Just can't get this lock

[tibberous]

I found this door lock and have been trying for HOURS to pick it.

http://tinypic.com/r/70uiyw/7

I've tried the little hook, the big hook, the huge hook, the wavy one, light tension, tons of tension - nothing is working.

I'm sure what else to try. I'm doing the same thing as on a masterlock, just this lock doesn't open.

[Klaiviel]

I can't really see the keyway from the angle of the picture you took but it looks like a SC1 Schlage knock off. Try picking it counter clockwise instead of clockwise, best to use short hook or small half diamond.

[Solomon]

I'm sure what else to try. I'm doing the same thing as on a masterlock, just this lock doesn't open.

Master locks jiggle open with very little fuss most of the time; is it safe to assume that you're just wiggling your pick around until it opens or are you actually doing it properly? A lot of newbies tend not to pay any attention to binding order, so when it comes to any lock which doesn't simply jiggle open, they repeatedly change picks out of frustration when it doesn't work. If this is you, cut it out and do some more reading before you go insane.

You need to understand tolerances and binding, different pin states, and how to tell the state of each pin. Without even a loose understanding of that stuff, you'll get nowhere fast. And if you actually do know your theory, can you tell us in more detail what's happening when you pick it? There are a number of things which can turn an otherwise easy lock into a complete nuisance, or it could be something very simple like spool pins.

[Ortin468]

I found this door lock and have been trying for HOURS to pick it.

http://tinypic.com/r/70uiyw/7

I've tried the little hook, the big hook, the huge hook, the wavy one, light tension, tons of tension - nothing is working.

I'm sure what else to try. I'm doing the same thing as on a masterlock, just this lock doesn't open.

Walk away from it for awhile, frustration sucks, go back to a few easy ones, and rebuild your confidence before you go back to that one. There is a chance that cylinder is messed up, if only you had the key to make sure its operational.


If all else fails, go back to the basics. I still have an American padlock that is kicking my ass, 700 series, but it has like 20 years of wear and tear in it. It was one of our old locks for the shop gate. I have the key, it works OK but not great.
Still can't get this one even when the key is in front of me.

[mylt1]

I found this door lock and have been trying for HOURS to pick it.

http://tinypic.com/r/70uiyw/7

I've tried the little hook, the big hook, the huge hook, the wavy one, light tension, tons of tension - nothing is working.

I'm sure what else to try. I'm doing the same thing as on a masterlock, just this lock doesn't open.

Walk away from it for awhile, frustration sucks, go back to a few easy ones, and rebuild your confidence before you go back to that one. There is a chance that cylinder is messed up, if only you had the key to make sure its operational.


If all else fails, go back to the basics. I still have an American padlock that is kicking my ass, 700 series, but it has like 20 years of wear and tear in it. It was one of our old locks for the shop gate. I have the key, it works OK but not great.
Still can't get this one even when the key is in front of me.

see the bold. LOL. when i first started it didnt take much to get frustrated. now i just take my time. if i have trouble feeling the pins i usually go have a cup of coffee and a smoke, watch a little tv then go back at it. i have found that i have the best luck using a small half diamond pick. for some reason they just work better for me. take a time out and relax, then try it again. dont work on it for more than 5 or 10 min. if you hit that 10 min mark take a 30 min brake to settle yourself. im still not that advanced but i keep working at it and keep learning.

[stratmando]

Maybe dissemble to see if security pins are present, and the profile of the key.
You also could remove a couple of pins til picked then add another pin, till all are in place.

[raimundo]

as stratmando said, you could just make a training lock out of it.

find one of those little plastic rectangles that are stuck to stuff at stores, to scream "he stole me" as the thief walks out.

these things have a very thin piece of metal in them, and that lock you have has only a snapon ring that can be removed without distruction to the lock. so that it can be replaced after you set up the bitting of the lock.

slide the thin metal shim between the plug and the cylinder and press it in to stop at the last pin in the lock, (you are working from the back end of the cylinder.) do not push the metal against the pin so hard that it forms a dimple in the flat metal, but as you slowly lift the pin collumn, you need to tap lightly on the shim and watch for it to enter the shearline break,
as soon as you have this shim separating this last collumn you have only a four pin lock left to pick, a short try would be in order, but not a longer frustrating one.
say you didn't turn the cyllinder while picking as a four pin lock, You can continue to shim the next collumn and this will make it a three pin lock. once again, you can try to speed up the process if you can pick those three pins, or you can just separate all the pin columns and take out the plug and bottom pins while being careful that they don't just spill out.
theres a tutorial on this, you will need a follower to inspect the top pins and springs and to reassemble, but you could make do with some rolled up paper.

[stratmando]

Another thought, if you clamp the flat piece protruding out the back of the lock in a vice, or use vice grips, you won't need a tension wrench.