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by jasonw » 8 Jan 2007 18:22
hello everyone!
recently i have aquired a lockpick set, and i am currently searching for a lock to practice on.
I got the cheapest full door lock (a deadbolt 1 cylinder), and here are some pics:
http://www.intricate.info/IMGP2516.jpg
http://www.intricate.info/IMGP2518.JPG
I was wondering if this is the easier locks to start with, or if the door locks are right at all..
Secondly, after reading through viewtopic.php?t=10505 , i was looking around for a plug follower, and found this: http://www.lockpickshop.com/p-LFT-001.html , is the universal plug follower good enough (as there are 5 different ones), would i ever need all of them?
Any help would be much appreciated!
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jasonw
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by njhowen » 8 Jan 2007 19:41
if you dont fancy buying a plug follower, just get a pencil/crayon and wrap wide tape around the very end until its diameter fits the cylinder. Tape can be removed or added easily to fit different sized cylinders. Not sure who originally posted that but it works fantastically 
Nick O
Complete Newb
Birmingham UK (and no I dont have a Brummie accent!!)
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by Deathadder » 8 Jan 2007 20:06
I use AAA batteries  , but if they don't fit, try AA
It's ok guys, i have a really bad attention sp-wow look, a beach!
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by JackNco » 8 Jan 2007 23:15
lol yep, AAA batteries with some tape round it
John
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by zeke79 » 8 Jan 2007 23:40
For a buck you can buy a half inch wooden dowell and avoid a sticky, messy tape wrapped something or other.
For the best book out there on high security locks and their operation, take a look at amazon.com for High-Security Mechanical Locks An Encyclopedic Reference. Written by our very own site member Greyman! A true 5 Star read!!
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by 2octops » 9 Jan 2007 0:38
Plastic water line works well too. Cheap and easy to cut. You can trim the ends as needed to fit different cylinders.
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by maxxed » 9 Jan 2007 1:47
I use 1/2" brass tubing and I cut a slot lengthwise in it, this way I can compress the tube down in size to fit the slightly under sized cylinders that show up every now and then
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by Shrub » 9 Jan 2007 9:44
Click my www button for my ideas but a wooden spoon to a finger to a rolled up bit of paper can be used, if it fits it works,
Look for somthing around 1/2" 12.7mm ish,
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by raimundo » 9 Jan 2007 13:43
someone also mentioned using rolled up plastic that will expand to the size of the cylinder. Many plastic pens also have thick parts that can be used as a follower, if you use any type of hollow tube for a follower, push a bit of crumpled tissue into the center of it, pins have a way of jumping into the tube and rolling out the other end and away behind you.
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by Deathadder » 9 Jan 2007 17:23
maxxed wrote:I use 1/2" brass tubing and I cut a slot lengthwise in it, this way I can compress the tube down in size to fit the slightly under sized cylinders that show up every now and then
wow, thats probably one of the best ideas I've heard as far as adjustment and practicality  .
totally blows AAA batteries out of the water 
It's ok guys, i have a really bad attention sp-wow look, a beach!
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by jasonw » 10 Jan 2007 21:59
Thank you guys so much for those comments about the plug follower! I'll try a few of them out once i have some larger chuncks of free time
However, what do you guys think about the lock? It looks alot more complicated than the tutorial's lock (as it has both sides of the handle and such)
Thanks alot!
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by Schuyler » 10 Jan 2007 22:24
maxxed wrote:I use 1/2" brass tubing and I cut a slot lengthwise in it, this way I can compress the tube down in size to fit the slightly under sized cylinders that show up every now and then
I bought a small (6") piece of 1/2" tubing I found later the same day I read this. Haven't cut it up yet, but seems like a great idea.
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by Gordon Airporte » 10 Jan 2007 22:51
jasonw wrote:However, what do you guys think about the lock? It looks alot more complicated than the tutorial's lock (as it has both sides of the handle and such)
We're just worried about the part with the pins in it, which you'll probably be able to extract from all of the door mounting hardware if you unscrew enough screws.
If you could show us a picture of the keyway we could guess about the lock, but really, chances are it's nothing special. The worst it's likely to have is security driver pins, but there's no way to know until you A.) Pick the lock and find it behaving a certain way or B.) Take it apart so the pins are all out.
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by freakparade3 » 13 Jan 2007 19:29
I bought a sponge type paintbrush for 39 cents. The handle is a perfect plug follower. just take off the foam.
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