ABUS Lockpad + Spool pins

[PickTrick]

wow this little sucker is tough, i can't get it open yet, i know there is another post about abus, but i did read the information there, and i won't be reposting or re-asking any of the questions there. My concern is releasing the spool pins without releasing the driver pins, i attempted this but i failed miserably because as i release even the slightest tension on this really old lock, it's releasing the driver pins inside aswell, i'm trying my best to just little by little it, and i have very small and gentle fingers, i used to work with computer hardware before getting into lockpicking, so i got the hands for it. It's a bother, but maybe, if somebody here can request a method for releasing spool pins without the driver pins falling back down, please enlighten me.

Yes i know somebody attempts to answer the spoolpin / mushroom pin issue in the other thread, but they don't tackle any ideas or theory's for an old lock that just needs percise work to be opened. I have both keys, they open if flawlessly without any jiggling or anything, so i'm concerned my technique is wrong. I have opened a few hard locks in under a minute, using my techniques i have learned so far, and it's been working wonders (including deadbolts) and i've only been picking for a little under a week now, which is nuts, because i just have to pick everything i can find. (legal issue crowd, i only pick locks i own, or my family members own. Yes they might scream at me if they catch me, but, in the end we're all family, and it's all good, because we live together, and who cares if i get into my brothers room?... he's got some nice t-shirts i should borrow )

[jimmythelock]

Hi. I too have this problem but I think I have managed to over come it. Let me TRY and explain.

The spool pin has a big chunk taken out of to make the lock turn before it is correctly set. If this chunk were not missing the pin would behave as normal and one would pick the tightest bound pin first then the second etc... The thing to realise is that ordinarely the pin with the spool may need setting first or second etc if it were smooth (ie not a spool), but as it has this large bit missing it does not get binded until later.

If you have set certain pins and when trying to set the spool some of them drop or they all drop, that means the spool pin needs setting almost straight away. You set the others, find you have a spool, ease the tension off, KEEP SETTING THE SPOOL IN SPITE OF UNSETTING THE OTHERS, the spool is set, keep going as usual with the rest of the pins.

It is disheartening when you have spent ages setting the others to find there is a security pin at the end. But you can reset the lock, remembering where the special pin was and when it needs setting.

This happends to me quite alot. I have come up with a pick that I am comfortable with and holds the pick on the security pin when such nasty ones are used. Check it out, it may help you.

http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?t=3771

Hope this helps.
Jimmy