Tubular Lock Problem! Help!

[Craiger]

Hi Everyone!
I picked a tubular lock on my work safe (don't worry, I am the boss and have the key!) but now the real key will not work in the lock and actually cannot be inserted into the keyway. Can someone tell me what happened and how I can reset the lock?

Thanks in Advance!

Craiger

[parapilot]

You need to pick it again the other way. When you picked it and turned, the pins have reset into the wrong chambers. So the key wont fit cos of the nib on it. Try picking it again the other way before you try anything else.

Dont pick locks in use!!

[UWSDWF]

If you're looking for locks to pick, buy some but, DO NOT PICK LOCKS YOU OR ANYONE ELSE RELY ON
I repeat DO NOT PICK LOCKS YOU OR ANYONE ELSE RELY ON, they can and will break, then your house/car/safe/chasity belt is vulnerable or unable to be opened (think: emergency situation).
Keep it legal.
Cheers,
UWSDWF

[Shrub]

As said, you need to pick it back, if you look in the lock you will see where the cut out has turned to and thats how much you need to pick it back,

Im guessing you only picked it once so its only a case of pickign it back once,

Great example of picking locks you rely on regardless of owner,

If you cant pick it back you will need to call a locksmith out,


In the worse case scenario you can have the key copied and then cut the nipple off the new key, this will allow you to insert the key and turn it, you may find that you will need somthing like blue tac pushed in the end or slightly squeeze the key so it grips the inner part enough to turn it back,

[Nasydave]

Sounds like you didn't turn it all the way back to the zero point, where the indies and outside notches line up.

If things really go bad, you can file off the outside peg, and it will be guided by the inside peg.

[Craiger]

Thanks for the tips guys! The lock is not locked shut, but stuck in the OPEN position. Should I still try to pick it backwards and if I do, will this reset the lock?

I PROMISE I will NEVER PICK A LOCK I USE AND NEED EVER AGAIN! (Written 1000 times!)

I was really suprised how fast I opened this lock on the first try. Now if I can only get it closed again!

Thanks for the help!

Craiger

[Shrub]

Should I still try to pick it backwards and if I do, will this reset the lock?

Please read the replies you have had above,

[JackNco]

If you have picked it one position out then you need to grind down the point that sticks out of the barrel of the key. you can thin insert and remove it no matter what point the lock has been turned to.

Hope this helps

john

[lancelot6840]

Yes, you can pick it backwards to get it back to the original locked position.

[Craiger]

Thanks to all!

[Craiger]

Just to update everyone, I reverse-picked the lock in about 15 seconds and the lock is reset to the normal aligned position. Thanks again for all of your help and this has been a true learning experience for me!

Craig

[raimundo]

OK but if you had had trouble, I would have gone with the Jacknco method with one exception, get the key copied before you grind the index tip off the key, because if you use a key with the index tip ground off, it can come out of the keyway at any point and does not require you to go to relocked to remove the key, this will cause problems the first time you forget to carefully realign the lock before removing the key. in some of these locks, if left off deadcenter, one of the pin stacks is just opposite the groove for that bit you ground off the key, without a key in the lock these pins and springs on 'some' of the lock can actually escape from the lock and fall out through that indexgroove. trying to work around this is going to be problematic, as other pins stacks will be passing over the empty places, and possibly depositing their pins,
A picked ace lock can be realigned by grinding off the index nub, but you have to be very careful about that key afterwards, it should not be left for regular use after the index is ground off.

[Craiger]

Raimundo,
Thanks for the great technical info. I really got lucky with this lock evidently. I'm in Iraq and we don't have a locksmith on this base, just a guy who changes door locks. I've bought a few locks on Ebay and will make a practice board. Thanks for all of the great advice!
Craig

[Chucklz]

Just FYI, if your "safe" has only a 7 pin tubular lock on it than it isn't much of a safe at all. I wouldn't use such a box in the states, inless it was a firebox, and then, only to keep documents from fire, NOT to keep them safe in any way. Add to the fact that you are in Iraq, I would upgrade that safe immediately.

[Craiger]

Chucklz,
It has a 7 pin tubular and a combination dial. As a result of this, I convinced my company to upgrade to a "real" safe and it is loaded with an anti-robotic dial and other bells and whistles. It took me 30 minutes just to change the combo on the safe!