Tension wrench- Have you seen this?

[Lauren]

I think we've all used the conventional L-shaped tension wrench, where the flat bladed goes into the keyway. We'll, I've been wondering if anyone has seen a simple tension wrench where the blade is L-shaped. I think this would be a great idea because sometimes a flat bladed wrench slips. Of course, one could try using a larger wrench; however, doing so can tie up valuable space needed for picking. I think using the smallest tension wrench possible has its merits, but sliping has always been a problem. I wonder if circular tension wrenches are an alternative as well .

[Romstar]

The closest anyone has come to marketing such a tool is HPC's VV-6 tension wrench. It has a sort of V shape, and is meant to slide over the lowest ward in a lock.

Outside of that tool, there hasn't been a much outside of the circular tension tools and the FALLE-SAFE double tiped torque tools.

The most common practice is to have a wider variety of tension tools so that you can have wider blades that fit the bottom of the keyway snugly. This way they don't extend too far up into the keyway, and you also have less chance of slipping.

Some people, including myself, have home made stepped tesnion tools that serve a similar purpose. If the small tip at the end soesn't fit, the tool steps into a larger segment, and then another larger segment.

Unfortunatley, the most common tools are still the standard bent steel tension tools.

Romstar

[Gordon Airporte]

Do you mean something like this:



from this thread:
viewtopic.php?t=9447&highlight=stereo+wrench

I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who's tried it, either. I hate being told that there's nothing new in the world

[Romstar]

Yeah, thats pretty much it, but you sure get props for the ones you made up. Those are nice work. Wish I had been here when you made the original post.

I know what you mean about nothing new. Almost all of my stuff has been made before. Too bad really, I am still looking for that one unique idea.

Romstar

[Lauren]

You guys hit the nail on the head! Great photo, by the way.

It seems such a natural idea to have a tension wrench that has some geometry on the blade insert. Now, if I could only form an L-shape blade on some of my home made wrenches from wiper blade inserts. The extra wide ones show some promise, but trying to bend spring steel in a vise without heating it, is probably in possible.

I like the stepped blade concept- GOOD JOB!

[Romstar]

Would you like to know WHY the standard North American system uses such plain tension tools?

Romstar

[Schuyler]

Would you like to know WHY the standard North American system uses such plain tension tools?

Romstar

Tell us, papa!

[Romstar]

Would you like to know WHY the standard North American system uses such plain tension tools?

Romstar

Tell us, papa!

I'm so glad you asked.....

Oddly enough, the older system is to use a tight fitting torsion bar that actually fits the keyway in question. Up until the 20's and 30's this was pretty common practice.
The problem it seems is that these bars can leave marks in the lock, thus telling someone that the lock has been picked.

The looser fitting tension tool doesn't leave the same marks, and also alows the operator to carry less tools.

The story goes that this was a "refinement" brought about by the RCMP leading into the early years of the second world war, and further refined by the OSS as the United States entered the war.

Because of the many differences in locking systems encountered in Europe, it was decided that a different system of picking needed to be developed. This lead to the now common flat tension bar.

While today it is even normal in the UK to see such tension tools, there are many older locksmiths who remember the older system, and still believe that for the comercial locksmith it is a better way to tension a lock.

There is actually some more to this particular story, but that is basically the gist of the entire thing.

Romstar

[raimundo]

Some of the tensors that I make are not just straight blades that go into the keyway, I bend the blade in its width plane, so that it goes in with less friction surface touching the cylinder wall and the footprint of the blade becomes wider as you insert it deeper into the lock. the wide aspect of the blade is curved like ) rather than the traditional l straight shape, and if the tip of the ) curve, the part that enters the lock first is shaved/filed along the outer edge of the curve from the end back toward the center of the bend, you keep the broad foot print as it goes in deeper, but the thinned tip provides a narrow part of the blade for smaller keyways.

[Romstar]

Ray, in a while you and I won't be able to compete in this game. We've been doing it for too long.

Its interesting what you can come up with when you are just wasting time in the shop.

Romstar

[Spossum]

Hi Lauren. I have some big wiper inserts from a 18 wheeler. They are 21" long and 3/16" wide. I simply held the end in a vice grip and gently tapped on it to bend it over. I did each end opposite so I could turn a lock either direction. I have played with it some today and it works great. I suppose if you don't happen to drive a semi you could get some of these from a truck stop. Our trash can in the shop at work always has several pair in it.

[Spossum]

[Romstar]

Very nice work Spossum, I wasn't expecting someone else to try that trick.

Glad to hear that its working for you.

Romstar