A bit of a problem

[photoeos5]

Firstly i'd like to excuse myself for my poor english (I'm french lol) I actually have a bit of a problem with a lock, I'm able to open it up in one direction but it's ipossible for me to reclose it in the other, I know that the most important is to be able to open it up, but i'd really like to know why it's impossible for me to close it back up. It takes me less then 30sec to open (I'm new here lol) but even after 30min I still can't close it.... is it normal? please help me out it's driving me mad.. maybe it's because I'm a beginner or something but why in one direction and not the other?

[globallockytoo]

Some locks are not designed to be locked with the key. Only unlocked. But, have you tried using a plug spinner?

It depends on the brand, model, function etc.

[cppdungeon]

sometimes locks are easier to pick in one direction, which is what plug spinners are for. they spin the plug so that the top pins dont have time to fall back into the plug, and turns the plug in the opposite direction. It also could be that the plug doesent spin that way.

What kind of lock is it?

[photoeos5]

Here is a photo of the lock, I hope that your able to see it well, there is only a key hole on one side (I have no idea of the name of this type of lock, so if you can also give that to me it would be a big help) Thanks a lot in advance.

[datagram]

I assume you're picking the dial lock?

dg

[raimundo]

Good luck on anyone recognizing that lock, there are only a few french members on this site and they would be most likely to know anything about it. your photo does not even show the keyway, which might have have helped us to know the general type of the lock.

If your lock is a common pin tumbler lock, it may be the problem of turning the plug 180 degrees and having the pins drop in the bottom of the keyway, as this is a typical problem for new pickers. you can release this problem by using a pick and the tensor to push the pins back up.

In your next post, perhaps you could tell us the name of the lock, most locks will have a manufacturers brand on them.

A photo showing the keyway would also help. do you have the key, if you do, place it in the photo also. that could help people here understand what mechanism this lock uses.

[photoeos5]

I'm sorry for the picture, here's the lock, I think it's a normal 5 pin lock, (I can feel them...) I hop there's enough detail. (It's a lock Made in France) but there's nothing else written on it.

[raimundo]

what picks are you using, commercial or homemade, the commercial picks sometimes have thick shafts that do not work well in small keyways, Im guessing thats a small keyway.

[photoeos5]

Yeah it is a small keyway, but that's not really the problem my picks are from "southord", it's just that I can only open the lock in one direction, kind of crazy actually... but since I don't have the key I can't verify if it's normal or not..

[blake1803]

beyond rai's suggestions the only thing that immediately comes to mind -- and I would only recommend this as a last resort -- is that a bolt like might be getting a bit caught on the way back and so maybe brute-force is the answer. Sticking a screwdriver into the keyway and using that to turn for example.

[lunchb0x]

beyond rai's suggestions the only thing that immediately comes to mind -- and I would only recommend this as a last resort -- is that a bolt like might be getting a bit caught on the way back and so maybe brute-force is the answer. Sticking a screwdriver into the keyway and using that to turn for example.

I would not do that, if its not working properly pull the lock apart and clean it out, and while its apart take some of the pins out and practice picking it with less pins in it and work your way up.

[photoeos5]

I'm gonna try to take it a part, i'll get back to you guys with pics and everything....If I'm able to do it lol, but I should be able to do it....except for the pins part, they seem to be welded on the top.

[raimundo]

If you can access the back of the cylinder, you may be able to shim it open, look for some kind of spring clip or other method of keepins the plug from coming out when unlocked, and remove that in a non destructive way, then you can find a very thin piece of metal that will go into the gap between the plug and the cylinder, with a keyblank or pick, you can work this in by lifting the pin stack and feeling for the shear with the shim, working one stack at a time from the back of the lock to the front, and every time you push the shim through the shearline on the pinstack you advance to the next pinstack.
You may be able to get a shim from someone here or from a local locksmiths supplier, or a locksmith, or you may find something like that in a type of antishoplifting tag that is common here in the US. perhaps they have them in france,