Got torque?

[Jay J. McCool]

Okay, so I'm still pretty new at this stuff, but I was able to scrub my dorm door lock open pretty fast. The plug turned all the way to the point where the pressure is needed to force the bolt to return into the door (almost a full rotation of the plug.) However, the bolt wouldn't budge!

I tried whipping my torque wrenches pretty hard, and easing them slowly. Easing the torque to slowly increase in pressure seemed to work better than brute force, but I still wasn't able to pop the bolt back into the lock. I did succeed in bending my torque wrenches, though.

So how much force is needed to get past some locks? I tried using a much thicker object (like the end of my key) and it worked fine. I'm pretty sure I did succeed in unlocking the door, it's just that my PXS-14 torque wrenches are too flimsy to handle the force needed to pop the bolt.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions/things I'm not seeing? Does it really take that much pressure to pop a bolt sometimes?

[Jay J. McCool]

I guess my real question is whether or not I might be missing something in the fact that the door won't open even though (I think that) I've picked the lock. I should do some research on security pins, because that's pretty much what I'm wondering about.

Otherwise, (and I think this is the case) I might just need to carry a screwdriver when I want to open my door. A screwdriver would easily bear the force necessary to pop the bolt into place once the lock's been taken care of.

[Omikron]

Okay, so I'm still pretty new at this stuff, but I was able to scrub my dorm door lock open pretty fast. The plug turned all the way to the point where the pressure is needed to force the bolt to return into the door (almost a full rotation of the plug.) However, the bolt wouldn't budge!

I tried whipping my torque wrenches pretty hard, and easing them slowly. Easing the torque to slowly increase in pressure seemed to work better than brute force, but I still wasn't able to pop the bolt back into the lock. I did succeed in bending my torque wrenches, though.

So how much force is needed to get past some locks? I tried using a much thicker object (like the end of my key) and it worked fine. I'm pretty sure I did succeed in unlocking the door, it's just that my PXS-14 torque wrenches are too flimsy to handle the force needed to pop the bolt.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions/things I'm not seeing? Does it really take that much pressure to pop a bolt sometimes?

First, you get "the talk".

Stay FAR, FAR AWAY from picking locks you don't own, ESPECIALLY ones that belong to your university. I don't think your administration would be too pleased if they knew you were practicing on their property. What if you damaged the lock? Chances are you might not be allowed to finish your degree.

That aside, it's interesting that you needed so much torque to throw the bolt. That particular deadbolt may just have a very strong spring or it could also need some maintainance. It's tough to say. Most locks that I've worked on throw fairly easily with any normal tensioner.

Now I've got a story. About two years ago when some fellow students were first getting into lockpicking, they decided that they would pick into each others' rooms in order to play jokes or move stuff around. Well, one of them, we'll call him "HappyPlant", decided to pick into the other's, we'll call him "CodeMonkey", room. Well, HappyPlant was a bit drunk and did not know that most deadbolts require rotation past the 180-degree mark, and that some keyways were wide enough to allow the top pins to fall into the keyway and jam. He tried picking the lock, and lo and behold it jammed! Now CodeMonkey couldn't lock his door because his key would no longer fit because of the dropped pins and damaged springs. When maintainance was called, they tried using the change key to remove the core, but the change key wouldn't work, so they came with a VERY, VERY, VERY LARGE monkey wrench and twisted the mortise cylinder out of the lock to replace it. The on-duty locksmith thought it was "very odd" that the lock was having such problems. It's an absolute miracle that no one got in trouble for what happened there, but it is a PRIME example of why you should NOT be picking locks you rely on or locks you don't own.

[Jay J. McCool]

Thanks, Omikron

I really appreciate what you've done, and continue to do for me. You're like my mentor. At any rate, yes, you're completely right, it was stupid for me to pick the lock on my door. Even though it's my room, it's still University property. Furthermore, I would get into particularly bad trouble (probably lose my job, if not my status as a student) for acting like this (well, the other possibility is that because of my connections from the job, I'd be let off the hook with a slap on the wrist, but it's still not a good idea.)

