Custom security pins and key do's and dont's?

[Joshua904]

I'd like to up the difficulty on the pick-ability of a abus 83/45 I recently acquired. It's mentioned here:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43287&start=1785#p458468
Basically it had no key, I picked. Found a key that matched the keyway and then juggled the pins around to match the bitting. It works great.
I can pick it too easily to want to use it though.

I've seen the videos and read articles about security pins and people filing keys and all that good stuff. What I haven't found is the stuff to avoid doing. We've all seen those challenge lock videos where the key they send hangs up, take jiggling to turn or even the picker gives up on the key and just gets with the picking.

I want to avoid that.
I tried searching the forums and was getting everything else, so if someone can point me in the right direction or give some insight, it would be greatly appreciated.

So far I know this:
Sharp cuts on the key snag pins.
The top and bottom of the pins need to maintain their circumference so they operate correctly, as far as pushing against other pins/springs go, and keep them centered.


Now I understand there are exceptions and those exotic pin in pin combos aren't really within my grasp yet.. Just trying to focus on spool, serrated.. The simpler security pins.

Here's a pic of the core and key. Think I could squeeze a sixth pin in there?
http://imgur.com/aOtlv1T

[kwoswalt99-]

What I haven't found is the stuff to avoid doing. We've all seen those challenge lock videos where the key they send hangs up, take jiggling to turn or even the picker gives up on the key and just gets with the picking.

Almost all of these hangups are caused by simply not cutting the key correctly.

The top and bottom of the pins need to maintain their circumference so they operate correctly, as far as pushing against other pins/springs go, and keep them centered.

There are ways to get around this, and have the lock still operate smoothly. Assa/Ruko type drivers accomlish this by having most of the upper portion of the pin uncut.

Here's a pic of the core and key. Think I could squeeze a sixth pin in there?

Adding another pin chamber correctly isn't that easy to do. I assume there's already a sixth pin chamber in the bible?

[Joshua904]

I don't have plug followers yet and didn't want to risk losing the springs. I could prove back there once I get home though.

[cledry]

I don't have plug followers yet and didn't want to risk losing the springs. I could prove back there once I get home though.

You can use a makeshift follower. A piece of wooden dowel works well, you can get brass tubing at most hardware stores, a rolled up piece of paper works. You do have a 6th chamber BTW, the 200 is keyed to a 5 pin Kwikset but can be keyed to 6 pin. If yours is the newer version you can top load the 6th chamber.

Main thing not to do is use a spool in all the chambers, one needs to be a regular or serated pin. Also be careful of stack height. If your stack is too high you won't get the key in or out, or at the very least it will be difficult.

[Joshua904]

I gotta head to work, so I'm going to bring the locks with me and make myself a follower, but while sitting outside smoking, I pulled the core out, rotated the key 180 degrees, pulled the key out and reached in from the back and poked around. I can't feel any holes where a sixth pin would go. It doesn't appear to have been factory drilled for that extra pin.

I'll try to get a better picture of it all later if I don't get too busy at work.

Thanks for all the suggestions by the way.
The extra tall pin you mentioned.. That would make sense. I'm not trying to do anything extreme right now. I'm trying to learn how to improve the security while maintaining the factory smoothness.
But touching on pin height .. What about shorter pins with the small wafer pins sitting on top to bring it back to proper height? I've seen it done, and actually just acquired a learning lock that's easy to repin on the fly. It came with three keys- 2 that operate it while only using 1 common valley on the key. It was neat to me to see it up close like that.
Going off subject ... Question was - using the thin wafers- is there anything to watch for? Since it rides in a round shaft it shouldn't be able to flip around right? Or is that only because of spring tension on the other pins pushing against it?

[cledry]

I gotta head to work, so I'm going to bring the locks with me and make myself a follower, but while sitting outside smoking, I pulled the core out, rotated the key 180 degrees, pulled the key out and reached in from the back and poked around. I can't feel any holes where a sixth pin would go. It doesn't appear to have been factory drilled for that extra pin.

I'll try to get a better picture of it all later if I don't get too busy at work.

Thanks for all the suggestions by the way.
The extra tall pin you mentioned.. That would make sense. I'm not trying to do anything extreme right now. I'm trying to learn how to improve the security while maintaining the factory smoothness.
But touching on pin height .. What about shorter pins with the small wafer pins sitting on top to bring it back to proper height? I've seen it done, and actually just acquired a learning lock that's easy to repin on the fly. It came with three keys- 2 that operate it while only using 1 common valley on the key. It was neat to me to see it up close like that.
Going off subject ... Question was - using the thin wafers- is there anything to watch for? Since it rides in a round shaft it shouldn't be able to flip around right? Or is that only because of spring tension on the other pins pushing against it?

You make it easier to pick when you stack top pins. The main thing to watch for is only stack if you have a need to master key a lock. The rule is the less shear lines the better. Also you don't want any master pin less than .025".