I think because of the format, it can't be compressed any further. it's well
worth downloading if you can get it. use some sort of download manager
like DAP (download accellerator plus). it allows you to pause downloads
and resume later on.
also, you sent me a pm about pick types and which to make, I thought
that my reply would be benificial to everyone so I hope you don't mind me
posting it here (I'm sure something similar has been posted at some
stage, but it doesn't hurt to post it again. just so everyone else knows,
we're talking about the pictures in this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=2867
and we've established that zero has a half diamond and a half ball already.
----------------------------------------
each of the picks that pick maker has made has a different purpose. the
wavy ones are called "rakes", the ones that curve up at the end are
called "hooks" and the ones that you've already made are variations on
balls and diamonds.
in this picture:
http://img66.photobucket.com/albums/v20 ... dc4a9a.jpg
I'd make (in addition to the ones that you have) numbers 2 and 3 and
either (or both) 4 and 5 (from the left) and something similar to the last
two on the right wouldn't go astray either to start with. once you get
better, you'll figure out what you need.
basically it depends on a combination of your style, what type of lock it is,
how it's keyed (sometimes you don't know this), and your picking ability.
Hooks:
these allow you to pick individual pins acurately. basically, there is no pin
tumbler lock that hooks cannot open (provided you're good enough) it is
good to practice with these if you want to get better.
Rakes:
there are basically two types of rakes, the sawtooth and the snake.
both of these are more random than the hook- they assume that the lock
is poor quality (usually kwikset are) and rely on some luck as well as skill.
the sawtooth ones (pick 4 and 5 in above link) are used for lightly and
very quickly dragging the pick over the pins while applying light tension -
this causes the key pins to jump up and hit the driver pins causing them to
jump up past the sheer line, thus leaving a gap for a fraction of a second.
if you get it right you can set all the pins at the same time. a similar
method is used by pick guns and electric picks, but the manual rakes
cause less damage to the lock.
the snake rakes (last few in the above link) are used for attempting to
simulate the profile of the key, they are moved in and out, up and down
trying to push the pins into the appropriate spots.. use light to moderate
tension. sometimes you can use these like the sawtooth rakes, but they
do not have the points that cause the pins to jump so are not as effective.
Balls and variations:
these are mostly used on wafer locks, but are just another way to pick
any lock really - they reduce the feel a little bit because you have no
sharpish edges to feel with.
diamonds and variations:
these are good alround picks - I use them interchangably with my hooks,
although overall I prefer my hooks. diamonds slide in and out of the lock
easier than hooks but reduce the feel slightly.
other styles of picks are combinations/variations of the above.
*whew* enough from me for now.
)
