Alternative to re-pinning

by **WhiteHat** » 18 Apr 2004 21:24

I recently got given a replacement no-name cylinder normaly used for deadlocks. it was pretty easy to pick.

I took it appart (the first time I've ever taken a lock appart) to have a look, and I found that three of the bottom pins (i.e. key-pins) were upside down (with the beveled side being the one touching the driver pins) - obviously someone had taken it appart before. I turned the pins around to the correct way and it immediately increased the picking dificulty.

the reason would have been that the beveled edges on the key pins reduced the chance of them over setting.

so my thought is: if a cylinder is too hard to pick (one that you have the key to), then perhaps an idea is to turn the bottom pins upside down. - don't know if that would cause you to learn bad habits, but perhaps it would be good for beginners.

any thoughts from anyone?

by **technik** » 18 Apr 2004 21:52

yeh, it dfefinately makes it easier to pick. One time, i was letting my friend have a go, and they picked 3 pins fairly quickly, but took about the same time to pick 4. I was amazed at his progression, and took the pin out to see its height. I took it out and it was upside down! This makes sense, because there is more chance of the pin catching on the sheerline. I read in MIT something about bevelled pins, or maybe its bevelled holes?

Its a good ida for beginners

by **Luke** » 19 Apr 2004 1:05

Your cylinder may not have been tampered with Whitehat. It is one of the most common mistakes that manufacturers make with there locks, although it happens rarely it is one of the most common mistakes.

by **WhiteHat** » 19 Apr 2004 3:36

nope, this one was owned by a fellow lockpicker... I'm pretty sure he would have taken it apart.

I've actually having serious trouble picking it - I may put one or two of the pins back arround the other way again.....

by **WhiteHat** » 19 Apr 2004 3:58

just figured out that you can't take it apart unles the plug turns - I don't have the key... I'll just have to pick it won't I....

:cry:

by **HeadHunterCEO** » 19 Apr 2004 5:09

WhiteHat wrote:just figured out that you can't take it apart unles the plug turns - I don't have the key... I'll just have to pick it won't I....

shim it

by **technik** » 19 Apr 2004 9:39

just figured out that you can't take it apart unles the plug turns - I don't have the key... I'll just have to pick it won't I....

but didnt you just say you took it apart and saw that the pins were upside down?? I must be missing something here

by **WhiteHat** » 19 Apr 2004 17:42

it's a replacement cylinder for a deadbolt, not a padlock so I couldn't shim it. took it apart and three of the pins were upside down, turned them arround and put the plug back in and turned it to the locked position.

that made it harder to pick.

anyway, got it now, it wasn't that hard after a medium chunk of patience

by **HeadHunterCEO** » 19 Apr 2004 17:45

to shim a lock is to insert a foil into the rear of the plug between it and the housing

raising each pin one by one allowing the foil to get between then one by one.

this allows you to retain the drivers in the housing and remove the plug nothereby not disturbing anything allowing to rekey it

not some padlock shim.

by **WhiteHat** » 19 Apr 2004 17:49

hey, never thought of that....

previously I was using the flat of a ball pick to hold the driver pins into the hull.

the shim's a good idea though...

by **HeadHunterCEO** » 19 Apr 2004 17:52

WhiteHat wrote:hey, never thought of that....

previously I was using the flat of a ball pick to hold the driver pins into the hull.

the shim's a good idea though...

if you got a key blank for the lock your working with it is even easier

just pull it out slowly while gentley apply forward pressure to the shim

gets tricky with spool pins though but you will figure it out

by **Chucklz** » 19 Apr 2004 19:55

THe shim stock you use isnt exactly the foil in the kitchen. Go out and buy a DVD that has a security device inside it. You will most likely find a little black plastic sticker thats about 1 cm wide, 3-4 cm long and about 3mm high. Remove this carefully, and cut around the adhesive bottom. When you crack it open, there will be three bits of metal. One will be adhesived to a clear plastic layer, ignore thist strip. There will be an additional 2 slightly curved strips that make wonderful shims. Not to mention, you just got a new DVD.

by **HeadHunterCEO** » 19 Apr 2004 21:27

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 54073&rd=1

just buy them for next to nothing

by **WhiteHat** » 19 Apr 2004 21:36

..think I'm going to try the coke can option, it's free and you can have a cool drink while you work.

by **Luke** » 20 Apr 2004 1:25

You could just befriend a locksmith and get him to order them for you.
NOTE: - A locksmith i got to this ripped me off and i found out he isnt very good - later in the year im getting a part time job a lockie in Glen huntly, he has had his van pushed over by the guy that ripped me off/

Alternative to re-pinning

Alternative to re-pinning

Doh!

Re: Doh!

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