How much to learn before needing advanced?

[WolfSpring]

I like everyone else, am curious to see the advance section, but I am also patient because I want to have the basics rock solid before moving to stuff called or thought of as "advanced" so my question is, what all of the basics should I know before considering moving to the advanced? I have SPP understood, I don't get a lot of false sets, or don't think I do, but I can open most American locks with SPP. Raking, if it's rakable is very simple, I don't even rake that much, I like to try and SPP and non-security pin lock because it helps hone my patience and thought process. I do warm up raking though each day I got three locks (master) that I rake as fast as I can just to keep it in tune. I understand, but have not had the opportunity to impression yet(got three small files, two gerber multi plier tools and a few other loose end tools but no vice). I can make my own picks, and I have a kwickset dead bolt being mailed to me. I understand repining a lock and have a lot of old keys that fit my locks so I repin to the the key make sure I can open it with the key and repick. I even have some spool pins and serated pins I put in to a 4 pin non-security pin lock to practice. Other then that the only thing that even catches my fancy for wanting to try is the pick gun, not that I really want to use it much, but I want to try it out,see what the bustle is about and have it as a tool for my tool box. I need more variety of locks. Right now I'm pretty much stuck with Master and American padlocks and some schlage doors, which right now is not an environment suitable for picking, pretty sure the military frowns on you picking even your own office door lol.

So where do I go from here with my limitations?
What tools should I next considering purchaseing/making?
As far as impressioning, should I start first by trying to file a key blank of a key I already have, to use as a template, to get used to cutting or not waiste the blank and go right into impressioning?

I know I ask a lot of random jump around questions, but it's the way my brain operates, it learns quick but it won't learn one thing at a time.

[Jaakko]

Right now I'm pretty much stuck with Master and American padlocks and some schlage doors, which right now is not an environment suitable for picking, pretty sure the military frowns on you picking even your own office door lol.

Yep, that is not your door and the locks in doors are in use, so don't pick them

Is there anything particular thing that you have a fixation on? Like Squelchtone has his S&G locks, JK has Medeco, I have Abloy, Kaotik has (had?) picks and the list goes on and on. I'm not saying you should just find one thing to focus on, but I'm sure there will be a moment when you realize that you are "specializing" in something in some way

I don't know your location or circumstances, but is shopping locks from eBay an option? Otherwise you could ask buying locks in B/S/T-section of this forum.

[WolfSpring]

I'm stationed in Kuwait. I can get EBay. Right now I enjoy hand fileing picks now and then and messing with cut locks from the container yards. Mostly Master DGs. Don't so much have a fixation yet, just love the feeling of solving that puzzle, that last click and it opens and the though, i just did that. As far as Medco's, Alboys I'm still learning and those are like unicorns to me, heard of them, seen them on here. I like the sound of the S&G the more I learn the more I want to go home re pin every lock I have with security pins so I'll probably end up fixated on trying to build a cheap pick resistant lock. I've had some ideas alreay of if I could invent a lock how to make a key system that had a nomral key that was cut on top and L cut on the bottom keywaywith a set of pins under that first ward lip. Again my mind races around, I've found locks help me slow down and focus enough to have a simple thought. I have a thirst for knowledge. My best so far is a 5200, that opened one time, on pure luck, actually I think it was broken and the springs were wore out so when I opened it it died, cause now it doesn't lock doesn't do anything at all actually had to drill it out when it jamed, scrapped it for parts. But I'm working on a cut one now that keeps launching my T wrench, it's sitting at work calling my name, headed there now to start the day, meeting then picking lol. We are about to cut a bunch of bike locks on this base, bikes been sitting here rusting, I'm going to get with the people doing that and see if I can get some of the locks they are going to cut, or better yet have a day to try and pick some of them. I do have a Sergeant doors, not schlage, my bad, but I have my room lock, my room mate is on Leave so I got two weeks to try and pick a Seargent door lock, that might be fun.

Thanks.

[LocksmithArmy]

as stated before

Yep, that is not your door and the locks in doors are in use, so don't pick them

just because you live there doesnt make it your door... kinda sucks huh... but you could always ask KBR, but that doesnt solve the locks in use problem

[WolfSpring]

This is true, but I have an outer room lock for the entire room, then my room door lock. I mean I've already had to open it using alternate methods, there are vent holes so a coat hanger up the vent hook the handle pull down, wallah(sp?). I don't want to pick it because if I mess it up I will have to pay 100 bucks to have it redone(thats the cost of a lost key to have the lock replaced, stupid army security policies lol) I just need something to practice. The wife is sending the Kwikset deadbolt, but thats the equivilant of a master DG or Americal SL10 from what I'm gathering.

[LocksmithArmy]

HAHA kwiksets are not equivelant to the dg or 5200... they arnt even in the same class... in the lock world if abloys and medecos are the kings of the jungle, the lion than the dgs or 5200s would be a wolf or dog of some sort, still challanging but not high security...

the kwikset is the mouse... lol fun to play with but not very filling.

but you should enjoy picking one if you have never picked it before.

If you want locks go on ebay and look for the lots they sometimes have... youll get 12 to 20 random locks from some random guy. itll help build a collection to practice on... pay attention to whats in the lot so you are getting pin tumblers and not warded locks(unless you want warded locks)

happy picking

[freak13]

Hey there,
I'm also in the military (USMC) and have spent more than my fair share of time deployed. Good news is, although I never had a big variety of locks to pick, I always had plenty of my favorite. American 5200. I've posted about these locks before and always feel like they're all I talk about, but they are great to practice with. Big step up from your average padlocks. They can have nasty little pin combinations and are a great way to practice picking security pins. Once you have those mastered, you can move on to bigger and better things. Good luck.

[WolfSpring]

Mouse, more like ant. I finally got a Kwikset deadbolt sent to me, didn't have all the screws, but I was able to pick it well under 10 seconds with a diamond and normal tension wrench. I notice the bible has a cap on it, I'm assuming I can remove that and put in some spools for some better practice? I did notice it's not a great keyway for raking, did kind of a cross between SPP and raking with my diamond. I do like it better then the feel of a padlock for practice though. Picked a recovered cut 5200 today too, been working on it for a few days, took a lot of canned air, a little WD-40 and a lot of cleaning, will be reshackling and rekeying it with some parts from a SL-10 that got cut and then someone found the key to. Any advice on where to go next? I've ordered some Ward picks, and will be getting some jigglers next month. Backing off on impressioning, need better files and lower level blanks to continue that. I'm thinking of getting a depth gauge to try and learn a little about that. Anyway, thanks for the help thus far.