Some help please.

[Remy]

Hi
I have a serious problem I have been attempting lockpicking for over 2 years now and no im not a locksmith I do it in my sparetime for fun now I have studied the MIT and the illistrated secrets to lockpicking yet still I seem to break my picks i have no truble with waver locks or small 3 pin tumbler locks but when it comes to Yale or tri circle locks or any big lock that consists of 5 pin tumblers or more it either takes me hours or I just dont get it open and most of the time I break my pics I have a HPC range picks well this is my 4th set can any one please help me and my I-net connection is way to slow to get the videos.

Sincerely

Remy

[UWSDWF]

WOW...
well you've come to the right place... I suggest you take a look at the new users sections and try-out digital_blues practice exercises.

now as to why you're breaking your picks could be one of a number of reason. but the number 1 reason i'd guess is you're too heavy handed, you should be using no more strength on picking then you have in your little finger.

I highly suggest you look at some or all of the stickies on the site and relax lossen up a little and take the zen approach to this hobby cause i don't think i've ever broken a pick while picking ( i did break one once but it was cause i was using it to pry the face off an alarm panel and i didn't have my screw driver near by)

cheers
UWSDWF

[kodierer]

I have only ever broken rakes, and that was when I first started out.
Don't be so heavy handed, and don't put too much leverage on the head of your your rake. You'll wear a weak spot, and it will break.
I suggest sticking with pin by pin with a feeler over raking anyways.

[Romstar]

It sounds to me almost as if you were puching too hard. Like you were trying to jam both pins up inside of the lock.

You have to ease up a lot, and learn to feel the shear line.

Just jiggling around in there does work sometimes, but you won't learn anything that way.

Generally speaking you have to have a light touch on both the tension wrench and the pick while you are manipulating the lock.

Take some time to read Digital_Blue's beginner's guide and also to re-read the MIT guide.

Most of this is just practice, and you can't let yourself get frustrated. That just leads to more broken picks.

Romstar

[p team]

Remy before you pick a lock take it apart first.Get to know how the parts interact and feel.
We have a young guy who works school holidays with us.Best picker in the shop.Disassembles all locks before picking and leaves the last set of pins out .Picks until he gets the 4 pins with ease and then inserts the last set.

[Kaotik]

I agree, it does seem as if you have a heavy touch, though knowing what locks have what pins in them is the most important factor.

The only thing I can share with you which has already been mentioned is to learn when a pin is already set and when it is binding. If all else fails, reset the lock and start over again, it is a better diagnosis than taking a chance on possibly breaking your picks.

[Bud Wiser]

May be you should practice with Southord picks. You can't break them, they only bend, but can be bent back to pretty close the orig shape. I started with SO, very heavy handed, bent them up pretty good, but never broke them. Locks on the other hand, I broke two

It took me awhile to realize how little pressure is needed on the tension tool AND pushing the pins up.

[Remy]

Thanks you all I am goin through his beginner thing now an since yesterday to be honest i get it right up to 3 to 4 pins now but have a slight problem sometimes if there is a longer pin in number 2 or 3 to set the one just behind it my pick usually gets stuck against my wrenge an I cant get the pick over it or it pushes all the front pins down.all this must seem silly but yea im learning atleast Im practicing on a Wren Bird 5 pin lock got it yesterday stupid lock really doesnt have any mushroom pins wont buy it for my house an I must confes i do have a heavy hand sometimes.and I keep to pin to pin picking i have never picked a lock with a rake pick and dont really see how that can work.

Sincerely

Remy

[Romstar]

Are you picking with a diamond or a hook? What size? The size of the pick helps when you encounter situations where you have a long pin followed by a short one.

We'll get to raking later, but to be honest it works quite well in many cases. We'll cover the physics lesson latter.

For now, just keep working on the pin by pin thing, and try different sizes of hooks and diamonds.

Romstar

[Remy]

I use a small Hook pick I find it easier to work with

Sincerely

Remy

[Romstar]

I use a small Hook pick I find it easier to work with

Sincerely

Remy

If you are using a small hook, you may have an issue when you have a deep pin in front, and a high pin behind that. The small hook may not be able to lift the high pin far enough.

See if you can make or get a medium hook, and try it that way.

Don't be afraid to pick half the lock with one pick, and then switch to another pick if you need to. Thats why there are so many picks in a professional set. Its not because we break them all the time, its because different picks have different applications. Sometimes even in a single lock.

Romstar