Hello, I have a question. I know a who can get me a whole bunch of padlocks, he works as a caretaker in a school and has to cut padlocks off people nearly every day as they forget their keys. These are the types of locks; http://en.tri-circle.cn/products_detail ... 23832.html My question is would they be any good for picking with their shackles are cut? Thank you.
If the only thing that has been cut is the shackle, then they will be fine to pick. They obviously can't be used as a padlock any more, but the lock itself still works. When you pick a lock with no shackle, or a cut shackle, you don't get the same feeling of "unlocking" something like when the shackle pops up on an uncut padlock, but it is still good practice. Like picking a mortise cylinder; some of the hardest locks I have ever picked did nothing more than turn the plug in a mortise cylinder, but I was super happy about it! I would think it would be really good practice because you don't have a key to look at while picking it so you don't know what the pinning is.
From the picking viewpoint, if only the shackle is cut, the lock should work fine. After all just cause you cut the shackle you still could open it wit ha key. And all you do is "simulate" the key's biting with picking
If you have to ask this, then I believe you have some more studying to do as to how a lock cylinder interacts inside a padlock to open the shackle, please look up some ABUS padlock cutaways to see how the parts work together, the answer to your own question will become obvious. On the same note, Tri-Circle padlocks are notoriously hard to pick because they contain a bunch of mushroom security pins which get stuck while you try to pick the lock. If you are a total beginner, this may not be a good padlock to start learning the hobby of lock picking.
I'm using some SO slimlines. I've been at it for a little while. I've only dissected some cheapish door handle locks and studied Lockpicking Overkill and MIT guide. Good books on general knowledge about locks but no detail on padlocks, so you are completely right about me having no knowledge on them. The problem with the Tri Circle padlocks is that it seems impossible to take them apart, well as far as I know.
casper111 wrote:I'm using some SO slimlines. I've been at it for a little while. I've only dissected some cheapish door handle locks and studied Lockpicking Overkill and MIT guide. Good books on general knowledge about locks but no detail on padlocks, so you are completely right about me having no knowledge on them. The problem with the Tri Circle padlocks is that it seems impossible to take them apart, well as far as I know.
Ahhh grasshopper... enlightenment come through knowledge. Soon you will see that a KIK cylinder can be picked without it's knob housing, a deadbolt cylinder can be picked without the deadbolt or thumb turn attached to it, or even having to be mounted to a door for that matter, and a padlock can be picked without the shackle. These parts all have relationships with each other; a cause and effect. In most cases you will have a cylinder, then some sort of linkage after the cylinder which makes some sort of mechanism inside the lock do something to lock it or unlock it.
In a padlock, once a key is inserted, and pins create a shearline, you are then able to turn the plug, which deep inside the padlock turns a cam, which either allows 2 ball bearings space to move or pulls on some spring loaded latches, which are pressing against the 1 or 2 cutouts in a shackle, and the spring under the shackle makes the shackle pop open once nothing is holding in place.
In a deadbolt, a key is inserted, a shearline created, the plug turned, then deep in the deadbolt, the plug will have a tailpiece or cam attached to it, and the tailpiece will rotate with the plug to either retract or extend the bolt in and out of the door into the door frame.
Since picking is just tricking the lock into thinking a real key was inserted, the same cause and effect will be in play while picking the lock. The plug will turn, and after the plug a cam or tailpiece will turn, and it will retract a bolt, pull a spring loaded latch, make room for some bearings to roll in, and then a shackle will pop open, or a door will unlock.
If in your case the shackle is cut, that is only the last stop in a long line of events that happen when you put in a key or a pick. You still have to pick the pins to a shearline, that in turn will allow you to rotate the plug, while turning the key or while applying rotation with a wrench, that will then rotate a cam or tailpiece and retract a latch or two, then the cut in half shackle will pop open, or at least it's sorry cut stump will, because the spring below it will still make it pop out.
Here's a handy video of a TriCircle padlock someone milled away to show the pins moving. And don't worry if you cannot fully take apart your padlock, just look for some cutaway photos of other brands, they are very similar inside for the most part. Hope it helps.
Brass tri-circles are very easy to take apart, as they use a single cap over all the pin stacks, rather than plugging each one. This cap is usually quite easy to see on an old, oxidised brass lock.
Ahhh well that's that solved. I think I'll build myself one of those practice locks, it doesn't look too hard to make. Now that I've got some good theory down it's up to practice. Thanks again lads!
