How much torque is too much?

[ndgreen]

It has occurred to me that when you are learning this 'art', people are often told 'you only need a little tension', or 'more tension is required'.

Both of these are subjective descriptions and not overly helpful sometimes. Has anyone every actually measured the amount of tension they are applying to a lock core, using a torque wrench or similar?

Just curious...

Merry XMas to all, and I look forward to posting with you all next year!

N.

[Shrub]

There was thread on this a while back and it was a while back as well.

I think the better idea i heard was to put an elastic band on and just stretch it, if i remember rightly it was raimundo that came up with that.

I dont think anyone torqued it up but it would vary from lock to lock and noobs probably wont have a torque wrench laying around.

ill see if i can find the thread on it.

[Exodus5000]

It does indeed vary between locks, and often times you'll find that as you become more proficient in picking, the amount of tension you use will fluxuate as you pick. You'll use more tension when moving over pins that have been set so as not to disturb them for example. I don't even notice how my wrench moves anymore, it's kind of done subconciously as you pick.

There are some excersizes to determine the proper amount of tension to use on a given lock. Insert your wrench into the lock but dont apply any pressure. Using a pick lift all the pins in a lock as high as possible and then apply enough pressure to keep them up there. This is obviously too much tension, start slowly easing tension on your wrench until you start hearing the pins drop back down, this should be about the right amount of tension you need.

[Cybernation]

Almost anyone can find a torque wrench lying around. If you have a pen like the one below...



All you need to do is pull the metal clasp out of the cap and bend it into an L shape... and there you go... a perfect torque wrench to start off with... I myself would probably take a file and smooth it down.

~Cy

[vector40]

If you pull it out carefull, you don't even need to bend it; it's already an L.

[Chrispy]

It is true that the amount of tension will vary from lock to lock. But skold phrased it well a while ago...

"You need to use as much tension as it would take to turn the key."

This means that if you have the key to the lock, put the key in the lock and put your tension wrench through the bow hole and apply tension/pressure. Then however much tension it takes to turn the key is how much you would need to use when picking.