by mercurial » 28 Feb 2007 23:13
Many of the chinese-made knockoffs of the Master #3 (which it seems you are dealing with) contain security pins. This may be the reason you're having difficulties.
Have you encountered any of the typical signs of security pins whilst picking this lock? Such as the plug rotating, as if it is picked, only to stop after 10-15degrees? If this is the case, do some reading about security pins & you will be well on your way to defeating this lock.
The tricircle lock you mention having picked probably also contains security pins, but if you are raking it, you may not have noticed the feedback & negative plug rotation associated with security pins.
One other issue people seem to have with these laminated padlocks, is the tension wrench binding against the bottom plate of the lock - so even when the pins are all set, the plug will not turn, due to the wrench being jammed. Having a smooth, well-finished tension wrench can really help to avoid this, as can applying tension at the top of the keyway (you may have to make/modify a tension wrench to do this.)
Hope that helps,
...Mark
PS You don't mention picking locks other than padlocks.
If you have only focussed on padlocks so far, and are doing this as a hobby, you can learn a lot by buying a cheap deadbolt cylinder, and following digital_blue's guide - starting from one pin and working your way up.
Even though you are successfully picking padlocks with all pins in place, you will likely find that you can learn a lot more by taking a few steps backwards, and working your way forwards on a deadbolt cylinder.
One advantage is that you do not need to contend with the padlock's spring, which pushes back against the tension you apply. This makes it hard for a beginner to learn to apply and control tension properly.
You can also add security pins to the cylinder as you progress, and learn how they respond, and how to deal with them.
You will learn a lot that would take a lot longer to learn if you are practicing only on padlocks - escpecially if the padlocks are not repinnable. If you have a repinnable padlock, you can most likely remove the core and use it as a practice cylinder in place of a deadlock cylinder.
Following digital_blue's exercise you will learn to feel and accurately interpret the feedback from the lock, meaning when you pick an unfamiliar lock, you can do so in a methodical manner, with understanding of what is going on inside the lock - and greatly improved chances of success!
