picking question

[Pandawdy]

I'm still basically a beginner when it comes to picking. I've had my share of success when picking, but just haven't done it that much.

Here's something I don't understand:

With some locks, you've got to make more than just a half turn with the plug to get a door unlocked. You might have to make a full turn, or more.

Sometimes the bottom of the plug will be pretty wide, maybe wide enough for the top pins to fall down into the plug when you turn it after picking.

What do you do about that?

[Solomon]

A full turn isn't an issue, all you need to do is push the drivers out of the keyway if they get stuck. It doesn't happen all the time and sometimes they only snag a little, but usually I put the pick into the keyway and do this as it passes 180 anyway. For more than one turn, they have this really sweet invention called a plug spinner.

[Pandawdy]

A full turn isn't an issue, all you need to do is push the drivers out of the keyway if they get stuck. It doesn't happen all the time and sometimes they only snag a little, but usually I put the pick into the keyway and do this as it passes 180 anyway. For more than one turn, they have this really sweet invention called a plug spinner.

I know of the plug spinner, but not exactly what it's used for. I was imagining it was used for correcting yourself if you picked the lock in the wrong direction. Does it do that too?

[Solomon]

I know of the plug spinner, but not exactly what it's used for. I was imagining it was used for correcting yourself if you picked the lock in the wrong direction. Does it do that too?

Yeah, you can use one any time you need to turn the plug past the rest position. The idea is so you don't have to re-pick it. All it does is spins the plug very fast, so the driver pins don't have time to reset... not really necessary if it's an easy lock, but if you've had to spend a couple of minutes picking, it's nice to have for situations like that.

[raimundo]

Unless the lock has thin master pins, you can just quickly rake the pins up with any hook or half diamond or practically any other rake, the trick is only that you do it quickly with just a light tension.
If there are thin master pins suspected to be in the lock use the straight backside of a half diamond or any small pick with a straight backside.

If your lock malfunctions after doing whatever to pass the 180 degree point, look carefully into the bottom of the plug or just dig with a hook, and look carefully on the floor beneath the lock for a tiny wafer of pin, if you find this, your troubles are just starting. Well if you need it keyed to fit a bunch of other keys any way, its a problem you can ignore on a practice lock.

[raimundo]

EDIT THE RECENT POST

if you think the lock has thin master pins support the pin collumns with a straight piece of metal before turning to the 180 mark and keep it there until past the 180. thats what I meant to say.
these little things will fall out if you are not careful