This is my first attempt at picking.

[bawlls]

hey guys, not my first post, but i'd call it my first REAL thread. any how. i have recently become very interested with lock picking, and i have read A LOT about it, all though i have read that you can never read to much.

i watched a couple videos on how to make your own picks, and decided that it was time to invest some money on a facination, there for i went and bought a dremel, and some hacksaw blades.

i made a couple picks, and im not exactly 100% sure if they are good or not, or at least suitable for the job.

i also invested a HUGE sum of 4.99 on this padlock.


i believe the lock has 4 pins, but i cant seem to get them all, or maybe i am and the tension just isnt enough. here is a picture of the key:


anyways, back to my picks, let know know what you think:








keep in mind that i am yet to pick a single lock, and this is my VERY first attempt

[Title edited by MBI so it has meaning.]

[Schuyler]

You'll pop it. That bitting isn't bad. Realize that it corresponds to the pins in the lock. The last pin will bind at a very shallow depth, whereas the rest are going to have to be lifted pretty high. You're not likely to get this one with a rake. I really like your long, slow grade hook. I figure you get that half diamond in there, use the angle to nudge the back pin up, and come back high for the rest.

Keep at it, you'll do fine.

[Schuyler]

Haha, oh crap, I was looking at the bitting backward.

This ain't the easiest bitting, my friend. The first pin will be very long and in the way of your activities, as it's your first lock, I'd hope that it's the last pin to bind.

You'll need to set 43 and 2 nice and high, then let 1 relax almost all the way down.

GOOD LUCK!

[Gordon Airporte]

Yeah, I noticed that's a nasty biting too. I think the best pick for the job is the 3rd one down, although the half diamond might also be able to get under that first pin to the second.

[Eyes_Only]

Yeah, I would work from the back of the lock to the front too with this one. I like your rake pick by the way, looks like it could rock open a few locks on its own.

[xboxteen01]

i have the same lock i think,push your longest hook pick all the way to the back till it wont go forward any more,pus against the pins as hard as possible and pull it out,slow almost like raking it,put alot of pressure on the pick and wrench and do this several time,there is like a hidden button between pin 3 and 4.hit that and it opens,best of luck

[Schuyler]

i have the same lock i think,push your longest hook pick all the way to the back till it wont go forward any more,pus against the pins as hard as possible and pull it out,slow almost like raking it,put alot of pressure on the pick and wrench and do this several time,there is like a hidden button between pin 3 and 4.hit that and it opens,best of luck

There isn't a hidden button there. And though that may work for you on that one specific lock, I can't say it's good general advice for this type of lock. And some may think "whatever opens the lock" is fine, but if you start picking up bad habits early, you're going to be screwed later on, you know?

[NIC]

My advice would be for you to make a tensioner that fits in the top of the keyway, so you have enough space to move around with your pick !!!

[Schuyler]

My advice would be for you to make a tensioner that fits in the top of the keyway, so you have enough space to move around with your pick !!!

Yeah, that's especially useful for attacking those high-low bittings.

[JackNco]

top tension is a great idea. but you should be able to open that lock with the hook you have made.

Place the hook against the key. bear in mind that the "warding" (key way shape) will get in you way a bit. now plan you attack on the key. you will only need to be able to touch the bottom of each valley on the key without any part of the hook touching the valleys closer to the front of the lock on the key.

Thats one of the things i used to do when i was first starting.

All the best

John

[raimundo]

do not put that long bladed tensor any further into the lock than the length of the keyblade, a tensor that is too long can get in the way of the locking dogs on a padlock like this one.
photos werent soo good, but the picks look alright, hope you at least sanded out the top edges of them a smooth pick is a better pick. your tensor will be fine on some locks with longer keyblades. so just dont put it in so too far.

[raimundo]

you should not bother picking at any greater depth than the length of the keyblade, a little bit of nail polish on the pickshaft will temporarily mark the depth for you, the gf should have some.
someone told you to put the pick in as far as it will go and do something, this is almost certainly about pushing on a locking dog, and it is probably specific to a certain pick tip and a particular lock. thats not what you want to learn even if it works on this one, because it dosent work on all locks.

[Afisch]

A more interesting start to picking, home made tools to begin with look like a great first attempt. If the first pin doesnt bind first or last you could have a problem opening this lock, as you would need to go under that pin to the others in order to set them without lifting the front pin. Maybe a steeper hook? Good luck

[n00bking]

That looks like a 3 pin lock not a 4. And that rake looks freaking amazing!

[JackNco]

That looks like a 3 pin lock not a 4. And that rake looks freaking amazing!

4 valleys. 4 pins. look at the spacing, there is a small valley by the largest one.