I picked my first lock!! it seemed too easy

by **SkyStalker** » 7 Jan 2006 13:39

LOL i just read this thread and i ask myself whats "12345" about and wtf is a "binding pin"? Did i forget something?

Could be the reason i didnt get my first lock...

by **Shrub** » 7 Jan 2006 13:42

Yes and yes, have a look at the mit guide or matt blazes paper on picking, a binding pin is a pin that has resitance due to you tensioning the lock and the 12345 is an example of the order of binding and could just as easily be 21534 or any other combo.

by **SkyStalker** » 7 Jan 2006 16:01

That means i have to pick in the order of the resistance of the pins? Good to know, THX!

by **illusion** » 7 Jan 2006 16:37

Yes.. it is called the "binding defect"

In essence this is the very reason you are able to pick locks.

If the pins were all straight and you turned the plug then all the pins would touch the shell of the lock at the same time and picking would be imposible...

However locks do not have the holes drilled exactly straight, and because of this when you begin to turn the plug clockwise the pin which is in the hole that has drifted most towards the right hand side will get trapped between the plug and the cylinder.. since one pin as touched first you need to lift it.. now you lift it untill the bottom pin reaches the top of the plug - the top pin will now go into the cylinder and the bottom pin will fall back down, and the plug will move slightly so that it stops the top pin from falling down... Normaly the spring would push down onto the top pin and then the top pin pushes down and rests on the bottom pin, but when the top pin is stuck inside the cylinder it is no longer able to enter the plug and therefor it cannot exert preassure upon the bottom pin.... This is how you can tell if you've set a pin because the spring preassure will dissapear and it will be very easy to lift up.

Now presume that the holes have been drilled slightly diagonaly towards the right - when you turn the plug the last pin will bind, and you follow the procedure I stated above, then when that top-pin has been set the plug will turn a bit... and it will be stopped by touching another pin.. this pin needs to be set.. then it sets on another. Once all of the top pins are in the cylinder the plug will turn freely ad you wil have successfully 'picked' it.

Of course, depending upon how the holes are drilled different pins bind in different orders in each lock - so it is as much a skill in finding the pin which binds most as it is a skill to lift the pins to the right height.

the pin which is binding is stopping the plug from turning and it will be the one that is hardest to lift up.. the one which offers the most resistance.

It is simple in theory and I'm sure you may walk away now and feel you will be able to pick a lock, but it is a skill... to find the pin which is binding is neither simple nor obvious untill you try to do it... and furthermore knowing when you are using too much tension and making the pins set wrongly... it is something you will learn - of this I have no doubt, but it is something which you need to work upon...

Buy a lock you can take apart, and then follow my guide to take it apart, then follow digital_blue's guide he wrote for ways to practice.

Practice - it is the single thing that picking locks consists of.. get to know how it works, get to know how the pins set, which order they bind in...

It's nothing magic... just a simple defect in the lock and skill on your behalf... exploit this defect and you'll be like a ninja.

All this potential requires practice... you are UNLOCKING your skills

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

that is one long post.... but hopefuly somebody will read this and make use of it.

illusion

by **stlbolt** » 8 Jan 2006 3:39

illusion... nice explanation... haha I learned something new from that haha... Quick question I don't feel like stating a whole new thread about this.. do mushroom pins false set once or twice? I here it "click" and I thought that is when it is set?

by **skold** » 8 Jan 2006 3:44

stlbolt wrote:illusion... nice explanation... haha I learned something new from that haha... Quick question I don't feel like stating a whole new thread about this.. do mushroom pins false set once or twice? I here it "click" and I thought that is when it is set?

How many grooves are there in a mushroom pin?

by **stlbolt** » 8 Jan 2006 3:47

yes I know 1, so I thought it would false set once, but after the click its not set...

by **skold** » 8 Jan 2006 3:49

1 groove = 1 false set.

The other clicks are because you are over-setting the pins, which means you are lifting too high and are using too much tension.

by **stlbolt** » 8 Jan 2006 3:50

hmm alright thanks.

by **SkyStalker** » 8 Jan 2006 6:49

Thanks for that great explanation, illusion! :shock:

But theres a problem - in Germany the pins are at the bottem of the lock so you dont lift them up but you push them down

Its like that:

But you just helped me anyway!

by **Chrispy** » 8 Jan 2006 6:52

Exactly the same principle, you just push down instead of up. Or you could stand on your head. :wink:

by **SkyStalker** » 8 Jan 2006 6:56

Well good to know

But the problem is that i dunno if a pin is set too deep and i have to restart

(or turn the whole door 180Â°

)

by **illusion** » 8 Jan 2006 7:34

SkyStalker wrote:Well good to know

But the problem is that i dunno if a pin is set too deep and i have to restart (or turn the whole door 180Â° )

You have a kind of advantage and a dissadvantage with this pin layout.
the lock you mention is commonly known as a Euro-profile cylinder - there are many of these in the UK and I pick them regularly.

When you set a pin this way it will fall down and stay down.. usualy the spring would push the top pin up, ad this would push the bottom pin up so when you set the pin the bottom pin will fall down. Providing you are not using too much tension the pins you have set will be difficult to push down. However I'm sure you are now aware that mushroom pins cause the pin to be very hard to move down, and that it will catch in the groove? Good you have understood well so far, and I haven't caused your death by all this text

Now the way I pick mushroom pins once they have false set is to find which pins are mushroom or spool pins, now press down gently on each pin - one or more with not move at all if you try to push them down with havier tension whilst the other pins will still move down slightly. Once you have found the mushroom pins, reduce youur tension to almost nothing, and lift the pins you have identified as being mushroom pins - because of how the pin is trapped, lifting it up more will cause the plug to turn by itself.. try it, you'll really see the plug moving as you do this - it's very cool

so lift it up and then feel for it to set properly, once this has happened put normal tension back on, and if there is ony one mushroom pin the lock cylinder will freely turn, but if there is more than one mushroom pin, it will turn a bit and false-set onto the next mushroom pin.. the same procedure as the above will allow you to correctly set this pin... congratulations, you have picked security pins.

This animation will show you what I am talking about:

CLICK THIS LINK FOR AN ANIMATION OF A SPOOL PIN BEING PICKED
it was made by a member of this site, Mad Mick.

To avoid false-setting them in the first place use very light tension so the plug is not able to trap the mushroom pins... this requires practice to find the right amount.

I hope this helps

by **SkyStalker** » 8 Jan 2006 7:45

YES! I DID IT!

I JUST PICKED MY FIRST LOCK (ABUS 30/30; 5 Pins)

Proof:

And my new Desktop-Background:

by **illusion** » 8 Jan 2006 7:53

YEAH!!!!

Nice one mate.... it's good to see somebody invest their time and pick their first lock!

I'm glad for you dude - you've suceeded in stepping into the world of lockpicking

Was the advice I gave you helpful?

congratulations man

I picked my first lock!! it seemed too easy

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