TOOOL progressive picking locks

[Steve24]

Hey I was just wondering if any one had either purchased, played around with, or even has an opinion about the locks offered on TOOOL's website. I've become rather aggravated with my lack of ability to pick the cylinders I have so those are looking rather appealing, though the price is rather high compared to the reuse store junk deadbolts.

[loki-aka]

It would be helpfull if we knew what type (brand and model if you know) of locks you working with now.

Sometimes difficult locks can be "tamed" by modifying the stacks.

[Steve24]

These are my deadbolt cylinders. They are all 5 pin tumblers. I have picked maybe one or two but I let agrivation get to me and set them down for a few months. I have picked one of the Yale locks once and cant even get close to the Dexter lock.... I'm fairly certain that all except the two Yale locks are Schlage. I haven't really been able to repin/remove pins because I cant pick them and I've never had luck with unkrimping the tops or shimming the backs. Any advice. Thanks.

Locks1.jpg

Locks2.jpg

[yng_pick]

What kind of shims do you have/ have you tried?

It looks like your cylinder marked with a number five on the front of the pin chamber has a pin cover that should pop off.

[Steve24]

For shims I use a .038mm thick piece of metal that is about half an inch in width... I can just never get it to shim all the pins. The one on the very left I bumped and it only has 3 pins in it which i am learning to pick slowly and the cylinder with the 5 has me stopped at 4 pins.

[yng_pick]

I gotcha

These are similar to the type I use for shimming

http://www.lalocksmithsupply.com/Tools/ ... -pack.html

http://www.majormfg.com/pc-303-60-curve ... stock.aspx

and they work very well,

Usually I use a pick to manipulate the pins while I am shimming rather than a key blank. If I am having difficulties, or if there is spool pins, I will use the pick to lick the pins all the way up before I begin to shim. After shimming a couple of pins, if it stops or becomes difficult, I will back up the shim about half of a pins width, so that you don't lose the pin(s) you have already shimmed, but so that the shim is not jamming up against the pin you are trying to shim. Then lift up all the way up the pin not behaving, ease the shim against it, and slowly lower the pin til it catches.

I usually use the pick because I find it easier due to always using that method, but sometimes when it is giving problems, I will use a key blank. Often enough it goes smooth from there.

Also, if the lock is still being very difficult to shim, pour some lubricant in there to allow the shim to glide a bit better and to wash out any obstructions.

[zeke79]

Can we have a link to the TOOOL locks you are talking about?

[Steve24]

http://toool.us/equipment.html

[Steve24]

I just purchased some shims online. Reflecting I think that will help be quite a bit. The strip of metal I was using is part of a gap measuring tool with several different thicknesses of strips. Their all mounted to a single unit which was making holding it and the lock awkward and the end is rounded which was making it slide around the pins. I guess I will see when they come.

[raimundo]

@ yng pick

curved shims are real nice, but back in the day they weren't made curved so some of us learned to use flat metal such as the pieces found in those little flat plastic rectangular capsules stuck to the stuff at best buy.

You speak of using a pick rather than a keyblank for shimming but you forgot to mention that doing it with the pick, you can shim two pin columns and then if shimming is not working out for you, you can still pick the front three pins and the lock will be easy as a three pin lock.

so if you use a pick to shim, also use picking while shimming to speed it up.

[Eyes_Only]

so if you use a pick to shim, also use picking while shimming to speed it up.

I used to do that a lot at work. A lot of times those spool drivers made shimming a little tricky or time consuming from time to time so I'd shim the last two pin stacks and then pick the lock as if it was a 3 pin lock to get some of them open.