by raimundo » 11 Jul 2006 8:31
Actually thats powdered lock pins that are on your fine tooth file. if you sand your pick, that wont be as much of a problem, however if you take your practice lock apart and look in it, there will be more powdered lock inside, the pin tips and the sides of the pins probably will have vertical striations the sharp edges of the keyways near the pin drillings will be worn off, or burred out into the way, pins with brass dust and striations will start to hang up at places they wouldn't ordinarily, A lock thats been picked too much with rough picks can be really destroyed for the purpose of practice picking unless you are learning to identify and overcome the problems, it should also be examined for a groove in the cylinder wall from tensor erosion. brass will not cut steel, but steel cuts brass.