practice lock

[superjess]

I was wondering if anyone could recomend a good practice lock or even better if there is anyway i could make/or open up a lock so i can physically see the workings?

thanks =]]]

im from the uk if this makes any difference

[machinist]

there are few clear plastic locks that clearly show the pins. I have to say I'm against them though, I don't beleive they speed up the learning process. My advice is to get a double sided kwickset deadbolt and remove all but 2 or 3 pins and they're followers and springs and start from there. Nice big keyway, no funny return spring like in a padlock, reasonably easy to pull apart. keep adding pins till you get to all five or just use the other lock that came in the set. don't forget when they say LIGHT pressure they mean just enough to turn the lock if you have the key in it. I cut my time in half learning to keep the feather light touch constant.

[JackNco]

Unfortunately we don't really get kwiksets here in the UK. get you self a Yale/Zone/Union Rim Cylinder.

[Shrub]

Get a Yale or ERA replacement cylinder, the cheaper the better,

Print out the guide from my www button and use that along with your first foray into the sport,

[JackNco]

Cheaper the better, but for the love of god dont get a "Ross" lock. you will have more trouble than its worth with the plugs in them.

[Shrub]

Bird is probably the cheapest nastiest cylinder i would reccomend to a UK noob, they are still better than the kwikset i have as an example though lol

[JackNco]

The problem with the Ross cylinders is the plus isnt solid. its all ribbed to save money on brass i assume. but basically if u twist the plug at all as u pull it out thats it, uve destroyed the lock.

[BobbO45]

After looking around on the forums I have seen many generic posts such as these "suggestion for practice lock?"

I propose that a veteran picker make a thread on a suggested order for picking, and recommendations on which locks are worth the purchase, and which aren't.

I am not talking about a guide on how to pick certain locks, but simply where to start, and where to go after you have gotten comfortable with the really easy locks, the next step after that etc . . .

There are excellent guides on how to pick, and how to make your own picks, and how to pick which picks to purchase, but no definitive post on a recommended order of picking.

This post could be stickied under "Locks," or "FAQ's," or "Got Questions," and I think that it would save a lot of trouble for all involved. I would write it myself, but I think I am neither knowledgeable enough nor worthy to write the guide.

[JackNco]

OK to start off, any lock is worth picking. any at all. from the £2/$2 lock in a market you wouldn't use to lock up something your trying to throw away to a high security lock most people wouldn't have a chance at picking. you always learn something.

The posts are already there if people would search. But no one does.

Personally my first lock was a 5wafer desk draw lock. then i followed DBs guide with a yale 5pin. and then... well ill do a list

5wafer desk lock
Yale Rim Cylinder
master 140
Corbin Euro (Re pinned without spools and worked up with spools)
More yales and various euros
Some more laster 140s and 3s
Various cheap padlocks, black spur and so on
And the list goes on and on moving up levels as i go.

The problem with making a list (And you are not the first to recommend it by far, its a good idea in theory)

Is that locks vary so much because of the tolerances, and locks vary by brand and location.

The best bet is to get a nice simple 5pin cylinder and repin it following DBs guide. then get some spools in it and then just start buying locks and see how u get on.


Anything you can get for under £20/$20retail (£10/$10 ebay) will be a good place to start in my experience. hope this helps

All the best

[Chucklz]

A list was made a few years ago for both US and UK pickers. Here is the UK list

viewtopic.php?t=1543&start=0

Usually people would tell you to search, but this thread was rather buried. Admittedly, I only found it because I remembered where it was.

[BobbO45]

I did do some searching for a thread on practice locks, and came up with zilch.

Thanks for linking to that other post, although it won't help me (I live in the states), I'm sure others will use it.

[Budmaster11]

I bought a cut away lock so that you can see the top pins and I like it. Of course it really dosn't teach you how to pick locks really, but if you are really new it helps show exactly what is happening. For example whenever I heard it click I assumed that a pin must have fallen down and I need to readjust my tension (harder) and with this I found that it was actually a pin stack comming down because my pick slipped slightly. It also helped me distinguish individual pins so that I don't become lost in the lock, you can really tell exactly how much pressure you need because you can tell if the pin stuck or not. The list of things it shows you is really long, but of course you still have to practice picking locks without being able to see the pins. I bought mine for $25 on ebay.