How do you pick a tubular lock? Please help me!

[Nose_Picker]

The first video was good. You were using the same tubular pick that I had. (I sent them back, and SouthOrd is sending me the newer ones).

I couldnt pick anything with them... I tried a bike lock that I had the key for, a Bell bike lock. And it wouldnt open, I even made a copy of the key on my tubular pick, and nothing... But having seen the first video, im looking forward to trying again with the new picks.

Thanks a bunch for making these videos.

[webidiot2]

any real tips on aceII they have variable tension and the southord 7 pin sets the tension the same for all of the pins

[ziptie007]

ya i second any advice on the ace II's since thats all i have arounf me to practice on at the moment

[Omikron]

ACE II's are generally going to require a higher end pick, such as the Petersen PRO-1, where you can adjust individual pin tension. Even so, I have HEARD that some people have been able to pick ACE II's with standard SouthOrd picks, although I've never had the opportunity to try, myself.

As was said elsewhere, don't pick locks you don't own unless you're being contracted to do so. It will result in nasty things happening.

[Nasydave]

As far as offsets, here's the way to tell locks apart.

As you look at the lock you will see the notch in the center pin for the key. Look directly across (180 degrees) from the notch. If there is a pin there, it is a seven pin lock.

If the pin does NOT line up at 180 degrees from the notch, it is an eight pin lock. A seven pin offset is an eight pin with a pin missing.

To put it another way, on a 7 pin, there is a pin or the notch every 45 degrees. On an 8 or offset, there is still a pin every 45 degrees, but the notch in the ceter post does NOT line up at the 45 degree mark.

[Knows-Picker]

ok, its not an exact science, but here is a technique that I use to open these paticularly nasty buggers(did I spell all that right?).. To start first lets look at why they are hard to pick..These guys got 2 (and correct me if I am wrong but sometimes 3) different spring strengths under the pins. This meanst that the impressioning teq. won't work because when you set the weaker set the stong set wont be set, and if you set the strong set with more tension on your pick needles, then chances are you have pushed in the weaker springs too far. When I try the standard on an ACEII of backing all the needles back and then pushing them in, for some reason I don't have alot of luck. After alot of practice, and trying a few different techniques I came up with this, a cross breed of the 2, that seems to nock them out in about a minute. First start by identifying wich springs are which. To do this on the southord 7 pin, loosen the center tension wheel so that the picks move but not very easily. I usually spin it until it jcan't move any more, then back it off about a 1/6 of a turn. Now insert your pick all the way into the lock until it bottoms out and look at which picking needles moved. these are the pins with the most pressure on the pick. Now remebering which ones those were, loosen up the screw on the pick, and push all the pins forward, reset the pick, and put medium tension on the center lock. now, insert the pick, and use the standard impressioning tech. (twist back and forth several times, withdrawl the pick and then re-insert it and do this again.) Now while keeping tension on the tool, go to the 3 or 4 pins that you indentified in the beginning and feel them. Notice how one of them is MUCH stiffer than the other 2 or 3? press this one in until it reaches a "stop". now check the remaining pins in the same manner until you reach the last pin. when it reaches the stop, the lock will open. If for some reason it doesn't, I fing that if you go clockwise around the pick just lightly tapping the pins as though you were typing on a keyboard, and hit each one, that will usually give you what you need to finish the lock. As a side note, because the aceII's "stiff" springs are rather stiff, I recomend that as soon as the lock turns, stop between the clicks in the lock, when the pins are all bound, and remove the tool, loosen the center screw, reset all picks and then inset the pick as far as you can straight back, then remove it and tighten the hell out of the center lock screw. If not then you are likely to get to the next click and the stiff springs will push a pin back too far from the sheer line and you will have to repeat the whole proccess. I hope that this helps.