Disassemble Medeco Lock without Key?

[bprzybyl]

Hello,
Firstly, I would like to say you guys have excellent forums. The newbie faq section was incredible. I wish more sites would do stuff that way. We just replaced the deadbolts in our house (2 double Cylinder, 2 Single) and I made myself a big board with 1 side of the deadbolt on each, going from 1 pin per cylinder up to 5. I've successfully picked the 5 pin 4 or 5 times now, since I started around Christmas. I made picks with help from the locksport archives and Pyro1234321's video (both awesome). I've made an agreement with myself that once I pick it 10 times, I'll buy the SouthOrd Featherlight Jacknife pick.
Secondly, I now have a bit of a dilemma. I just bought a Medeco 1-1/8" Mortise Cylinder off of, you guessed it, eBay. The problem is it doesn't have a key with it, something I ignorantly decided wouldn't be needed. I originally wanted one to play around with once I got a lot better at picking, but also decided to get it sooner as I need to model something in Pro Engineer for a class. What I need to know is, can I break that lock down into individual parts without the key? If not, do I have to pick it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. - I have been using a half diamond pick with sporadic success. I made a hook from a steak knife, but still get better results from the diamond. I haven't tried raking yet. Should I make another kind of pick?

[rakemaster]

most Medeco locks that I've seen have little hexhead screws on the
top of each pin stack. this makes them a snap to disassemble: just
unscrew the 5 or 6 top screws with a hex key and dump out the
springs and pins. The plug will come right out (be careful when you
take it out to not let the sidebar and springs go flying).

Medecos are actually easier to disassemble w/o a key than most
other locks, assuming it has the screws on top.

[Shrub]

If it doesnt have grub screws sealing the top of the chambers then yes you need to pick it as shimming it with a blank isnt going to work.

[vector40]

Isn't it, Shrub? Can't you align the shearline and pull the core even without the sidebar being in place?

[zeke79]

Actually shimming will work, but you will not be able to turn the plug once it is shimmed. Basically you take the pins to shearline and hold them there with the shim and at that point you can simply push the plug forward as the sidebar groove will allow this without being retracted. Hope that makes some sense as I am loaded up on codeine cough medicine right now.

[n2oah]

Actually shimming will work, but you will not be able to turn the plug once it is shimmed. Basically you take the pins to shearline and hold them there with the shim and at that point you can simply push the plug forward as the sidebar groove will allow this without being retracted.

Makes perfect sense.

Hope that makes some sense as I am loaded up on codeine cough medicine right now.

Is that why you haven't been here lately?

[Shrub]

Fair enough, live and learn.

[zeke79]

Sorry if that sounded blunt Shrub as I did not intend for it to. I have not been online because I was sick with bronchitis. That has now turned into walking pnumonia so I am just trying to heal up right now.

[n2oah]

Get well, Nick

[Gordon Airporte]

In case you don't already know, bprzybyl, the sort of puffy plastic anti-theft stickers that come on a lot of merchandise contain thin metal strips that make decent, if small, shims. Of course, you don't have to worry about that if you can uncap the pinstacks.

[Shrub]

No worries and yea get well soon nick,
It wasnt blunt, i only thought it wasnt possible due to the pins needing to be rotated.