tension wrench length

[reptilezs]

hi how long should the tension wrench handle be and how long should the part that goes into the keyway be? i have some wiper blade inserts to mess with. also where is the cheapest place to get picks? thanks

[JackNco]

depends on personal preference and the lock its self.

I use 75mm handles, and the keyway bit between 7mm and 17mm.

all the best

John

[Krypos]

just look it up in a search.

when does it stop? seriously........

[JackNco]

I dunno thats a hard one to search for. but he has an answer now. the longer measurement is from a standard SO wrench

[rakemaster]

In spite of the somewhat lazy tone of the question, I think torq wrench length is actually a good subject for discussion and not very much discussed here, so I'll answer.

Personally, I like a very short blade so I can stick it in the top/pin side of the lock and still have the handle sit close to the surfact of the lock without the blade touching the front pin. I also like as long a handle as possible so I can touch it far from the lock, which amplifies movement when you set a pin. The length might have to be shorter than what I like when picking something on a door and have to avoid hitting the knob or wall.

Some people like a twisted blade (that is parallel with the handle), but I never could get used to that.

What do others think?

[JackNco]

I usually use a twist.

[Krypos]

i suppose i was a bit rash earlier.

i use a homemade double sided, double twisted wrench. one side is a short wrench for the top of the keyway, and the other side is standard length. there is a 90' twist after either head so that the heads face opposite directions, and there is roughly 2-3 inches flat surface for my fingers in the middle.

[Shrub]

In spite of the somewhat lazy tone of the question, I think torq wrench length is actually a good subject for discussion and not very much discussed here, so I'll answer.

I have to disagree, that discussion is not one for this site at all and more geared towards mechanic or engineering forums, there is no use for a torque wrench in picking locks,


As regards the Tension wrench, the length greatly affects the force you can exert on the plug, if you want long handles you wil have to add a twist to the shank or else you will be putting too much tension on while picking,

[JackNco]

I have used the longer ones and find they are a bit heavy and i don't (personally) find them as responsive or as communicative.

[raimundo]

Some people use the untwisted tensors, this is a very stiff tension,
Please put a tension wrench between the thumb and forefinger and then study the leverage, at some distance from the fingers, the leverage is very strong, you can push on one end of the tensor with a feather and rotate it against the grip in the two fingers,

when a tension wrench presents its springy side to the finger, it has just a small amount of give, this is helpful.

I usually put the twist on a pair of bogotas at least an inch and more back from the bend, this leaves a flat lever that has no give that is just that long, from the twist, I do not have any handle on the tensor, its just the pickshaft which is thinned from the full width of the metal, this makes it a flexible and light tension handle on the stiff bar that is the first inch and a half of the lever. The stiff bar also makes a good handle for the pick.
So if you want short tensors, they need not be any longer than the finger you use to push on it. and you can alternate stiff and springy by the location of the twist.
Even if you like a bar all the way, the twist still presents a nicer place to push on with your finger, as who enjoys putting pressure on the narrow edge.

[quicksilver]

It would seem that some cylinders that have a return spring (like padlocks or fire-door emergency systems) would need more leverage or rather the availability of leverage greater than that available than that from any single length tension tool. Therefore length may be influenced by the needed leverage and this may call for several sizes, etc.

[rakemaster]

In spite of the somewhat lazy tone of the question, I think torq wrench length is actually a good subject for discussion and not very much discussed here, so I'll answer.

I have to disagree, that discussion is not one for this site at all and more geared towards mechanic or engineering forums, there is no use for a torque wrench in picking locks,


As regards the Tension wrench, the length greatly affects the force you can exert on the plug, if you want long handles you wil have to add a twist to the shank or else you will be putting too much tension on while picking,

If your'e going to throw around mechanical engineering terms, you might want to look up the words "tension" and "torque". What we use when we pick locks is very definitely not tension.

Yes, I know a lot of people call it a tension wrench. But that doesn't make it a good term (and there are several respected lockpicking books that make this point).

RM

[Raymond]

If everyone would simply look the words up in a dictionary, we might agree on the proper word and usage. We might then have a more common understanding of what we are discussing. How about we simply provide the correct information and leave it at that. If someone continues to use the wrong word it only emphasizes their ignorance, stubbornness, or habit. Take your choice and stick to the subject.

Torque is probably the most correct. " Something that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion and whose effectiveness is measured by the product of the force and the perpendicular distance from the line of action of the force to the axis of rotation; a turning or twisting force."

[Marco]

Torque wrench... tension wrench... who cares! Both are correct! You are applying both tension and torque with the wrench. Books refer to both aswell, so how about we all stop worrying about technicalities? If we really wanted we could call it a tension/torque wrench, but that takes a bit too long to say. So take your pick, whichever sounds better to you.

[raimundo]

check out rakemaster, his posts skipped from 2004 to 2007, i woulda forgot my password and had to restart after such a long time