by mercurial » 4 Feb 2007 2:32
As has been said above - shim it or pick it.
Obviously you would've been aware of the second option already.
The shims used for this are (obviously) not the same as padlock shims - don't even try using those. The appropriate shims can be purchased, but a great alternative is found inside some of the anti-theft tags on shop merchandise.
Simply slice the tag open, and you should find 2 or metallic 3 strips. The ones I have here are 6mm x 37mm. I don't have calipers handy to measure the thickness, but suffice to say they are extremely thin. The antitheft tag that contains these strips is only slightly larger than the strips themselves, it is often used on merchandise such as CDs.
I find these strips to work at least as well as the commercially available shims, they are even durable enough to get several uses out of each shim, if you handle them gently.
You will even find some locks (esp cheap chinese padlocks) that can be shimmed open in this manner from the _front_ of the cylinder, as they have not bothered to machine a 'lip' onto the front of the plug.
...Mark
