Homemade practice door (6 locks)

[shatter]

Hello again. I just wanted to keep everyone updated and let everyone know that I appreciate all of the advice. My pick set came in 3 days ago and have since made a simple vice setup (pictured below). I bought a $10 vice at a local hardware store and bolted it to a piece of leftover board from the door. The same rubber stops were screwed to the bottom to prevent from sliding around on hard surfaces. At the same hardware store I found a cheap re-keying kit that included a plug follower and a few other tools required to disassemble a lock. I also purchased a cheap dead bolt replacement cylinder that uses no security pins. This lock is currently in the vice and only has only a few sets of pins in it. I have for the past few days been working on digital_blue's "Beginner's Lockpicking Exercise". Here is a pic of the new vice and thanks again.

[ldnlksmth]

looks like you've got all the right steps in place. Keep up the great work! The best way to get good at this craft is to have the tools to make it easy for you to practice.

Great going!

[shatter]

...It's official. I'm addicted.

[omirix]

Awesome job. Exactly how did you mount the locks? Did you just drill out the piece of wood and screw in the locks?

This looks like my first little project, getting my picks on Friday or Saturday, and I'm super excited.

[ComTech]

Once you're addicted, the only fix is more locks and more picks!

[Romstar]

I got a disease!

And the only cure is more picks!

Romstar

[ldnlksmth]

"Awesome job. Exactly how did you mount the locks? Did you just drill out the piece of wood and screw in the locks? "

omirix:

couple ways to do it, depending on the type of lock, and your desires. If you're going to be (or are) a trading 'smith, I would recommend mounting using manufacturer's instructions. use the proper backset, install the latch, mortice it properly, all of those things, make it as close to real as a practice board can be.

if you're just tooling around (pardon the pun), drill a 2 1/8" hole for knobsets/deadbolts and a 1 3/8" hole for rim/mortice cyls, conveniently spaced to give you the most working room.

[shatter]

...Exactly how did you mount the locks? Did you just drill out the piece of wood and screw in the locks?

I bought a $6 kit at a local hardware store for the bits and just used the templates that came with each lock for all of the holes. Then assembled the locks on to the board. I might be wrong but I think most of the measurements are standard. There was only one lock that I had to chisel part of the side off for the plate (as you can see in the pics on the first page). The rest didn't require it especially because its not a functioning door.