Extra tight keyhole

[RedGirl]

Very early newbie here. I thought it would be really neat if I could take up this little hobby because I've never been really good at any sport. No music talent, no singing, nothing comes natural. So I thought this would be something very different that few people know how to do. I have some practice locks I bought on ebay that I think were Schlage, as well as some beginners pick sets. I'm amazed at how easy some of my home locks are (frightening actually), yet how difficult others are. The one I'm having trouble with is one that was already installed in our house when we bought it 4 years ago. It's a Schlage door handle lock on a closet that we've never had the key for. We don't need it because there's nothing in there needing to be locked, so we left it. The previous owner may have stored something needing security. Whatever. But I just can't seem to feel any pins past the 2nd pin. It feels like the keyhole is extremely narrow, more than normal, and none of my picks are getting a good feel, and one of them are specifically slim-line for such issues. They all just seem to be too big. Not knowing what the key looks like makes it even harder. I've tried to grind down one of my picks, but it became weak and more flimsy. The practice locks are super smooth and I can feel what I'm doing, but it's still hard to open even with a cutaway visual. I feel like the closet lock is ridiculously narrow, and has some kind of weird curve in the pin area. An L rake & Bogota type set a few pins on it, but are ineffective. Yes, I know to practice, practice, practice, but is there a super thin pick I'm not seeing online? Should I spray something inside the cylinder to make things glide better? I'm sure this is a stupid question, but there's no where else to ask it. Thanks!

[Altashot]

-The only stupid questions are those that are not asked-

Welcome to the forum RedGirl!
Can you post a picture? We could ID the keyway and help you better.
Don't go grinding your picks anymore, there might be something wrong with the lock.
Did you look deep in the keyway; see if something is lodged in there, keyway don't normally get tighter.
Can you fully insert another key in it? There are a few things that could be explored here...And we love pictures.

M.

[Squelchtone]

I notice this train of thought comes up a lot. This is just an observation, so don't take it personally, but I have seen many new pickers go down the following road:

1. I'm a new picker
2. I got a pickset, w00t!
3. I picked a padlock that I found around the house, wow totally easy!
4. I picked the old deadbolt on the back door, man I'm like James Bond or something!
5. Go to pick new Schlage deadbolt on front door, try for 20 minutes, still can't pick it.
6. Assume something must be wrong with the lock because it can't be my mad skills. Forgets just started picking today and possibly got really lucky on first couple of locks.
7. Come here asking what's wrong with my lock.

I can totally understand the logic, as I said, I have seen it before from new pickers who visit here over the years. Some blame the lock for being broken, some blame the pickset and say they bought a crap pick set and ask what's a better one to get. Unless the lock is broken or really dirty, usually the problem is simply a lack of experience on the side of the picker. We value practice above all things, it is the only way to get better.

More than likely that closet lock is a Schlage SC1 profile keyway 5 pin, F cylinder knob with T pins. As already mentioned, keyways don't get narrower, and even normal sized picks can enter a Schlage keyway without issue.

One of locksport mantra's are not to pick locks that are installed that people rely upon or use. You mentioned this one is not in use, and it is your house, so I'm not going to harp on about not picking locks in use, but I'd recommend against picking your front door, or any lock you rely on. Things can and do go wrong. If you want a tip for this closet door, as mentioned, we like to see photos, so please take one of the keyway and use Photobucket or Flickr or Drop Box or tinypic.com to upload the photo and Copy/Paste the link so we can see what you're dealing with. You can also try to tension it the other way so if you are trying to tension clockwise, try tensioning counter-clockwise. Some Schlage knobs open easier one way than the other.

Keep practicing and keep it fun!

Squelchtone

[Bob Jim Bob]

I say replace the lock before you lock yourself in/out of that closet. Then use it as a practice lock. Sounds like the lock has been out of use, maybe for a reason.

[RedGirl]

Yes, Squelchtone, that sounds just like me. Since the padlocks seemed so easy, and my side door as well, and watching all of ScheylerTowne's videos making it seem so simple, even the spool pins, I thought it was some kind of pick-resistant lock. Just need more practice, but disappointed I don't have "the gift" of this either! Buying a lot of practice locks gets expensive. I'll have to research what a T pin is because I haven't heard of that one. This is all so new and exciting! Thanks for the advice guys!

[Norwegiandude]

You don't really need lots of locks to practice.

Get one lock loaded with normal pins, and get some spool pins or whatever. Then you do the exercise where you disassemble the lock and so on. If you watched the Scheyler vids, you know what i speak off.
When you're getting the hang of normal pins, you can start putting in spool pins and so on.

Even tho im a noob myself, i'd say its better for you to get one lock and separate pins in various shapes and forms. Besides, disassembling your lock over and over gives you great insight and a visual on how things work.

S

[beancurd]

Fellow newbie here.
There's an excellent document written by a member of thi s forum...
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jacqueline.goff/sollybook/Lockpicking%20Detail%20Overkill.pdf the password is evva3ks

Also there is loads of information here you just have to look. I've even made a couple of lockpicks of my own using templates posted here. (I keep going over my 1gig allowance reading this site lol!)

Good luck!
Hels

[spoonzor]

on top of all the great information above, you might just take the lock out of the closet, take it apart, take a look inside to see how it works and try to understand why you couln't pick it, clean it and oil it, put it back together, wait awhile for the oil to dry/set (or however i should call that) and with all the new knowledge you gained from taking the lock apart and putting it back together, try again, and again, and... again.

[Murderbydeath]

A picture would be wonderful! The members of this forum are extremely helpful at identifying locks and how to disassemble and/or pick them, so a picture would be the most valuable thing you could post toward getting this lock open at this point. I will say, though, that sometimes pins can be very long; lever the pick upward and try to feel the bottom of the next pin. There is no "reason" that your pick shouldn't be able to move through this keyway, so try feeling for the next pin. It might be very long! Also, as a relatively new picker myself, I will tell you that most locks you come across that aren't in commercial use (and even most that are, but less so) are very weak. However, the locks that are designed to thwart the would-be picker are actually quite effective for anyone who hasn't put in the practice. There's a reason that every time I visit an IHOP, I notice a Mul-T-Lock on the door. Sure, they're pickable, but not to your average picker. Things just take time and practice. As suggested elsewhere in this thread, try to pick up some pins and just re-pin one of your already owned locks. It'll give you insight into how locks work and also give you basically a brand new lock to pick.

Happy picking!

[GordonAlexander]

The lock hasn't been used so that in itself can create problems. Try squirting some WD-40 in there to loosen things up. Also, are you sure your pick isn't bent? There is a possibility that you are dealing with an old SC22 wafer lock.

Pics of the keyway would be extremely helpful