where to start

[millwalll]

hi all i have a few question so thought ill put them all on here save posting lots message if there are else where i am sorry ok well let me say im 23 and looking for a new challage and always been intrested in being able to pick locks for some stange reason i would like to do this but at the moment i cant as i can not drive so im just starting with basic stuff like learning.

ok i purchsed my first set picks the are a TWENTY-TWO PIECE SLIM LINE LOCK PICK SET so what should be the next thing to buy that i will use alot?

ive also seen lots website selling training boards with differnt lock is there a way to just buy one lock that i can take the pins out of to make it easyer or harder to pick if so any surgestion on a lock?

ive also seen on ebay loads cd that has scale drawings on of locks and other stuff are these worth buying will i ever need them if yes what ones are worth buying ?

also once i learn to become a locksmith is it best to work for a company or to start your own business if i worked for a company would they supplie all the tools that are needed?

that about it for now many thanks for any help

[Shrub]

Dont buy anything else just yet and certainly NEVER buy the crap sold on ebay.
Where do you live? thats a good start and filling out your profile will stop this being asked everytime you want to know somthing.

If you want to become a locksmith read the locksmith training threads then read the locksmith business threads.

The next thing thing you should now get is practise locks and as many differant types as you can.

I will warn you that if your in the uk and wanting to start up your basically peeing in the wind, if you dont mind getting wet and smelly then it can be done but the cost will be around £15k to start up.

[krept]

WOW 15k is nuts.

Welcome aboard millwalll. I just started when I joined the forum and this helped me out a bunch:

viewtopic.php?t=10505

Get a deadbolt from a hardware store (Lowe's, Home Depot, ACE, etc) for $10-$30 depending on how you want to start. The low end will have a single cylinder and will probably be Kwikset with five normal pins.

For $30, I got a Schlage lock that has two cylinders (a deadbolt where you use a key to lock on the inside or a key to lock on the outside... a single cylinder just has a knob you turn to lock on the inside and a key to lock on the outside). The Schlage I bought has one straight pin and four spool pins, so it's a bit more challenging to pick.

I found that the Schlage cylinders, when removed from the housing, are smaller (more portable) and have better tolerances, which make it easier to feel what you are doing.

One tip I have that I'm not sure was included in the tutorial above is to disassemble the lock inside of a sandwich bag. That'll prevent the @#%@#$% pins and springs from dropping on the floor. Definitely get something rigid like a wooden dowel to act as a shim as mentioned... repinning is a PITA without it.

Don't forget to look at the tutorials posted here, they are great.

Good luck, it's an awesome hobby.

cheers