Picking Padlock "wrong" way?

[poor paperclip picker]

I have a few padlocks that have the "key stop", I don't know what it's called, but it only allows you to turn the key one way. So it is a cover over the face of the cylinder. Anyways, my american 1100 has this, and I can not pick it the right way, but it is VERY simple to pick the wrong way, I just need to have two wrenches so I can turn it past the key stop.

Anybody know why this is so easy? Also would a plug spinner be able to spin it the right way and open the shackle?

Sorry if this isn't clear, I am rushed on time right now, and I can put up pictures later or explain in more detail.

Thanks

[Eyes_Only]

I get what you mean. I haven't tried a plug spinner in those situations but I would think that with so little rotation in the wrong direction that the plug spinner may not be able to build enough momentum to keep the cylinder from re-locking. But I could be wrong.

And a lot of times a lock, whether it be for a house, a padlock or a car, is easier to pick in the wrong direction. This is why I always took a little tool bag with a good quality plug spinner in it to every home/business lockout call I was sent out to when I was working for a locksmith shop. I'd say at least 60% of the time it was easier and faster to pick in the wrong direction.

[poor paperclip picker]

I get way more feed back when picking it the wrong way. The setting of the pins feels way more obvious when it is picked the wrong way.

I am set out to open this lock though.

[LocksmithArmy]

does anyone have any ideas as to why this is?

I believe it is because of the ledge made by the pug at the shear line. The ledge on the side the key turns is work out and the bottom of the bible is also worn because the key is constantly turnng it and the pins rub aginst it. but turning it the wrong way the pins are contacting th other side of the plug and bible where it is not so worn so it still has sharp corners to make a nice shear line

I believe pickng on a new lock should be the same as picking an old lock backwards.

just a thought...

[Eyes_Only]

Yeah I've thought about it like that and I totally agree with you.

[WolfSpring]

every so often when I close a shackle with the plug picked open the plug will spin past the "lock" position, I took a tenion wrench and put it in the top of the key way, held it gently with my thumb downward, took my other hand and launched a rubber band and it flicked it back past the lock position allowing me to put tension on and open it again, you could try this method, or the bending the t wrench back so far that it flipped it back when you let go. I've see that done also on dead bolts. Take some practice but I believe it can be done effectively if you can pick locks better that way, or make a plug spinner with a flad head screw driver with a pen clip on it a tube just bigger then the screw driver and a home made spring, I can see it but can't describe it, but a home made plug spinner like that would work.

[raimundo]

the thing that paperclip calls a key stop, well, thats also called a hardened drill breaker.
its part of the armor over the brass plug.
American has this and some commercial master locks have a final lamination that does this.

this drill breaker and the cap lamination on a master padlock do sometimes interfer with picking, look on the edge of your tensor blade for some rough marks that this hardened steel has put there, this is because the armor is grounding the tension before it reaches the plug.

If you are impressioning a lock with this, look carefully to make sure that this is not interfering with the key,
On master padlocks, which are seldom impressioned by locksmiths, they're cheaper to cut and replace, but someone learning to impression should look very carefully at the outer edge of the key shoulder which in the master lock will take all the impressioning and block the impressioning forces from the cylinder, until this shoulder of the key is cut down til it no longer bumps into that cap lamination.