What type of lock is this?

[alastair16]

Hi, I am new to this and i am kinda stuck trying to determine what type of lock this is. When I insert my pick I can feel the pins along the top of the lock and I can also feel what seems to be pins along the bottom also. The pins on the top feel like pins normally do, there are 7 of them, but the pins along the bottom of the lock feel bigger and I think there are 4 of them. I did get the lock open by inserting my tension wrench in the middle of the lock and picking the top and then the bottom. But I had to switch from the top to the bottom several times before I got it to open, so being new to this I am not really sure if the pins on the bottom had any actual effect on me finally getting the lock open. FYI this is a European lock.

Any help would be great

[Squelchtone]

A photograph would be very helpful.

[alastair16]

Sry for the poor quality but my camera isn't that good:

[Squelchtone]

Sry for the poor quality but my camera isn't that good:

It's 2010, get a new camera! =) My cell phone is 3.2 MP and it's 2 years old.


That looks like a wafer lock on an office cabinet. If this isn't your lock, please remember to follow the rules of locksport: do not pick locks that are not yours, and do not pick locks that you or someone else is using every day. If you accidentally break something while picking, now you have a lock that either you cannot open with the key, cannot close with the key, and probably have to take apart and fix, or pay someone else to take apart and fix. This could also get you a bad reputation amongst friends and co workers for being that shady guy that picks other people's locks around the dorm, the office, work, or neighborhood. If it is a lock at work, your boss or the building manager/security could put you on the list of suspects every time someone reports something missing or stolen. So remember, as hobby lock pickers, we pick locks that we own, usually ones that are not mounted to a door or cabinet.

As to the lock in the photo, since it looks like it is in use somewhere, I cannot in good faith help you with any details, other than what I already said about it being a double sided wafer lock. You can google that and find some diagrams and youtube animations.

Good luck friend,
Squelchtone

[Solomon]

Looks like one of those "in-use" wafer locks to me.

[alastair16]

Hi, I appreciate what you have told me so far, it does belong to me, it is in use but in my home office, so if it break it to only one who will be upset is me :p

Regarding double-wafer locks is it normal to have a different number of pins on the top to the bottom? (if you are comfortable answering that)

Thanks

[Squelchtone]

Hi, I appreciate what you have told me so far, it does belong to me, it is in use but in my home office, so if it break it to only one who will be upset is me :p

Regarding double-wafer locks is it normal to have a different number of pins on the top to the bottom? (if you are comfortable answering that)

Thanks

There are no pins, there are flat metal plates called "wafers" please look at an animation on youtube, and you will immediately understand how they work. and yes, there may be 5 on top and 4 on the bottom, as far as I know. You might also have single sided wafers, and what you think is the bottom wafer, is really the same metal plate that slides up and down when the key passes through the hole cut in out in the middle of the wafer.

This motorcycle forum has some nice photos of a wafer lock: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81339

The cut out in the wafers moves up and down and is usually limited to less heights/number of different wafers than a pin tumbler lock. The "height" of the hole cut in each wafer corresponds to the depth of the cuts on the key. take a look at this photo as well: http://faq.f650.com/FAQs/Photos/MiscPhotos/BMW-lock-09-wafers.jpg

Hope this helps,
Squelchtone

[alastair16]

Thanks very much for your help, I understand now