Tubular Lockpicking Help

[crazyguy_07]

Hello people,

Is there much skilled involved in picking tubular locks, i have seen a video with a yellow 'Master' lock being picked, he seemd to do it with no trouble and little skill. And are they reliable?

[pizarro]

From your other post, i take it you are still at school, so this is probably a hobby, so who cares if its reliable. Its that challenge that makes it interesting.

If you want a quick, easy, reliable opening tool, go use its key.

[crazyguy_07]

You didnt answer the question. Do they require much skill? And do they work most of the time?

[pizarro]

Your enphatic interest in quick low skill entry tools, combined with your previous post asking for help obtaining master keys does not give a very good impression (at least to me).

But to answer your question, I've never used tubular lock picking tools. And untill I can find a torque wrench that will enable me to individually pick each pin, the only interest I have in tubular locks is discussing how secure they are.


Inteligent people do things the easy way, but i love the challenge.

[Pickermeapie]

Hello people,

Is there much skilled involved in picking tubular locks, i have seen a video with a yellow 'Master' lock being picked, he seemd to do it with no trouble and little skill. And are they reliable?

Don't get snappy...

Heres your answer: No.

[illusion]

They are crap.

the specialy designed picks open them faster than a hookers legs after flashing money.

[Chrispy]

the specialy designed picks open them faster than a hookers legs after flashing money.

You have to give them money? No wonder I've been getting slapped.

[illusion]

the specialy designed picks open them faster than a hookers legs after flashing money.

You have to give them money? No wonder I've been getting <censored> slapped.

[LockNewbie21]

Yea i second the idea of tubulars being easy with the right tools... that of which being skill as a tool. tension and technique on top of keeping the pick straight all tie in. So if its for non legal means.. dont bother its takes work and practice and also time!!!! criminals have no love for time but tubulars like any other lock takes practice and time... plus if its for someones money its probobly an ace 2 i know this becuase i used to work at a pizza shop and the vending machine guys said they use all high security locks, hense they make the locks heft price back after a few weeks. So if its recreational then its a good hobby that wil be hard to learn but rewarding, but as far as illegal... well its really up to you i wouldnt... juvy or jail time plus fines for quaters out of a machine? it doesnt add up. Good luck man if your in it for the good and skill then my best regards later bud

Andy

[zeke79]

They are crap.

the specialy designed picks open them faster than a hookers legs after flashing money.

Even with the Peterson Pro-1 the ACE II's can be tricky. They always gave me a bit of trouble. I would however not call them high security. Tubulars are just like any other lock, there are good ones and bad ones.

[LockNewbie21]

Well put zeke, like almost anything. Its unually 90% skill with a tad bit of luck thrown in... you can increasse the skill and less luck... but oyu alwyas get lucky sometime. For instance my master lock number three. I consider my self ripped off. The four pins hieghts are 3334, i simple insert half dimond lightly press up and click, i got lucky some others i read about on here have more like a 1837 and people complain of the difficulty it is to pick them, i guess like tubulars its luck of the combo Although i never doubt my trusty southord, its relieable to say the least... well from price to versatility ratio..

[nezumi]

As an aside (inline with the subject line, although perhaps not so much with the previous posts), a tubular lock CAN be pretty easily picked with normal tools. Using a diamond pick, a normal torque wrench and a pair of pliers to hold it still, I picked it in around ten minutes (I was eating lunch at the same time, so subtract out time for chewing).

That said, as a warning to other silly people such as myself, remember that as soon as the cylinder turns, the holes will realign with the pins and the lock will lock again (now at 15 degrees, so the key won't fit in either)! So find something to keep the pins at their original height or expect to pick your lock two or three times before you complete the quarter turn usually required to go from 'locked' to 'unlocked'.

[illusion]

If you catch it before the pins settle in the next chamber, the botom pins will rest against the plug - you can decode the length of each one easily once this has happened. You could create a new kew from the readings.

Alternatively take a mouldable material, and make a mould of the pin depths, you'd effectively create a duplicte key. The trickiest part would be finding a material that suits the requirements - I'm considering trying polymorth - the same stuff they use for gumshields.

I wonder if you could somehow make a plug-spinner? - seems dodgy, but not impossible.

[nezumi]

If you catch it before the pins settle in the next chamber, the botom pins will rest against the plug - you can decode the length of each one easily once this has happened. You could create a new kew from the readings.

That's true, but you generally need tools like, well, key grinders and the like. I was doing this with my MPXS-11 SouthOrd Kit and a pair of pliers held tight with a hair band over my salsa chicken in the lunch room. I suppose maybe some sort of gummy eraser might work or cardboard? I don't know...

While I'd enjoy showing off how I can spin the plug the full 45 degrees, it isn't worth the fun I have just picking the lock in the first place. The only thing that caught me was when it locked again and now, if I failed to pick it, I couldn't use the key to fix it and I might have to open the lock (which, I admit, wasn't TECHNICALLY mine. It was provided by the company to keep my laptop safe. So non-destructive picking was okay, but pulling it to pieces might be frowned upon.)

(Boy, I hope I don't get banned for admitting I opened a lock I didn't buy, even though I did have the key for it, I was supposed to use it and it wasn't attached to anything. I'm not a criminal! I swear!)

[LockNewbie21]

Haha i wouldnt worry about saying you picked a lock that wasnt yours, now if you like listing all these locks you picked or even worse what you plaan to steal by picking locks then theres a serious problem, But i picked a bunch that didnt belong to me, ofcourse i had permission, but it was mostly the person testing the ability of there lock. I will admit i bragged opened a few and they got a new lock to replace the crappy one, and some put me to shame. But i dont see you as a criminal... i mean if this is one of those school laptops i new a kid who stole one.. Well he got tossed from school, but hey you never know they might even come to you if a key to another is lost and will think highly of your talents... or the bad one they will think its you if one ever goes missing. Becarful bud, but hey gotta give you credit on the tubular pickin nice job buddy


Andy