how to build a "training station"?

[femurat]

I'm thinking about a training station to mount my locks on.
Usually I have the lock and the wrench in my left hand and the pick in my right. I like the idea of using both hands just for the picks. I think this could improve the feedback on the wrench.
My "project" is a piece of wooden kitchen top with holes... Any better ideas?

Thanks

[datagram]

That's pretty much the idea. Just take a piece of wood thick enough for whatever you want to put in it, and mount the locks. Building a small base is also very helpful.

If you want to do something smaller you can build lock blocks to use for single cylinders. It is less realistic (for door picking) than the stand up board, but also easier to transport and easier to distribute if you want to pick with friends.

A pic of lock blocks I made for workshops/lockpicking villages I've done:
http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp42 ... 1b5fa3.png

dg

[TheSnakey]

squelchtone made a nice practise station if he is nice he might post a pic

[apb]

+1 on the picture from squelchtone.

I've been trying to come up with a simple design for a practice station that's not bulky or expensive. I already have a 2x 6 wood block with precut holes to mount deadbolts, that can be put in a hobby vice. This works, but trying to come up with something not so flaky.

[MacGnG1]

yea squelchy's set up is nice wood with a good stain on it too

[femurat]

I'll be happy to see Squelchtone's station

I needh the station to organize three or four locks in a single block, with a base and a hole to put the picks in. I want to leave it in my living room so I must make something good.

datagram, your blocks are interesting even if they're not my initial idea... but I could make one block and try it: maybe it's comfortable to use on my sofa

Good weekend and see you soon

[boatmaster]

it's just an idea, but you could use the single smaller blocks individaly for mobility and transportation but could set them into a bigger board frames for thar "real door feel." when you are home.

that way you have the best of both worlds.

[raimundo]

If you want to simulate reality, put a piece of door frame where it will interfere with long tensor handles, then if you are designing picks as well you will have something to design for.

In the real world, the door frame often comes into interference with the tensor handles, so a realistic practice setup should include this.

[Spinster]

All,
I have an amateur question - how do get the cylinders to stay firmly in the block without rotating when you try to pick it? All my cylinders are threaded, but I wouldn't know how to go about getting matching threads in the wood. Open to ideas.
Thanks

[datagram]

All,
I have an amateur question - how do get the cylinders to stay firmly in the block without rotating when you try to pick it? All my cylinders are threaded, but I wouldn't know how to go about getting matching threads in the wood. Open to ideas.
Thanks

If it is a mortise cylinder you can just use the retaining screws to keep it in place. For rim cylinders I either have it screwed in place or drill the holl with a bit that is slightly smaller and sand the inside out until the cylinder can squeeze in and is held (fairly well) by only friction. Key in knobs also do OK with just friction.

Kwiksets can be held in place by retaining screws or you can use friction. Because of the design of the retaining screws you have to drill bores on the sides of the hole anyway, and if you drill them tight enough they should retain the cylinder fairly well. The problem I had with a couple of these was not that they'd rotate but that the top would pop out of the block if I didn't screw them in.

I'll probably be adding some form of finish before I have to use them next time. Any ideas?

dg

[Squelchtone]

I'll be happy to see Squelchtone's station

the front:
http://nynex.s5.com/ebay/medeco-board-1/Medeco-board-done-front-sm.jpg

the back:
http://nynex.s5.com/ebay/medeco-board-1/Medeco-board-done-back-sm.jpg

view from top:
http://nynex.s5.com/ebay/medeco-board-1/Medeco-board-done-top.jpg

how the cylinders are held in place:
http://nynex.s5.com/lp101/pics/Squelch-board-preview.jpg

hope this helps your project!

Squelchtone

[femurat]

wow, I'm not the only one interested in the training station project...

boatmaster: good point, I could build a station with a mountable block... so I could easily change the lock. I'll think about it.

raimundo: I didn't think about that, thanks for the suggestion. I imagine I need also a knob.

squelchtone: thanks for the pictures, your station is awesome! It'll be hard to make something similar, I'm not so good at working with wood. I'll do my best.

Thanks to all for your ideas, now it's time to work. See you soon

[femurat]

Yesterday my friend with the saw hosted me for an hour... Here you can find the results.







In the upper hole I'll put a knob to have a more realistic model.
I also have to put a screw in the lock side hole to keep it in place.
When I got home I immediately tried it: I have to shorten my wrenches to rotate them without touching the frame.
The feedback is much more notable than holding the lock in my hand. I can also hear a click amplified by the wood when I set a pin.

I also made some little holders for "sofa-picking"





This is just my first try, I guess I can make an improved version following your upcoming comments...

Thanks to all

[Major Boothroyd]

It looks good, not sure how you're going to screw the lock in place though. Keep working on it, looks like a great start.

[femurat]

It looks good, not sure how you're going to screw the lock in place though. Keep working on it, looks like a great start.

I thought I had to put a screw in the wood, from the bottom part of the T profile to the lock side, to keep it in place.
Fortunately the lock seems to stay firmly in place thanks to the friction with the hole. For now I can do without the screw: I made the hole with my dremel a little thinner than regular ones, exactly the same as the lock
I'm not sure I was clear, so this is a picture to show the point where I can put a screw to increase the friction and hold the lock in place.



I'm glad you think this is a great start. This station looks like a door model. It's a lot different from my initial idea. I wanted a station to organize all my picks and locks but I realized this was not an easy task, so I decided to start with something easier. Maybe in the future I can come up with some new idea... for now this works good. Cheers