dislect wrote:no one answered but i think ill go with the SouthOrd 22pc Slimline ..
I have another question though, i tried messing around with a small padlock using a paper clip as a pick and a piece of bent metel as torsion wrench and i dont understand, how can the pins get 'stuck' when im picking them up? the spring keeps bouncing them back. even theoretically, how is the torsion suppose to help with that? as long as there are more the 1 pin it allways pops back down because of the other pins holding the lock
First thing's first, welcome to the forum.
Second, please have some patience when posting a question, it's been less than 1 day since you posted and you replied that nobody answered.. sorry, its the holidays mate, we're all busy doing the holiday thing, digging out of snow storms, and sleeping. =)
As to your lock question, the answer lies in tolerances of the chamber holes drilled into the plug and lock body. When you apply rotational force to the plug, and at the same time start lifting pins up to the sheer line, the slight rotation you are applying moves the plugs chamber holes out of alignment from the bible or lock body holes thus making the pins grind against the sidewall of the chambers and stay up in place. Some locks are drilled more accurately than others and this is where we introduce the idea of binding order. Binding order is the order, which is different for every lock out there there some pin chamber holes are drilled either more off center to the left or more off center to the right of the line of holes drilled in the plug. So depending on if you are applying clockwise or counter (anti) clockwise torque, the binding order will change, because the pins in the holes that are furthest away from center will bind against the sidewall of their chamber first.
If you are picking a padlock, some padlocks only allow the plug to turn clockwise, so if you are applying counter clock wise torque on the plug, you could try lifting the pins all day long and they will never stay up, and the springs will always push them down because the pin chamber holes of the plug and the pin chamber holes of the bible/lock body continue to be aligned. I suspect this may be the issue here, or just a matter of needing some more practice, and some more locks to practice on.
Find a "rim cylinder" at a local DIY store or locksmith shop, and take it apart to examine all the parts I just discussed, you will find a greater understanding from seeing it first hand.
Here is a nice beginners guide PDF with plenty of photos for you to look at and easy to understand instructions:
http://locksport.com/index.php/discover-lockpicking/l-i-guide/Lastly, put down the paperclip, the metal in them is not usually strong enough to be used as a lock pick, and if you start learning on paper clips, bad habits will set in and you wont enjoy this hobby as much as you will when you start using your Southord set.
Squelchtone
