Trouble with padlocks

[sisk]

I've only been at this a few days, but I've found I have a frustrating problem: I can't seem to get padlocks to cooperate. I've successfully either raked, SPPed, or both on my desk drawer, (cheap) gun cabinet, front door (I was locked out), a deadbolt, and a cheap Chinese doorknob. But for some reason I can't seem to get into padlocks.

I've got several of them: A Master No.3 that's been frustrating me from go, a No.7 that I've not messed with much because I'm having trouble even getting my picks into it, a really cheap ($3) Chinese padlock, and a Chateau 970c. All these except the Chateau are brand new bought specifically to pick. I've managed to SPP the Chinese one only once, and I managed to get the Chateau open but I later figured out that it's pins are sticking at the shear line and it opens with just a tension tool, so I'm not sure I actually picked it. Other than that I've not had any luck at all, and I've got probably 5 hours into trying to pick the No.3 over the course of the last few days.

Any ideas why I would be having so much trouble with what, from I've read, should be some of the easiest locks in the world to pick when I can pick other locks just fine?

[74TR6]

"...I've only been at this a few days,..." You opened with the answer to your query. Slow down, relax, and enjoy the learning process. No time clock ticking and no home owner or business owner with customers waiting for you to open a lock. Close attention to what you feel with pick: Is one pin binding? Or more than one---tension too heavy; none binding---tension too light. Can you locate each pin--you set pin 3, can you go directly to pin 5? Find the binding pin, set it, and go to next; your lock will open. Focus on the feel and completion of each step and not on end result

[gueroaero]

I'm only a few months in to picking but I have spent at least a couple of hours every day doing it. Just keep messing with it. Try different tension wrenches and try different picks. I've come to be very comfortable with a short hook. Your feel for the pins will get more acute, and you will find out if you need lighter or slightly heavier tension. Just keep trying. If you feel yourself getting frustrated, put it down and pick ( ) it back up later. Happy picking, my friend.

[sisk]

I finally got the thing. It still gives me trouble, but I CAN pick it now. I've also figured out that for some reason my #3 is significantly harder than other Masters. After fighting with this thing for a week I bought another one and had it picked in about 2 minutes, then picked a Master 140 in about 3 minutes. I'm down to about 30 seconds to SPP the 140 and this same #3 is still giving me issues, but I think I've got it figured out. The first pin is very low cut and I think I'm just over setting it when I set the pins in the back. Sadly my current picks are too thick to get any lower in the keyway and reach through the warding to avoid that problem.