SPP Question

[Rich0775]

Hey guys,

Beginner (but dedicated) lock picker here and I have a question about single pin picking. I have a Tru-Bolt (cheap, $3 lock from Menards) that I've been able to pick about 4 times over the last week and I only single pin pick until the set and cutaway lock I bought get here in the mail in about a month, until then I have the Tru-Bolt and some homemade lock picks made from hacksaw blades and wiper blades.

Anyway, when you're single pin picking every time you set a pick is the plug going to rotate, and every time you find the pin that's bound is it going to cause some counter rotation on the plug as well? The problem with the Tru-Bolt is that it's very very loose and the tension is weird because sometimes unbound key pins will get stuck (i.e. on the pick it feels very springy and loose but wont' always fall back down).

I also plan on finding a Kwikset door lock that I can take apart and practice picking one pin at a time and work my way up. I'm finding it kind of hard to learn completely on a 5-pin lock for the first time but, again, I'm very dedicated and I will get this down and I want to master SPP first!

-Richard

[Pickybastard]

when you set a pin the core will turn and bind on the next pin.It is sometimes more noticeable then others. Counter rotation occurs when you have a false set on a spool pin, the skinny portion of the spool being trapped between the core and housing on the shear line, when you apply pressure the plug rotates backwards as the pin attempts to straighten out in the chamber. this is not experienced on standard pins as they have no skinny portion.

[MiPo]

Some thoughts about that. When you have a lock with only standard pins, then you should normally not get counter rotation in the process of picking. But of course when the tolerances are bad, then the core turns a bit further every time you pick a stack. Now if you mistakenly pick a pin again that is on the shear line already, you will over set it and then core will turn back.
Try to memorize which pins have been set before and leave them alone. Maybe increase then tension to prevent oversetting. Observe the state of the lock when picking. Do other pins drop; also If a keypin stay up and feels stiff, you have it overset.
You should experiment with tension and picking strength. It requires a lot of practice to understand (or assume) what's going on inside. A Kwikset is for sure a good choice - wide open keyway (take a thick pick to get good feedback) and only standard pins.
Have fun and good luck. Cheers,
Michael

Hey guys,

Beginner (but dedicated) lock picker here and I have a question about single pin picking. I have a Tru-Bolt (cheap, $3 lock from Menards) that I've been able to pick about 4 times over the last week and I only single pin pick until the set and cutaway lock I bought get here in the mail in about a month, until then I have the Tru-Bolt and some homemade lock picks made from hacksaw blades and wiper blades.

Anyway, when you're single pin picking every time you set a pick is the plug going to rotate, and every time you find the pin that's bound is it going to cause some counter rotation on the plug as well? The problem with the Tru-Bolt is that it's very very loose and the tension is weird because sometimes unbound key pins will get stuck (i.e. on the pick it feels very springy and loose but wont' always fall back down).

I also plan on finding a Kwikset door lock that I can take apart and practice picking one pin at a time and work my way up. I'm finding it kind of hard to learn completely on a 5-pin lock for the first time but, again, I'm very dedicated and I will get this down and I want to master SPP first!

-Richard

[Rich0775]

Thanks for the feedback guys,

It's always easiest for me to hear or read something and then get a solid idea of it by just doing it so that's exactly what I did. I learned the most by taking apart the lock on my bedroom door and then gutting it, re-pinning it, and putting it back together.

Also made a snake rake style pick to see if I could rake open that Tru-Bolt and it worked amazingly but what I really figured out is that the key and driver pins are very close to the shear line and that's why it was hard for me to notice the rotation in the tension wrench because the pin that binds doesn't need to be lifted hardly at all in order to set the pin and as a result, there is almost no "click" when the pins set. Anyway, to make a long story short I can SPP this Tru-Bolt pretty reliably now. Wish I could gut and re-pin it though.

Will probably get a Masterlock next and practice on that.

[GWiens2001]

There is another possibility for very little feedback on a $3 lock. Look at the bottom of the keyway (side away from the pins). Do you see gray plastic or brass?

Many cheap padlocks use Delrin (a kind of plastic) instead of brass to save money.



Gordon