I should have known better from the start. In fact, I'd like to say that I did, and that it was my "devil conscience" (otherwise known as a close female friend who might have a knack for mischief) but that's not really the mature adult thing to say. So I won't.

At any rate, the deed is done, it won't be done again, and there's still a slight mystery surrounding the bolt. Although I don't have much experience at this point, I'd still like to say that it has a really tight spring, because that's what it feels like.

Anyhow, thanks for the reprimand, the story, and the wisdom (and the toolkit!) I deeply appreciate your mentorship.

[Jay J. McCool]

While I have your attention...

So do you have any resources or personal descriptions that might further my knowledge of how a lock can BREAK? I didn't really think about that aspect of picking - I've got to be really careful, I need to be sure that any locks I break aren't important ones, and to learn what to avoid when picking so I can minimize any potential damage!

(I was under the impression that lockpicking is a non-destructive method of overcoming obstacles!)

[jordyh]

While I have your attention...

So do you have any resources or personal descriptions that might further my knowledge of how a lock can BREAK? I didn't really think about that aspect of picking - I've got to be really careful, I need to be sure that any locks I break aren't important ones, and to learn what to avoid when picking so I can minimize any potential damage!

(I was under the impression that lockpicking is a non-destructive method of overcoming obstacles!)

Locks are rather hard things to break, but lockpicks tend to get broken by the newer lockpickers.

Once a broken part of a pick gets jammed in a lock, say, the end of a hook or diamond....
Well...
Good luck on getting it out so you can insert the key again.

Also, i have wrecked a perfectly well miniscule pin tumbler (safety deposit box) by picking it, getting it jammed on 180, ramming the key in, and woe and behold, the bottom of the lock just semi-explodes because there was no room for a key that way.
Ok, it was a crappy lock, but still.
I'm not proud of this mistake, but it taught me things.

Thing number one: if you live your life as a lockpicker, live by rules.
Thing number two: don't pick things you rely on.


Yours,

Jordy

[Omikron]

Thanks, Omikron

I really appreciate what you've done, and continue to do for me. You're like my mentor. At any rate, yes, you're completely right, it was stupid for me to pick the lock on my door. Even though it's my room, it's still University property. Furthermore, I would get into particularly bad trouble (probably lose my job, if not my status as a student) for acting like this (well, the other possibility is that because of my connections from the job, I'd be let off the hook with a slap on the wrist, but it's still not a good idea.)

I should have known better from the start. In fact, I'd like to say that I did, and that it was my "devil conscience" (otherwise known as a close female friend who might have a knack for mischief) but that's not really the mature adult thing to say. So I won't.

At any rate, the deed is done, it won't be done again, and there's still a slight mystery surrounding the bolt. Although I don't have much experience at this point, I'd still like to say that it has a really tight spring, because that's what it feels like.

Anyhow, thanks for the reprimand, the story, and the wisdom (and the toolkit!) I deeply appreciate your mentorship.

That's very nice of you to say, but my reply was something that many people on this board would have said. I just happened to get there first.

If you're REALLY curious about that deadbolt, you could try to get more information about the make and model and see if you can find a used one to buy, although honestly there's probably not a whole of of mystery behind it other than a tight mechanism.

While I have your attention...

So do you have any resources or personal descriptions that might further my knowledge of how a lock can BREAK? I didn't really think about that aspect of picking - I've got to be really careful, I need to be sure that any locks I break aren't important ones, and to learn what to avoid when picking so I can minimize any potential damage!

(I was under the impression that lockpicking is a non-destructive method of overcoming obstacles!)

That's an interesting question that I've never really had to answer before. I suppose the best way of understanding what can damage a lock is just become more familar with how the lock operates and keep track of exactly what you are manipulating and how it's going to affect the other parts of the lock. For example, a poorly used or overly powerful electric pick gun can easily crush springs, and hinder the operation of the lock, and excessive scrubbing of bottom pins with a rough pick can wear them down prematurely.