Padlock Shims

by **Chucklz** » 9 Apr 2004 12:03

I think I may have a thought about what your friend is doing, but I need a few hours to really think it over some more. If you dont mind spending ten dollars (an amazing bargain, as this lock retails at 200$)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 59543&rd=1

This is the combination padlock the US government uses to secure classified documents.

by **CitySpider** » 9 Apr 2004 12:07

Eagerly awaiting your next post, Chuck. And good catch on the S&G.

by **Varjeal** » 9 Apr 2004 12:11

Hmm....me too now...grrr...this is gonna bug me 'till I figure it out, I just know it....

by **Chucklz** » 9 Apr 2004 12:16

Silly me, I meant to add that you should see if your friend can open the S&G lock.

by **denz** » 9 Apr 2004 14:24

i see where your comin from on not believing me spider, but like i said, i hate wasting my time and this has been very time consuming. to answer your questions varjeal, my friend is 17 like me and no he is not very strong. About average in strength. Maybe he is lying to me, but if he were to lie to me about it this much it would be completely out of character for him and Ive known him for 6-7 years. Anyways if that turns out to be the case, then Ill be sure to kill him. Is it even possible to shim one of these locks in seconds? Just wondering cuz I dont know anything about this stuff really. All I know is that I have never seen him use a shim, and all evidence does not point to shim usage from my perspective. I could go through it all right now but I dont feel like typing that much. If anyone really wants to know Ill post it later. I wanna kill him for not telling me, but then he'll be dead and Ill never know. He said he broke apart a lock, looked at it for a long time, and tried it over and over again before he found a technique that worked quickly and consistently. He has a lot of free time. I spent a while last night looking at a lock I broke open and I had still not figured it out. I doubt he could break open the S&G lock. Its a completely different shape and, Im assuming, uses different mechanisms. As Ive said before, the locks he can do this to are the cheap $5-10 that you get for your gym locker. Now that he has found out people on this forum do not know his technique, he has become even more secretive and says he wont do it anymore when anyone is around. I hate him for this, but its just the way he is sometimes. Im trying to come up with torture methods, but I dont know if thats a great idea. Anyways Ill keep trying and so can you guys if you wanna. Ill consider getting that lock, but like I said I doubt he'll be able to do it.

by **Chucklz** » 9 Apr 2004 14:29

Don't tell him about the S&G it will be fun watching him squirm. Offer to even tell him the combination (just dont tell him you turn back to 0) and then see if he can open it (probably not) , then maby he will be willing to share his method. If you are willing to spend a few dollars, see about getting a Dudley lock, about 4 dollars US. Its a bit different than a MasterLock.

Are the locks your friend opens functional afterwards? Are the dials any harder to turn etc?

by **CitySpider** » 9 Apr 2004 14:42

If you're good with shims, it's certainly possible to open a master padlock in a few seconds.

by **denz** » 9 Apr 2004 15:15

The locks seem to be completely fine afterwards. More questions because, like I said, I know nothing about this stuff: Would it be possible to use a shim in seconds with one hand? How long does it take to get good enough with a shim that you can do it in seconds? How long to do it one handed? How long to be able to conceal it? Im wondering because he just picked up lock picking a few weeks ago, but I guess he could have been practicing before then and not have told me, although I find that unlikely.

by **denz** » 9 Apr 2004 15:19

Another question: If he really has discovered some sort of technique for exploiting a flaw, how much do you think he could make going to the lock companies and telling them?

by **CitySpider** » 9 Apr 2004 15:34

denz wrote:Would it be possible to use a shim in seconds with one hand? How long does it take to get good enough with a shim that you can do it in seconds? How long to do it one handed? How long to be able to conceal it? .

It's possible, but difficult. It wouldn't take more than an hour or two. I don't know, I've never tried. Maybe ten seconds -- they're only about the size of a coin.

by **denz** » 9 Apr 2004 16:44

Man Im pissed. Ive spent the last hour looking at the inside of a MasterLock combo padlock and I still have no idea how he is doing it unless he is using a shim, which I still highly doubt. Chucklz Im hopin maybe you figured it out man cuz I see no end in sight if I have to find the answer on my own. Somebody help me please before I go insane.

by **funboy79015** » 9 Apr 2004 17:11

Denz, you have watched your friend use this technique several times right? Could you explain to me, in as much detail as you possibly can, what you see him doing with the locks he opens. How does he hold the lock? Which way does he turn the dial? Where does he put pressure on the lock?

I know you don't know his technique, but I would like to see all the detail you have in one post. That insures that I know what you know and that I didn't miss something.

by **denz** » 9 Apr 2004 17:55

I really cannot be incredibly specific because I am going purely off of my memory of the few times I have seen him actually do it in the open. It always seems like he is putting pressure on the latch, but this does not make sense to me because I can find no way that this would effect the lock. He may also be putting pressure on the dial, but I am not sure about that. I do not think he turns the dial at all. He usually does it two handed but has done it with one hand. He always has a hand on the latch, that I am sure of. It sounds like he is using a shim, but Im pretty confident he is not. Anyways, it seems he puts pressure on the latch, possibly the dial, and I do not think he turns the dial. God I wish hed do it in front of me one more time so I could see what he does.

by **Mad Mick** » 9 Apr 2004 19:16

Maybe, as suggested previously, feigning disinterest could make him open up to you as to how he opens the lock. It's like trying to talk to someone who's used to attention and ignores it, but when it's not there, they make the effort to speak.

by **plot** » 9 Apr 2004 20:37

denz wrote:Another question: If he really has discovered some sort of technique for exploiting a flaw, how much do you think he could make going to the lock companies and telling them?

nothing at all, the locks being shimmed so easily a huge flaw that could be fixed with 3cents worth of parts in those locks... yet master doesn't even want to bother fixing them.

Padlock Shims

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