What did you pick today?

[mseifert]

This ..

[greengrowlocks]

Nice picking on the ICS greengrow, you're really starting to slay the high security stuff mate!

Bilock 2nd Gen QCC!

One side SPPed, and the second raked. Starting to get a feel for these now, although some are definately more difficult than others depending on the amount of mastering. This one I would rate as a medium, being that only some of the pins are mastered. You can see some of the brass filings I created when I raked the second side!

adi_picker

Thanks man, I got the 3KS coming soon and very much looking forward to having a go at it.

Great job on the Bilock QC, I think I have more than 10 hours sunk into mine. I'll have to try again with a combination of picking and raking.

[Ralph_Goodman]

This ..

Is that a shoe lace pick handle? Is that effecting your feedback?

I like the idea.

[mseifert]

This ..

Is that a shoe lace pick handle? Is that effecting your feedback?

I like the idea.

It is a paracord (I believe the inner string is removed) wrapped handle.. the pick is cut from a hacksaw blade (One of the first I ever made) .. the bare metal is a bit thin and cuts into my finger when I am prying to move pins.. the paracord just makes the handle a bit bulkier.. I have larger hands and a regular pick feels a bit small, so I have considered wrapping all on my picks

I don't notice any feedback issue, but I learned using the red handle pick .. This first out the the gate when I work on any pin tumbler locks

As a added note.. The other pick is wrapped in Blue painters tape because I have an allergy to rubber and the rubber handle will make my fingers peel, crack and bleed..

[Ralph_Goodman]

It is a paracord (I believe the inner string is removed) wrapped handle.. the pick is cut from a hacksaw blade (One of the first I ever made) .. the bare metal is a bit thin and cuts into my finger when I am prying to move pins.. the paracord just makes the handle a bit bulkier.. I have larger hands and a regular pick feels a bit small, so I have considered wrapping all on my picks

I don't notice any feedback issue, but I learned using the red handle pick .. This first out the the gate when I work on any pin tumbler locks

As a added note.. The other pick is wrapped in Blue painters tape because I have an allergy to rubber and the rubber handle will make my fingers peel, crack and bleed..

Great! I was kicking myself for not asking about the blue one. Thanks for the info.

I am now realizing that the red handle is literally in your profile picture, but I had thought it was just a ribbed single material before and not wound cording.

Do you prefer your handles over others? From your case it seems like the red handle was a one-off, or do you have more wrapped like that?

[mseifert]

It is a paracord (I believe the inner string is removed) wrapped handle.. the pick is cut from a hacksaw blade (One of the first I ever made) .. the bare metal is a bit thin and cuts into my finger when I am prying to move pins.. the paracord just makes the handle a bit bulkier.. I have larger hands and a regular pick feels a bit small, so I have considered wrapping all on my picks

I don't notice any feedback issue, but I learned using the red handle pick .. This first out the the gate when I work on any pin tumbler locks

As a added note.. The other pick is wrapped in Blue painters tape because I have an allergy to rubber and the rubber handle will make my fingers peel, crack and bleed..

Great! I was kicking myself for not asking about the blue one. Thanks for the info.

I am now realizing that the red handle is literally in your profile picture, but I had thought it was just a ribbed single material before and not wound cording.

Do you prefer your handles over others? From your case it seems like the red handle was a one-off, or do you have more wrapped like that?

I do like my wrapped handle, and every time I break out my picks I think to myself I should to wrap my other picks.. At least one as a trial... But never get around to it.. So i a pinch I wrapped a couple in painters tape.

[adi_picker]

Selection of BEST's A, C. D. H profiles



3 to control, 1 to operating. On a couple I used the control sleeve grabbing tensioner I made, as pictured next to the rim cylinder. On the others I used my beloved Peterson prybar, my favourite. Using the grabber tensioner guarantees control, but is it supposed to be harder for that or operating?

Some Lockwood 234's



Nicked this idea from LPL, its in one of his videos The theory, which I can attest seems to work, is that by picking a lot of the same but differntly bitted locks, you get a better overall method to pick that type of lock, and not one in particular. Simple, and effective. Been right through this ring a few times now, thanks LPL!

adi_picker

[greengrowlocks]

Using the grabber tensioner guarantees control, but is it supposed to be harder for that or operating?
adi_picker

Nice job making your own SFIC tension tool. In my limited experience picking to control on my padlock feels a little more difficult. I may not be the best person to answer your question though because I have only two SFIC in my collection but one I can only pick to control (padlock) and another only to operating (Exit Lock) using normal TOK tension on both. A few weeks ago I got the Peterson I-Core tension set in hopes I could pick this SFIC exit lock to control yet still I can only get to operating. Nice job on making your own tensioner, the teeth look like they grip much better than the Peterson tools.

Peterson I-Core Tools and Exit Lock


Control on Padlock

[adi_picker]

Cheers greengrow!

Took me a few attempts to get that tool right, and I did model it off the Peterson ones. As you have discovered, when I made an accurate repro, I found the teeth jumped out of the grooves pretty easily, so I made them longer, and adjust them out of the sleeve as I feel required. Interesting that you still cant get control with the tool, I guess its not a guarantee as I said, as you could still pick it to the operating shear even when tensioning the sleeve, but I would have thought that would be rather difficult. One thing I have noticed while playing with these IC cores though is that the masters used between control and operating are small, and you can jump from one shear to the other pretty easily with a little extra force on the pick. I guess it would just be down to luck, but you could try backing off the tension and seeing if any pins feel like they want to move up a master or something?

For anyone interested, they are pretty easy to make, I simply took a bit of wiprer insert and an IC core, and marked where the teeth should be with a sharpie. Then in the vice I filed away the betweens with a needle file.

Thanks for the input man!

adi_picker

[mseifert]

I have the Peterson I-Core Tools and found that if you lay a shim next to them in the key way.. Making them a little thicker, you will have better luck with picking to control.. By laying the shim in next to the tool it will fill up the keyway and the teeth will not slip out of the tiny holes in the bottom .. Still not a 100% guarantee... but improves your chances..

[mseifert]

You cant tell but she is working on a American 5200.. Hollywood Movie Style .. No Tension Wrench

[GWiens2001]

You cant tell but she is working on a American 5200.. Hollywood Movie Style .. No Tension Wrench

She is adorable! And already picking locks. Good for her.

Gordon

[greengrowlocks]

It didn't go down without a fight but this morning I finally got the 3KS picked. I'm pretty excited I got it open because this is the first lock on a list of locks I have been aspiring to pick since I started in this hobby roughly 4 months ago. The rest of them I'm sure will be more or at least equally challenging. I will likely put my efforts into the Primus next and save the M3 for last. I still have only got up to 4/6 pins on the Biaxial.

EVVA 3KS+


One down, five more to go.

[greengrowlocks]

After getting some advice and completely changing my original approach I was able to get the Primus sidebar picked. The lock below has only the sidebar/fingerpins and no top pin tumblers. I'm pretty sure I'll have the fully pinned lock picked tonight.

Schlage Primus (Sidebar only)

[GWiens2001]

Good work, GGL. We want to see the pic when the lock is picked fully pinned, too.

Gordon