Just got my first pick set.

[PlusPirate]

I recently purchased a "10 piece lockpick kit" from Gadgets Direct (The only place I could see in Australia) and wanted to know what to do.

I've looked over all of the introductory threads and I'm of course only going to be doing this as a hobby at home on padlocks which I own, but anyway, the set I purchased has the following:

In this set you get 9 picks and a tension wrench to open most Australian locks.

--The picks are a half diamond, 7 hooks (all different shapes/sizes), and a dimple rake for auto locks.


I've been trying to practice on a Loockwood 110/40 padlock and think I'm almost getting it, but while i'm trying there are still some problems i'm facing.



1) I've got the first several pins in the correct place, but I cannot manage to engage the last 2 or 3, no matter how hard I try using different hooks. I've pushed down on them with varying degrees of pressure but they're still not seeming to engage.

I think I'm applying too much pressure on the tension wrench and possibly even in the wrong position.
Shown below in Blue and Red are the positions I put the tension wrench in. (Not to scale)



I've viewed this thread and it does seem to clear things up with the pins, but is there a specific brand I should practice on?

Thank you.

[phrygianradar]

Hi there and welcome to the forum! I was having similar problems when I first started picking locks. The best answer I found on the subject is to get more (or better yet, make more) tension wrenches. Some locks just have warding that makes it difficult to get a wrench in the bottom of the keyway. If you plan on making this a serious hobby I would recomend getting a few top of the keyway tension wrenches, like the Peterson Prybars. You can make all sorts of diffent sizes and shapes or tension wrenches out of street sweeper bristles or windshield wiper inserts, to accomodate the locks that you own and are trying to pick. It looks like the tension wrench you are using is slipping down when you put it in the bottom? So you try to put it up higher and it blocks your picking attempts, am I right?

I don't know if that helps at all but if you are interested in making some wrenches yourself (if you are handy at making things), there are threads on the subject.

Good luck and have fun!

[PlusPirate]

The wrench head itself is only going about 1/4 of the way into the barrel.. Is it supposed to go all the way?

[phrygianradar]

It is hard to tell. I am not familiar with that sort of lock. It could be that there are security pins in it, like spooled driver pins. I am not sure what sort of locks you can get in Australia, so that is a possibility. You want to use light tension, so if your tension wrench is bending, you are using too much or it isn't in a good position. From my experience, the wrench should go all the way into the lock; that is to say, there shouldn't be any of the "L" part of it showing. Read this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=56717&p=412958&hilit=overkill+pdf#p412958

And deffinately read, "Lockpicking Detail Overkill" written by forum member Solomon! It will answer all your questions and then some. There is a link to it in the above posted thread. I think if you do those things it will help a lot!

[Solomon]

In the red position, the plug might bind up and stop the pins from binding properly but most of the time it's ok. If you're getting weird feedback with the wrench in that position I would switch it. In the blue position, you limit your space quite a bit, and if there are any really shallow pins you can get your pick trapped and/or have pins oversetting all the time. With the right width of wrench you can balance it 50/50 over that ward, which will give you an even torque and give you a bit more room... or better yet, use a shorter wrench to actually tension the top of the keyway where the pins are.

The wrench head itself is only going about 1/4 of the way into the barrel.. Is it supposed to go all the way?

Depending on how far the wrench goes into the cylinder, I'd imagine it would affect how the pins behave slightly, especially if it has really sloppy tolerances... but the short answer is no, it doesn't really matter.

I have that pick set and use them on a regular basis, more so than my petersons truth be told. They're comfy to use and the feedback is excellent, they can get around some pretty tight keyways too. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. The wrench supplied with them sucks though. Get your hands on some windshield wiper inserts to make yourself some better ones with, and you'll have a much better time.