Constructing a Tricircle Repinnable Lock-A Guide by Illusion

[Avenger]

i will try to illustrate a little better...i ment 3 pins like 2 top pins and one bottom pin, the space i left was for the spring, so i ment 3 pins like:

0 -->upper pin
S -->spring
0 -->other upper pin
\/ -->bottom pin

so if its a three pin lock it would look like this

0 0 0
S S S
0 0 0
\/\/\/

[cjames73]

the top pin your on about is just like a plug, used during manufacturing to hold the pins and spring in the lock.

[Avenger]

ahaa, why thank you

[Shrub]

I see, i think thats the first time ive heard that question so well done youve won a lollipop, Db hands them out

Well done Cjames

[Avenger]

is it possible that some cheap lock versions dont all have top pins, cos im 2 pins short, i think one is stuck, but after that im one top pin short and i dont see it

[Shrub]

All the locks your likely to have will indeed have the traditional pin stack,

I think you need to click my www button and read up how and why you can lockpick, you need to read up what a shear line is and what lockpicking achieves,

If there is no top pins the lock is likely impossable to pick but at the same time its almost definatley impossable to open with a key as well,

You need two pins to create the shear line,

Its only when you get to specific locks that these characteristics can change,

[Avenger]

yes yes, i know how locks work...i wasnt thinking your way. then he must be somewhere

[Shrub]

You know this took me 5 mins and a look at your post under an edit to relise what it is you actually said and meant then lol

Yes ther pin will be somewhere but its likely in your carpet which will be a bugger to find,

You will sometimes get a top pin and spring trapped in the chamber especially if somthing has pushed the pin stack up too far,

Time to go to homedepot to get a brass magnet

[Avenger]

heh, but no doubt some are stuck...those holes look retarded they are not straight...they are gay.. kidding. so, they are not straight at top, like theres another piece of metal over it with holes that are not perfectly aligned with those under. bah, nevermind, its an old lock, i may as well trash him, poor fella.

[Charodei]

I opened one of my old Yale brass padlocks, and found a few differences which I thought were worth mentioning. I'm not sure if newer Yales are the same - I'll try to get one and compare.

First, a single plate covers the pin stacks and hole in the side of the shackle socket, whereas illusion's Tricircle had two plates. This allows it to be pushed off non-destructively. Also, the Yale had no additional pins on top of the springs, and I think it demonstrates why those pins are used now.



The plate lifted slightly over time, and the springs worked their way underneath it. You can see the circular marks the coils left in the brass. This wasn't good for the springs either.

[OPDC]

Thanks Illusion
Last time (my first attempt to pick a lock) i tried to pick one of these with a bent safety pin and a paper clip tension wrench (i cant really buy/make tools out here) and it was horrible. But I'll try this ASAP.

Thanks again

[nzleagle]

back together in tact.

We use 3 main brands of padlock at work, Tricircle/Safegurad Abus, and Abloy, we would never even consider trying to rekey a Tricircle padlock, it just isnt worth the amount that it would cost to do it. Especialy since drilling would be required, we normaly charge $30nz to repin a lock where we have to drill to get at the pins, then you need to replace the plugs (not the cylinder plug the plugs holding the springs in) Where the most expensive Tricircle costs $16.80NZ so you can pretty much purchase 2 more locks for the cost of repining.

But all the same, thats comming from a business point of view. Not from a lock picking ensuisist.

Congrats again

[illusion]

In all fairness, it isn't worth rekeying these locks from a financial point of view at all.

I think it's a cool project none-the-less, as it allows people who don't have much cash to move the pins about and create more of a challenge. I remember the days of being a poor little lock sport enthusiast and scratching by cash to buy locks to practice on.

Glad you liked it though.

[nzleagle]

where I dont need to buy any locks to practice on, Ive got a good range of locks and keyways that I can practice on and get paid to do it

But then again, most of my picking is using a lockade gun unless its a wafer lock of course, and if it is a wafer, rather than picking it we tend to read the wafers and then make a key to it, since thats normaly what we going to need to do anyway.

[fugaljunck]

were can u get this lock? or is there a different kind of lock that will work