Really having to wrench on a deadbolt

[eulachon]

Well, I almost broke my tension wrench yesterday... I was picking the deadbolt on my building's door, and I got the lock cylinder open easily and smoothly, but then it was so hard to turn to pull the bolt back (after 1/4 turn it seemed to just jam as it engaged the bolt) I almost broke my wrench. I thought I had picked it the wrong way, but after trying the key again it does turn that way.

When I applied a lot more torque it opened (with a full 360 turn too, almost lost the drivers ). First, is there any good way to spin a plug 360 degrees without the sketchiness of holding up the drivers with the back of my half diamond as I go around? And what made it so sticky? Should I lubricate the bolt in a situation like this?

[almightyares]

Im kinda confused...why would you almost have lost the drivers? If you didnt pull the plug, there isnt a way to get the driver pins out. Maybe I dont understand, but I dont see why you would need to hold up the drivers because they are resting on the plug as it spins when you pick it/insert a key. Wait...did it catch on the edges of the drivers then it rotated upside down? Maybe thats what you are talking about. When you insert the key, is it still that hard to turn?

[CitySpider]

I have no idea what your problem is. If it's that hard to turn with a tension wrench, it should've been pretty darn hard to turn with the key, too. You'd think someone would have noticed. Was it a twist wrench?

I've never had a problem with driver pins falling into the keyway, so I can't help you there. Sorry.

[eulachon]

It's relatively hard to turn with a key, but not outside the normal force a regular user would wrench on a key with. Just seemed like excessive force to use on my tension wrench, as it was bending pretty hard. The wrench is the TW-18, the double-ended wrench, no twist. The force is only required when the bolt is moving - at the start and end of the rotation it turns very easily.

ares: what I'm talking about is the drivers falling into the keyway at 180 degrees of rotation. When I'm cranking hard on the wrench, it's hard to keep the pick flush with the bottom of the keyway to keep the pins up (that's how I do it and am wondering if there's a better way...) and a few dropped down on me and it jammed... I was able to push them back up and finish the rotation, luckily.

[Varjeal]

Glass/aluminum door? If so, it generally takes a "lot" of pressure. These type of latches have pretty heavy spring pressure.

If it's just a standard door and deadbolt, then it sounds like your lock needs adjustment, as the bolt may be rubbing hard on the strike plate due to misalignment.

Just a couple of ideas.

[Chucklz]

Ive made myself a little tool for situations when im asked to open a friends door or whatever. Most people "do it themselves" and end up having badly alligned locks. Anyway, I took an offset phillips screwdriver, and ground one end to a "standard" scewdriver. I use this as a turning tool after I pick a lock.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... 0941316000

[almightyares]

Im trying to figure out why the drivers are falling into the keyway? It sorta sounds like the drivers are not the right size or something, although I havent been working on locks for a long time. I had one instance in which one of the driver pins was too small, and whenever the plug would rotate that one driver's edge caught on the bottom of the keyway.

[Chucklz]

Are you attempting to pick a Kwikset lock? These have rather wide keyway bottoms. Id say to just push them up with the back of a pick and not worry about it unless it becomes a real problem.

[eulachon]

yup, it's a metal door, aluminum I think. Guess that's my problem. The lock is a master keyed schlage, the keyway is pretty wide at the bottom, I experimented by letting the drivers fall down onto the bottom ward, they can be pushed back up fine. I thought that having them fall in was more fatal than that... esp. in a master keyed lock. Thought I could lose the master spacers (or whatever they are called)

My picking procedure on this lock is now pick with light tension - turn until bolt engages - screwdriver to 180deg - lift pins back up - screwdriver to 360deg and open. Can open it in under 20s. Thanks guys!

[Chucklz]

What you refer to as spacers are generally referred to as master pins. The danger arises with very thin master pins. I would suggest that if you feel that there is a chance that the drivers will enter the keyway, that you put a pick in upstide down a few degrees of rotation before hand, and prevent them from falling into the keyway in the first place.