Seeing Inside Combination Locks

[iwillcya]

Hello everyone new guy here with a question relating to combination locks. Pretty much anyone can open your everyday Master lock combination locks with shims so I came up with an idea one day.

Left my lock on the locker at the health club one day went back the next day to the lost & found locks bin they have, a huge tote full of opened & unopened locks. Yes I found mine.

So I thought hey I can open these locks with shims, but then how to I figure out the combos to them once I have them open?

I've read & seen all the YouTube videos showing how to figure the combo out which seems way more diffcult than it's worth, but one method I came across seemed like it would be the easiest way to figure out the combo.

Have the lock lock open & then look inside the shackel opening to see the wheels turning & line up the grooves.

There in lies the problem even with the best of light you can barely see anything inside the lock opening. Just wondering if anyone knows of an inexpensive way to be able to magnifiy & see inside the opening of a master lock well enough to let you see the wheels turning? I was thinking of some kind of pin hole camera or something like that but that was just a guess, so wondering if there is something out there on the market that would allow me to accomplish this task. Because it would have to be small enough to fit inside the opening shine light & beable to let you view the inner workings as your turned the wheel.

Any tips or tricks woud be appreciated!!!

The reason I wanted to be able to do this was I thought I could get all the locks form local health clubs, open them, figure the combs out to them & then sell them back to the health club for a cheap price & then they could sell them back to members if they wanted or I could sell them on my own. Not big bucks I know, but spending cash maybe if it can be done cheaply.

Thanks for reading my post & sorry if I didn't use the proper terms or descriptions explaining my ??? being the new guy that I am.

[samfishers]

well hi. and welcome to the forum. I too, have this problem, so I busted one open with my lathe, I may post some pictures, If a find them.

maybe another member here as a better way?

[datagram]

Honestly, doing the masterlock brute force methods are practical if you have the time to do them. Assuming you have time to shim the lock and look inside with any sort of device, then spending 30 minutes doing the combo brute is about the same and, in my opinion easier. It is also inconscipuous when compared to sitting there with a borescope or anything : )

[Urbex]

Once you get your lock open, you'll be looking down into the body through the shackle cavity.

Line the wheels up where you can see the notches, starting with the tumbler facing the back. Remember that number, and repeat for the other two tumblers. Once you have your three numbers you will subtract eleven from each number, and you should have your combination. Sometimes eleven isn't the magic number, so simply try another number higher or lower. If the number is too small to subtract eleven, add forty before subtracting.

Thats from "Foley-Belsaw" if your interested, in my words of course.

[iwillcya]

Thanks for the info Urbex now do you know of any inexpensive way to see inside the opening with light & magnification with out spending big bucks on something like a borescope?? I can barely see anything & then only if I get it at just the right angle with light shining in the hole.

Need help with that part!!!

[Urbex]

You can try getting a hollow metal tube from the hardware store, get one with a diameter close to that of the shackle. You can cut it down and use it to push the dog out of the way, it should give you a better view of the tumblers.

Once you find your way to see the tumblers, find your minuend.

I haven't tried this myself, but in theory it should work.

[Raymond]

Mount your lock in a vise with the shackle opening facing you and the dial on your right. Barely hold the bottom of the lock in the vise so the dial can continue to spin. Position a light source - desk lamp, flashlight or any good light - shining into the shackle hole. Use a very small, thin probe, like a broken pick, to push the locking bolt straight back into its housing. Do not pivot the locking bolt upward - push it in. Pivoting the bolt up will lock up the drive wheel on the fence. With a little practice this will make a very visible opening and you can read the wheels easily. Like Urbex said add 10-11 to each number and read and test the combo for the best opening one.

[Raymond]

Sorry folks. I just proof read my post and realized I meant to say SUBRTACT 10 numbers.

[Trip Doctor]

Yea, basically, a small flashlight is all you need, you just need to look carefully. The number you subtract may vary depending exactly where you lined up the gates (start off with 10 as Raymond said, but if that doesn't work make sure to check arounds it, like, 7-13). You don't really need any special decide or anythign like a boroscope, ff you're nearsighted, you shouldn't have too much trouble seeing the gates. You just need to get the right angle (for you, and the light). You actually don't need to get the third number, for that you can just dial the first two, and then spin the dial as you keep pulling on the shackle (you might have to jerk it because of the false gates on that wheel). Whenever I have to do this - on a not so often occasion - it takes me about 10 minutes.

Try getting a flashlight and looking in there again, you won't see MUCH, but you'll see enough.

[Arcturus]

Raymond's answer is spot on.

Here's a neat little trick I came up with a while back. I like to use this method on those days that I don't feel like setting up a task lamp.

Go to a fishing tackle shop and buy some of those teeny tiny little chemical lights that are about an inch long and 1/16" to 1/8" thick. They come in little foil 2-packs and cost about 50 maybe 60 cents.

What you do is activate one of them by bending it and then drop it into the shackle opening. This will allow you to clearly see the inside of the lock...wheel pack and all. After you're done sight reading the wheels, just turn the lock upside down and shake it until the light falls out.

This method works great, and the little lights stay bright for a couple of hours, so if you plan to do a whole bunch of locks on the same job, this will save you a lot of time.

Arcturus