings, Proctor :wink:

by **Shrub** » 10 Aug 2007 11:16

Check out the paper clip picking guide made by sams choice,

Real picks are the way to go though,

Can i ask do you know how to pick a lock and why a lock can be picked?

I ask this as it sounded a little me like your lifting al the pins up as far as they will go and then trying to turn the plug, is this wrong of me?

Try pen top clips for a tension wrench,

by **shc** » 10 Aug 2007 17:36

It's not that I cant aford real picks, I just dont have the place to buy them here, and I just started it as a small hobby, nothing serious so I'd like to know how to do it with DIY stuff at first and then become more serious if i like it.

Can i ask do you know how to pick a lock and why a lock can be picked?

I understand the main principle of how lock work but not completely.

I ask this as it sounded a little me like your lifting al the pins up as far as they will go and then trying to turn the plug, is this wrong of me?

You got it right, I know that pins shouldn't be in the same position when the plug is turned but the problem is that I didn't understand the raking technique, actually I don't what it really is and paperclips are too weak to turn the plug. Any help on raking ?[/quote]

by **poppasmurfenfold** » 10 Aug 2007 17:58

Raking with a paperclip wouldnt work. The clip is too weak and it would simply bend. And, I'm not an expert but I dont think stores period sell picks, you have to get them on the internet like everyone else or just make your own. I make my own but I'd suggest buying some first to get an idea. I dont know if I'm just retarded or what but the first thirty or fourty picks I made were crap. It takes a lot of practice to make well working picks. If you wanna pick locks with paperclips then buy a cheapo doorknob lock. Dont use the lock on your front door or anything, because paper clips will break, and ruin your lock. Paper clips arent strong enough to turn the plug in a padlock. I think even cheapo's require a little extra push, beacuse they are spring loaded so when it unlocks it locks back immediately. Door locks on the other hand dont, you need near to no tension for a cheap kwikset. I for one, picked my first lock with a paperclip on my dad's garage door. If anyone disagrees please correct me.
Hope this helps guy.

by **no1169n** » 10 Aug 2007 18:36

Actually the other day I had to use paper clips to open a 3 pin lock box, I got it within 30 seconds and it was my first time every lock picking. It's possible, just hard. Try using more of a small long pin, like a needle for racking atleast thats what I did, and I used the paper clip to act as a tension wrench. I hope this helps.

by **Proctor** » 10 Aug 2007 19:14

Take a look at 1 of my vids :

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7NpAxM9wbwA

by **poppasmurfenfold** » 10 Aug 2007 20:56

Like i said paper clips arent strong enough to turn a spring loaded plug. A lock box does not have a spring loaded plug. Alot of them dont have pins either, most of them use wafers, it might be a three cut wafer lock which you could open with a fingernail file.

by **tmaxx258** » 10 Aug 2007 21:13

Ditch the clips and make your own picks out of hacksaw blades.Theres templates here to help out in the forming of the basic shape of the pick.

As said before paper clips are too weak they bend under stress so you will have a hard time single pin picking,and raking.

by **Dragunov-21** » 10 Aug 2007 21:45

Check out shrub's www button, and the MIT guide here.

by **shc** » 11 Aug 2007 7:48

Thanks for the mit guide and videos it should help. I'm practicing on the small, cheap padlock I bought yesterday so it shouldn't be hard. Can someone explain me what raking really is ?

Picking lock with paperclips

Picking lock with paperclips

Re: Picking lock with paperclips

Who is online