Shimming a lock?

[Cman22]

I've been working on shimming my kwikset recentley and can get 3 or 4 pins shimmed. I have trouble getting the last two pins. Any tips? Also where can i learn in detail how to shim a lock? Third, is coke can a good shimming material?

Thanks,
Cman

[Scatman]

I am assuming that you are talking about a lock cylinder that would go in a deadbolt.
I found that what worked for me was to shim from the back of the cylinder (the side opposite where the key enters).
A Coke can may work, but seems slightly too thick to me.
Shim stock from feeler gauge or just by itself in the form of a strip should work.
My method is to insert the shim until it contacts the first pin stack. I then hold slight pressure on the shim against the pin stack and use a hook to lift the stack until the shim goes into the shear line of this set of pins.
Slide the shim until the next stack is contacted and repeat until all stacks are shimmed.

[mbell]

An alternative way to shim is to get an appropriate key blank (provided you have acccess to them), insert the shim in the back of the lock and use the angled part of the end of the shim to vary the pin height and find the sheer line, whilst pushing the shim in further, onto to the next pin.

[mbell]

the angled part of the end of the shim

That should read key blank.

[Chucklz]

The shimstock I prefer comes from security tags on CD's and DVDs. Just carefully peel off the rectangular blister pack security device. The wide ones have stock that you may want to cut in half. The narrow tags contain two pieces of perfectly sized material. Cut the end off of a security tag as close to the edge as you can get, to avoid damaging the strips and just pull them out. They are long enough, and are curved as well. What more could you ask for besides more DVDs

[Cman22]

Is it possible to use the normal key to set the pins while doing tis or does the gaurd thing get in the way?

[Cman22]

Also how long should it take to shim a lock and should use use light or heavy pressure on the shim?

[Chucklz]

Using the normal key? Why would you shim a lock if you had the key??? You would be able to just slide the shim right in, no problem. By "guard thing" do you mean the lip on the front of the cylinder? You shim a lock from the back anyway, so this would not even come into play. Time, well for a kwikset, probably much less than a minute. For say an American padlock cylinder with all serrated bottom pins, and serrated spool top pins, well up to 15 minutes if your having a bad day. Shim pressure. Hmm, just enough so that the shim moves foward, without bending.

[Cman22]

I've been experimenting with shimming for about 10 or 15 minutes and wanted to share what i found worked best. The two materials that i used that i would reccomend are cut up coke cans and what someone else mentioned, dvd security patch metal.

Coke Can:
Advantage: Quicker shimming, wiggle it a little bit while shimming for better results.
Disadvantage: Not very durable

DVD Metal:
Advantage: Won't bend or brake at all, so great for continuous use.
Disadvantage: slower shimming

[Chucklz]

THe DVD metal does bend if you try hard enough. Its much thinner than coke can, so you have an easier time in general shimming, especially when you get to tighter tolerance locks.

[Cman22]

Actually i have found that Z up cans work better than coke product cans.

[Cman22]

That should be 7 up