Started recently

[pickin]

Hi all Im new here as most of you probobly could have guessed.

Just got my first pick set last week from Northern Tools mail order. The set is the DINO Navigator pick set it containes 15 picks and 3 tensioners. I paid about $40 US for it not sure if thats a good price or not.

I became interested in lock picking when a coworker had to have a local locksmith out to open his car door after locking his keys in. Seemed that the prcess was fairly simple as I have found out it is. Simple that is easy no but simple.

I have succesfully picked at this time a masterlock num 3(which is now in pieces so I could change the pins in the tumbler) and a Kwickset doorknob that I have also torn apart to be able to change the pins in as well.

I have a masterlock num 140 that I am curently trying to pick.(actually a set of 3 that I have used for work in the past.) I have drilled out the pins in one of them to see just what a spool pin looks like in person and found 3 in this lock. So far this has been an unsuccesfull pick.

My main objective is to be able to handle a car lock with ease but as I understand from what I have read here mast car locks are wafer instead of pin. Are wafers harder to pick then pin? Is there a different technique to them?

Anyways sry to be long winded Im just excited to have found a new passion to eat up what little bit of free time I do have. Thanks for a great forum Ive only touched the tip of the iceberg here but have already learned so much from this forum.

[zeke79]

Focus on the pin tumbler locks for now.... The wafer auto locks are far beyond a beginnner's reach.

[pickin]

I had that feeling.

From what I can gather here it looks like my next step would probobly be a shlage lock or something in that range. Im planning on getting one tonight from the local hardware store.

Has anyone looked at the picks I bought? If so are they a decent set, or are they overpriced junk? I would think that for begining really just about any set would do the trick.

Ive also thought about making my own picks and have seen there is alot of info here on that subject. Ill research it some before asking too many questions. I have just one quickie though Ive been seeing that alot of our UK counterparts use street sweeper bristles for picks, any chance that one of you might be up for sending some bristles stateside? They just arnt real available here in the country where i live, and the closest town doesnt use streetsweepers. Just thought it would be interesting to try to make one from a streetsweeper bristle.

[stlbolt]

I had that feeling.

From what I can gather here it looks like my next step would probobly be a shlage lock or something in that range. Im planning on getting one tonight from the local hardware store.

Has anyone looked at the picks I bought? If so are they a decent set, or are they overpriced junk? I would think that for begining really just about any set would do the trick.

Ive also thought about making my own picks and have seen there is alot of info here on that subject. Ill research it some before asking too many questions. I have just one quickie though Ive been seeing that alot of our UK counterparts use street sweeper bristles for picks, any chance that one of you might be up for sending some bristles stateside? They just arnt real available here in the country where i live, and the closest town doesnt use streetsweepers. Just thought it would be interesting to try to make one from a streetsweeper bristle.

Ive actually looked at the before and debated on buying them, but my next set is something different, But they seem fine, Do they get the job done right? Im sure they do, Its all about preference (as long as they dont break) which they shouldn't if your putting to much pressure on them probably. Try picking some deadbolts. Like the easy 10$ yale's.

[pickin]

Well now I can add another lock to the list I have succesfully picked several times a master lock #140!!

If the one I picked is like the one I drilled out being they are from a set of 3 that I own then this lock has 3 spools in it.

Still looking for a Yale lock to try next but I did stumble accross a Brinks padlock that looks alot like my Masterlock #140.

No success yet but I will continue to try.