Stubborn Overpicked Pins

[pickwicket]

Ok, so i got bored the other day and decided to pick the really cheap 2 pin mostly decorative master lock on my pool ladder (I haven't been to the store in a while, so there has been a shortage of new locks.)

Picking it was, obviously, not a problem. But at one point I overpicked the frontmost pin. I thought, just like when anyone overpicks 'Oh well, guess I have to release the torque and reset the lock.' Not so much. The thing was stuck.

I jiggled it around with a broken key extractor, first with no torque, then with some in the right direction, then with some in the wrong direction. Still no dice. Next came the universal cure-all: WD40, massive amounts of it. Still stuck.

Finally I had one of those just-crazy-enough-it-might-work moments.I wrapped a small slice of duct tape sticky side out around my snake rake. The idea was to grab the pin and pull it down. Naturally this is risky: it could have made it worse or even gotten the other pins stuck, but in the end it worked.

Obviously, this was quite unprofessional. My question is this: How should I have fixed it to begin with?

[Squelchtone]

Ok, so i got bored the other day and decided to pick the really cheap 2 pin mostly decorative master lock on my pool ladder

How should I have fixed it to begin with?

Answer: you shouldn't have picked it to begin with, cuz things like this happen and now you're gonna be opening your pool a couple days later than normal.

There's like 50 posts of people picking their own locks on their doors, dorm rooms, apartments, gotta admit, pool ladders is a new one, but yeah, things can go wrong sometimes and if its a lock you rely on, now you gotta do a bunch of extra busy work to get out of a jam.

We mostly pick locks that we hold in our hand that we bought on ebay or the hardware store, and we sit around picking at table, workbench, couch, etc, but we try to stay away from our front doors, back doors, car doors, sheds, dorm room locks, and anything else aroudn the house or work.

The issue with your lock is that it was probably outside for the last 8 months and it corroded enough to make the movement of pins restricted. Can you try to insert the key and rake it in and out and then every few rakes, insert all the way and try to turn the key left and right. maybe it will release. The other thing to try is to hit the side of padlock with a hammer or screwdriver handle and hope the pin gets unstuck.

lesson learned right?
Squelchtone

ps. didnt know Master made a 2 pin lock.. 3,4,5, but 2? you got a pic of this thing?

[unlisted]

2 pins? Are you sure?



+ 1 on photos.. this thing sounds neat-o.

[pickwicket]

Sorry, typo there. It was 3 pins. Didn't see a model # on it, I'll try to post a pic later on.

And yes, lesson absolutley learned