a hello, a coupla questions, and hopefully a bit more

[moocow]

hi

i stumbled upon this site maybe 3 or 4 days ago, im not even sure how i got here, but everything seems pretty interesting. Ive done some minor metal fabrication and machining in the past so i thought I would play around a bit and see what I could do. Ive made a few picks and a few tension wrenches, using a saw blade, some wiper inserts, a piece of steel tape and an allen wrench thus far.

i have a door to my basement(interior) that for some reason had a deadbolt installed on it, as well as another deadbolt keyd the same. after disassembling them, one the pins/springs werent accessible and the other they were. i made the one where i could get to the pins into a training thing with currently 3 pins, mostly cause i killed a bunch of springs taking it apart. im not sure what kind of lock the closed one is, the one i disassembled is a schlage

having now been able to pick both the 3 pin job, and the unmodified lock that is 6pins, i wanted to say a few things and ask a few things.

first off, this site has to have some of the most open and helpful members i have seen. even though some people have a interest in the material here because they make and sell things, the information provided is very helpful. oftentimes when money becomes involved people become unhelpful unless you pay them, but that definitely doesnt seem to be the case here, so thanks for all of the clear and helpful tutorials on making things, practicing, and everything else.

all of you guys with templates/pictures/tutorials/etc about pick making rule

for my questions, when holding a lock to pick, how do people commonly grip them? im finding myself using my left hand to hold the actual lock assembly with only my thumb to manipulate the tension wrench and it feels somewhat awkward to me. i use my right hand for the pick. Would it be easier to practice if i mounted a board to my workbench and used it to mount my locks in?

can those little springs be purchased somewhere? i have all of the pins to this lock, and would like to get some replacement springs so i can work up from 3 to 6 pins individually for more practice.

when i finish working on these picks a bit more, ill try to find my camera and take some pictures or something.

moo

[robotmaxtron]

Agreed LP101 is neato.

Anyways as far as holding the lock I hold it in my left hand and manipulate the wrench with my pointer finger and pick with my right hand. As for mounting them there are many that do but it adds a different element to picking something that's mounted rather than in your hand.

As for replacement springs there are kits you can buy that come with new pins (great for making an old lock into a new lock with different pin stacks) and springs. Look online for replacements or go talk to a local locksmith where they might sell you just springs or you could bring your old lock in and ask to have it rekeyed.

Also welcome to the site.

[moocow]

Thanks for the reply
I was wrong about one of the locks I was using. I thought it was a schlage because it looked like the rest of the locks on my house, but its not. Im not sure what brand it is. I am hopefully picking up a few more locks tomorrow from my parents house, they recently changed out most of their locks on the house so there are a bunch of locks there, all fairly generic Im sure.

Still having some difficulty photographing my picks, I need to get some better lights in my work area.

Hopefully tomorrow I will pick up some additional locks, as well as find a locksmith shop to ask about springs. Dunno if theyll be open on sunday though

[prag]

There is an excellent thread in the FAQs, AND GENERAL INFORMATION section about lighting for taking fotos.
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=11149&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight= I've re-read it a couple of times and learnt every time.

A hint is to take a foto and check on your computer if its to your satisfaction. If not then a few minor changes should do the trick. What I do is if there is enough light, I don't even use the flash. I also have a setting on my Sony digital camera that allows for close-up picture taking. Smart feature especially insides of locks or intricate parts. Also take your fotos in a 1 megapixal format, this way its easier to download.

Another hint is also to use a ruler next to or below the article you snapping. This way the viewer know exactly what size this particular article is.