car glove box

by **nboy22** » 28 Feb 2004 23:00

I'm having a little bit of trouble with my car glove box.. the box in front of the passenger's seat that is.. anyways, it's very important that i get it open seeing as there is all my insurance info in there. How it got locked: my friend was messing around with some new picks, we're both new to it, and don't know any other people that do it in our town.. anyways.. he managed to get it locked... but i didn't tell him that i didnt' have a key for it, so now my objective is: get it open in the smallest amount of time.. i'm not sure what kind of lock it is exactly, but it looks to me like a wafer lock, but then again.. it could be a pin tumbler lock, but the shape is more roundish like a wafer lock.. ANYWAYS, is there any movies or tutorials that might help me with getting this thing open?? any help will be appreciated, thanks. :wink:

by **CitySpider** » 28 Feb 2004 23:33

You can't really tell whether it's a wafer lock or a pin-tumbler lock by the shape, but if it's a glovebox, it's likely a wafer lock, and probably a very low quality one at that. Should probably be the easiest lock you'll ever pick. If you haven't read the MIT guide, do so.

by **marso** » 29 Feb 2004 1:41

get it open in the smallest amount of time.

Call a locksmith, it could take ages to get good enough to pick a lock you desire. Even if it is a wafer lock if you do not understand the basics then it may as well be a medeco. Read the MIT guide, the FAQ, watch some videos, practice on a master padlock (since you can do this in comfort) and all will be good.

by **nboy22** » 29 Feb 2004 2:40

Could you possibly point me to a link with some videos on the subject? i will get reading that MIT guide, i've already read some of it, i get the general idea, i just haven't really got any good locks to pick at my house, so i could use one sometime, which i'll probably get soon.. anyways, thanks again.

by **CitySpider** » 29 Feb 2004 2:46

Links are in the archives, probably in the FAQs. Either I have to search for them, or you do, and since you're the one that needs 'em, it's only fair...

If you have any questions to which you can't find the answers, give us a buzz. We'll be glad to help.

by **marso** » 29 Feb 2004 2:48

nboy22, please do not take this the wrong way as I am just trying to work out if there is a better way to organise things. What have you read so far? On the forum which sections have you looked at? Have you tried to search for videos etc.? Can you suggest any way to improve how the site is organised?

In regards to videos I would suggest you select the "discussion" link above and then select "FAQ" and then "MIT Guide, Locksmith Course, Impressioning Guide, Videos" and this should have enough videos for you.

In regards to getting started with lockpicking I would read the link below.
viewtopic.php?t=1744

If you do not get it after reading all that then I would suggest calling a locksmith. But you may need to buy a practice lock and some picks (if you do not already have these) and practice. As said before for some reason or another you may not be able to get through the lock you want to get into even if you practice.

by **nboy22** » 29 Feb 2004 5:09

i believe that it's possible to get into the lock, because if my friend locked me out out of it, i think it's possible to get back in, he did it in only about a minute or so without any practice. for a locksmith, how much do you think that it would cost to open the lock? just an idea figure would help since no locksmith places are open on the weekend. I will study this a lot more and see what i can come up with, and i will soon get a practice lock to use. I'm very new to this, but i have picked a few locks. one on a small safe, and another on a box, but i still don't have a completely clear image of the mechanics of picking. I can get most of it, but there's been a few locks, the glove box one is a good example, as well as another padlock, that i cannot seem to get open, but my friend has gotten open the padlock that i cannot get open. I'm just hoping for the best because i'd rather not pay a hefty amount of money just to get it open. thanks again, the movies should help me a lot now.

by **horwichg** » 29 Feb 2004 11:11

Why don't you get your friend to try to open it. If he knew how to lock it there is a chance he can unlock it again.

by **nboy22** » 29 Feb 2004 13:15

well that's the thing, we have been trying, i just practiced a bit more on a lock that is probably really similar to the one that i'm trying to pick on the glove box. it's at such a weird angle that it hurts after a while of trying.

by **nboy22** » 29 Feb 2004 15:38

after 30 minutes of picking.. i decided to take a break and look around for some other options, i actually found out that the orginal key was hanging up on a keyrack, i grabbed that and it worked fine. The problem with my key is that it was a copied one from the original, so the cuts were thicker and it wouldn't fit into the lock at all, not even the tip. But the original one sure did the trick, now i can rest in piece and pick something that i can actually pick

thanks for your help, these movies help me understand a lot better.

by **Chucklz** » 29 Feb 2004 15:46

Reading the MIT guide is far more instructive in basic picking mechanics than most videos can ever hope to be. There is something about having well done technical drawings. Just in general, be sure to be using very light tension. If you have one, and your lock is a wafer lock, you may or may not find a ball pick useful.

by **marso** » 29 Feb 2004 17:17

Just wanted to clean up a few points. Just because you pick in one direction does not mean the same person will be able to pick in the opposite. There is the whole dumb luck thing and also you might be heavy handed when you turn that way.

Wafer locks break easy so you could have killed the lock if you used that one as your learning one.

As you said picking in a car at a weird angle is definately not something to learn, you would probably pickup bad habbits.

Hopefully now you can practice in comfort and get through a few practice locks. Perhaps buy a few more and struggle through those. And maybe in a little while, when the penny drops and you work out exactly what is happening when your tools are in the lock you can go back to the desired lock and get through. Please keep me posted how you are going.

car glove box

car glove box

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