Lemme Get this straight...

[LoneWolf]

Okay lemme get this straight.....
The first step is using the tensoin wrench to slgihtly turn the lock, then you use a thin piece of metal shaped like a dentist pick to push up the pins until they stey in the middle of the housing where they need to be, then you turn all the way with the tension rench to unlock the tumblar. So now..... A few questions.

Is this right?
Can you acctually use a dentist pick to pick a lock
Where do I get a dentist pick?

[GateTwelve]

You've got the basic concept. I (as would everyone else) would recommend reading the MIT guide to lockpicking. That will give you a lot of information about the internal workings of the lock, as well as what to expect it to feel like. And, like always, there's no better tutorial than buying a cheapo lock, and experimenting on it.

Well, I guess you could use a dentist pick...but why would you want to buy that when you could, without doubt, buy a pick set for much cheaper?

[stick]

If you're confused about references to dental picks, they're just a certain pick style that HPC makes that looks similar to actual dentist's picks. Actual dentists's picks aren't nearly long enough to make a suitable pick, with an exception of one or two nasty looking things...

[stick]

Doh, hit submit too early. GateTwelve is right, you've got the basic concept. You have to keep continual force on the tension wrench so that you can bind a pin, with the goal of setting it. The MIT guide will explain it extremely clearly if you take the time to read it carefully and make sure you understand the diagrams, namely that flatlands lock model, I believe it was called.

[GateTwelve]

I was going to say, I think meh dentist could very well pick a lock with the monstrous objects he calls medical instruments.

Grrr...now you've me interested in hpc picks. I've never looked much at them. I think I'll peruse their catalog now.

[vector40]

Actually, I wonder if dental tools (like the one they use to scrape plaque) might work very well indeed. The shaft might be too fat, but you could file it down. And the tip would be VERY narrow and sharp, too, so it would "stick" onto individual pins allowing easy lifting. What do you think?

[Rockford]

Dental picks make good tension wrenches, particularly when feathering tension when using the Electric pick. The thin blade end neatly fits the top of the keyway, allowing unobstructed access to the pick.

Rockford.....