I just found a worse lock than a Master

by **pinsetter** » 23 May 2006 15:42

At work today I was summoned to pick a lock on a semi trailer. The driver had lost the key and needed to deliver the load. He told me to cut it if I had to because he didn't have the key anymore anyway.

When I got to the trailer I found a Discus lock made by UHP. I thought, "Hmm, looks like an easy one!" Well, I was WRONG!!

After trying to pick the thing for almost an hour with MANY different weapons I gave up and cut the lock off with a cordless drill and a cutting disc.

I was frustrated and angry that I'd been defeated by this dime store lock so I disected it to find out why I couldn't pick it.

Here's what I found:

There were 5 pin stacks with NO security pins, but the plug and cylinder were the most god awful things I've ever seen. The brass in the plug was so soft that the pin holes were oval shaped and had enlarged A LOT! The pins were just flopping around all over the place in there. The pins had either worn or were different diameters, I'm not sure which. The thing is, the pin chambers at the front of the lock had enlarged SEVERELY, or had been drilled way too large. The cylinder shell was made out of some of the worst pot metal I've ever seen also, and it looked like they had just soldered the spring and pin combo's in. I had to grind that out to remove the pins. I'm putting a photo of this god awful cylinder up here so you can see the difference in the sizes of the pin chambers, and see how much smaller than the chambers the pins are. This lock was just pure garbage, but defeated all my picking attempts!

by **p1ckf1sh** » 23 May 2006 17:45

pinsetter wrote:I was frustrated and angry that I'd been defeated by this dime store lock so I disected it to find out why I couldn't pick it.
[...]
This lock was just pure garbage, but defeated all my picking attempts!

I think if the Kwikset marketing droids find this thread, they will replace all their machinery by cheap russian surplus stuff and advertise their new high-security unpickable locks as "Security through even more crappiness"...

by **digital_blue** » 24 May 2006 0:35

What I want to know is, what kind of trucker protects his load with a dime store padlock?

by **Omikron** » 24 May 2006 1:10

digital_blue wrote:What I want to know is, what kind of trucker protects his load with a dime store padlock?

A trucker delivering a load of dime store goods? ;-)

by **Raccoon** » 24 May 2006 2:22

UHP? Where can I get one?

by **pinsetter** » 24 May 2006 11:27

digital_blue wrote:What I want to know is, what kind of trucker protects his load with a dime store padlock?

Actually it was a driver with a high dollar load of General Motors engine parts. It turns out that the load was pretty secure because of a supurbly crappy lock. In all honesty that was the crappiest lock cylinder I have ever personally seen. Cheap doesn't begin to describe it.

Raccoon wrote:UHP? Where can I get one?

I have no idea where he got it, but really they are horrible excuses for lock cylinders and I can't see one lasting very long unless those pins and holes were just THAT bad from manufacturing. My picks are completely deburred and all edges are rounded, but the plug was so soft I might as well have stuck a file in the keyway. Within 10 minutes of my picking attempt the wards were almost completely destroyed and the tension wrench had enlarged the keyway to the point I had to put two tension wrenches in side by side to get a grip on it and believe me, I don't use excessive tension, plus my wrenches had a flex twist in the handle. AWFUL I tell you!! Just plain awful! Why would you even want one of those dung nuggets?

by **digital_blue** » 24 May 2006 12:22

pinsetter wrote:. It turns out that the load was pretty secure because of a supurbly crappy lock.

Well, secure is a relative term. It may have been hard to pick. I'm sure it was also a well shrouded shackle with a drill and cut resistant body, right? Right?

db

by **pinsetter** » 24 May 2006 12:29

lol.....

I should have clarified:

It was secure against picking. The shackle SAID hardened, but it cut like butter, and I've already pointed out how soft the plug was. A drill would have ate through that plug in seconds. Plus, I took a grinder around the edges and then squeezed it in a vice and it cracked like a walnut.

by **Raccoon** » 24 May 2006 14:10

Sounds like an excellent lock to bring to locksport competitions. :twisted:

It's giving me the idea to cast a cylinder in pewter for shhts 'n giggles.

Really though, what better security than a plug that can't be picked (OR drilled), but leaves obvious indication that someone attempted to pick it. I wonder what material they used that had such a low hardness.

by **pinsetter** » 24 May 2006 14:32

Well, the plug and pins looked like brass, but was way softer than any plug I've encountered before.

As for the shell, I'm almost certain it was a cast alloy, but of what I have no idea. Does the picture I posted give an idea of the "softness" of both materials? It's a bit blurry, but I think you can make out the ovaled holes, and see the differing chamber diameters. What gets me the most is the difference in pin sizes in relation to the chambers. The pins can litereally bounce around in the chambers from side to side.

Here is an idea of the quality:
The cylinder shell, without the plug or anything installed, tips the scales at 2 1/2 grams. That's well under 1/8 of an ounce.

by **p1ckf1sh** » 25 May 2006 7:20

pinsetter wrote:I have no idea where he got it, but really they are horrible excuses for lock cylinders and I can't see one lasting very long unless those pins and holes were just THAT bad from manufacturing. My picks are completely deburred and all edges are rounded, but the plug was so soft I might as well have stuck a file in the keyway. Within 10 minutes of my picking attempt the wards were almost completely destroyed and the tension wrench had enlarged the keyway to the point I had to put two tension wrenches in side by side to get a grip on it and believe me, I don't use excessive tension, plus my wrenches had a flex twist in the handle. AWFUL I tell you!! Just plain awful! Why would you even want one of those dung nuggets?

Can I suggest this posting for the annual LP101 prosaic ranting award? I especially like "dung nuggets"....

by **pinsetter** » 25 May 2006 8:23

lol...

Yeah, ADHD sucks sometimes! I can surely rant with the best of 'em!
It's just a good thing I've gotten a grip on the IED or I might have torn the trailer door off instead of the lock! :shock:

by **Legion303** » 26 May 2006 7:47

Raccoon wrote:I wonder what material they used that had such a low hardness.

Lead? :)

-steve

by **undeadspacehippie** » 26 May 2006 16:03

The cylinder shell locks like it was made in south east asia - really cheap casting - tinney looking metal.

by **ablazia** » 2 Jun 2006 11:43

And where do you get flat sided drill bits to make those last two holes on the right of the housing with? Looks like you could have turned the lock so the pins were upside down, shake the lock to juggle the pins into the holes and you might have had it open, depending on the spring tension. Of course, that would have meant knowing what you were up against to begin with (and who expects a lock to be worse than a childs toy to work on?). Also, maybe the pins were brazing rods just cut down to fit into the holes? Homebrew locks? Or maybe your karma is catching up to you?

I just found a worse lock than a Master

I just found a worse lock than a Master

Re: I just found a worse lock than a Master

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