Setting up a Schlage deadbolt as a practice lock

[dboeren]

This is my first real contribution to the site, hope someone finds it useful.

As most of you are aware, it's often recommended for beginners to learn by buying a cheap deadbolt and removing all but one pin. Then once you can open that easily, you add the pins back one at a time until you can open a full 5-pin tumbler.

This is how I learned when I started last week, using a Kwikset deadbolt. It was really easy to do, because the Kwikset has a little aluminum piece that pops on and off which covers the pin stacks. So, anytime I want to change the pins I just pop it off with any tool, move the pins around, and pop the piece back on. There is no need on this lock to use a plug follower, as you can easily access the full pin stacks and seal it up again.

Today, I bought a Schlage deadbolt. Perhaps somewhat naively, I was assuming I'd find much the same setup. So I opened it up and removed the cylinder. The pins and springs all came out of course. Then I noticed that while the Schlage did have a thin aluminum strip covering the pin stacks, several brass tabs on either side had been crimped in to hold it securely in place. If only they had not crimped them so much you might have been able to slide it in and out!

Well, now I was screwed. I'm sure you all know that it's a pain in the butt to insert all the pins when the springs are trying to pop them out again. Besides, I wanted to not only be able to repin the key pins, but also to mess around with the driver pins (turns out it has one normal and four spool pins).

I tried for a while to un-crimp the little brass tabs, but to no success. Finally, I came up with another solution. Using some nail clippers you can quite easily shear off the brass tabs, or at least enough of them to be able to remove the thin aluminum strip. Now you've got full access to the pin stacks without having to fool around with tweezers inside the cylinder. Only one problem, with nothing covering the stacks, the springs jump out the top.

Easy solution -> tape. I noticed that the normal scotch tape is wide enough to cover all 5 stacks, so I just put a small piece over the top to hold them in place. It's thin enough that it doesn't interfere with putting the lock back together either. It's not quite as nice as popping the aluminum strip on and off my Kwikset since I will need to occasionally replace the tape, but it accomplishes my goal of full access.

Anyway, just wanted to share this with other newbies who might have made the mistake of letting the pins & springs escape or who want to have easier access to the driver pins and not just the key pins.

If you need directions on how to disassemble a Schlage deadbolt, I found these instructions quite useful:
http://www.gregmiller.net/locks/disassemble.html

[kg4boj]

You could have worked the spring retainer cover tabs off gently, now instead of doing it properly... instead you have invited yourself to get educated...

You can take the spring cover and put it back on, using a screwdriver you can fold back some metal on the top of the cylinder with a little hammering, folding back some new metal to stake down on the spring cover keeping it in place.

[Black Zero]

I've found that the cap to a fine point sharpie is the perfect plug follower for schlage locks. It fits perfectly and has the opening on one end for the nub on the end of the lock to fit into so the pins don't shoot straight back down before getting the whole thing on.

[dboeren]

You can take the spring cover and put it back on, using a screwdriver you can fold back some metal on the top of the cylinder with a little hammering, folding back some new metal to stake down on the spring cover keeping it in place.

If I do this, won't the spring cover be held permanently in place again? My goal was to set up something like my Kwikset where I can easily and repeatedly open the stacks and add/remove pins from the lock - mainly so that I can work my way up to the full 5 pins with spools.

If I'm misunderstanding your description, can you explain how the cover would be opened/closed afterward?

[Johnny P]

Go to the hardware store, buy a foot of 1/2" copper tubing and make yourself 2 or 3 plug followers.

[dboeren]

I'm familiar with the use of plug followers for repinning a lock, I've done that before.

But unless there is some additional technique I'm unfamiliar with, a plug follower will not allow you to add and remove pins from a lock. If there is a way to do this with a plug follower, PLEASE let me know, it would save a lot of trouble. But my understanding is that even if I remove a key pin from the lock, the top pin would still be pushed down by the spring and prevent the cylinder from rotating.

The goal here is to be able to artifically construct a lock with fewer pins than normal for educational/practice purposes, just like when you're starting to learn picking. You begin with 1 pin, then 2 pins, and work your way back up to the full 5 pins. I'm doing the same thing over now with spool pins.

[poor paperclip picker]

If you use a plug follower, you can slowly move it forward until you see about half of a pin from the pin stacks. Then put your finger in it so when you get the first pin/spring out it doesn't fly out. Do that to the next pin/spring until you have the desired amount of top pins and springs in the stack. Then take the plug and take out the corresponding pins to the ones you took out from the top.

To add pins, you can use tweezers to put the top pins and springs in. Or I have even used a pick to push down the top pins and springs while using the plug follower to push it over the newly placed pins/springs.

Sorry if that is not to clear, I will try to post pictures but it might be hard to take pictures while holding springs/pins down.