general question

by **lockpikor** » 21 Dec 2003 21:57

i have read the mit guides, watched the videos, and can pick some stuff, like this magnum 40mm lock i have. i shove a rake in it and i can open it in one swoop, also with other tools. i have another lock some random 40mm padlock basically the same as the magnum, but i cannot open it, i mean i did it twice but i just cant anymore. you can turn the key both ways if that matters, and when i insert my tensioner and put pressure on it eventually it gets into like a groove or something and it stays put by itself, like right now it looks like i have all the pins down and its just holding them but it wont open. anyone know why it wont even though the pins all look set pretty much and i cant do anything else...

by **CitySpider** » 21 Dec 2003 23:51

I've noticed that in several of your posts, you've talked about how it "looks" like all the pins are down. That suggests that you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what you're doing. When a pin is set properly -- and the only one you should be able to "see" is the first one -- it should look like you didn't set it at all.

If they "look" set, as in, they're raised, then you're using far, far too much force.

by **lockpikor** » 22 Dec 2003 9:58

yea your right, so they can be loose if they are set and if they are stuffed down i have too much pressure on the tensioner?

by **CitySpider** » 22 Dec 2003 13:50

Exactly. You only want the top pins to set (although since you're pushing pins "down" it'd be the bottom pins), not the ones you're actually manipulating with the pick.

I suggest you take a look at the howstuffworks web page on lockpicking, if it's still around.

by **Areomyst** » 22 Dec 2003 16:17

CitySpider wrote:I suggest you take a look at the howstuffworks web page on lockpicking, if it's still around.

Yup! It's still there.

http://home.howstuffworks.com/lock-picking.htm Howstuffworks is one of my personal favorites! A few years ago I had no idea about how an engine worked... Read up on that site, and got the basics. That gave me the confidence to pursue even more, and now I'm working on my Saabs all the time.

The lockpicking animation shown is pretty good. There's a few other videos floating around, that are set up so that you can see the top pins while being picked. Dun remember that link though.

~Josh

by **blaze2k** » 24 Feb 2004 17:55

Yeah city spider makes lots of sense in his posts. If u jam the bottom pin up there u aint turning the plug for no one. Apply torque, lift the pin slowly, if you hear a click the pin has set. The bottom pin will look xactly the same, push it bak up you will see its not springy at all. do that to all pins and pop!!!1 ur lock is open!

by **Mad Mick** » 24 Feb 2004 18:36

Another good read is on:

http://www.crypto.com/papers/notes/picking/

This explains a bit more about the state of the pins than M.I.T. does.

HTH.

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