hpc pick

[paul-f]

just purchased the hpc 120 electro pick. is there a certain technique to this type of picking and is it better to keep the up and down movement of the pick blade via a tightening screw to its minimum, maximum or somewhere in between

[pinky]

personal preference and what suits what lock type, its a knack like anything else, tension is still crucial and light feathered tensioning helps alot, position , depth and angle of blade is crucial.

[Exodus5000]

Pinky's right.

Most of the locks in the U.S. are crap, if i'm on a job late at night and just want to open the lock quickly I use my electropick on it's highest setting and upside down (which increases the throw even more.) I use a very light amount of tension and insert the pick so that it is flush with the pins and will hit thew directly upwards. I'll give it 4-5 short bursts (.5 seconds a burst) and if it's not open by that time I'll tilt it so that the tip is angled slightly higher than before. I've never not opened a lock with this method yet. Including Best I-Cores, and any other pin tumbler without a sidebar you can think of.

[Wallaby]

If its not opened after a couple of bursts, it has probably gone into antipick and it is not likely to open without releasing tension and starting again. A circular tension tool (pre-sprung) allows you to tension, release and retension in a second, so you can give short bursts and retension very quickly until it opens .. an added advantage of these tension tools is that you can go left, right, left quickly so you are constantly trying both directions for the opening ...

[acl]

If it does go into antipick and you keep blasting away itll break your blades so be careful. Try putting the pick in a slightly different angle if you are going into anti pick. Another tip is ,if you are having difficulties try raking the pins with your gun.

[pinky]

a good tip guys if you cant get out of antipicks, once in anti pick, put gun down whilst maintaining tension, then hand pick it out, works well.