Which starter pick?

by **duane dibley** » 8 Jul 2007 12:20

Hi there!
Been browsing the forum, and found it really interesting,
made myself a tension wrench yesterday,
and picked my first lock!!!!!!!!!
I picked it with the offcut of the wiper insert that I made the tension wrench out of.
I've since picked the lock 5 times, but still don't quite know how I'm doing it, and using the wiper insert to pick it, is really starting to hurt my fingers!
Could anyone recommend a first pick for me to try and make, that I could try on similar locks to the one I've picked.
thanks.
Pics of the lock I lost my virginity to, and my 'pickset' haha!

by **rakemaster** » 8 Jul 2007 12:24

Congratulations! Now you're hooked.

I'd suggest trying to make a small hook pick, or, if that fails
a little half-diamond (which is a little easier to make).

Do you have a grinder/dremel tool? Or are you using a file?

rakemaster

by **duane dibley** » 8 Jul 2007 12:40

Hi Rakemaster,
Yes I have a bench grinder, and a Dremmel,
I only asked which pick, as there's LOADS to make!
thanks for your suggestions.
I'll have a browse through the template section,
and I'll have to sacrifice my hacksaw blade!
Thanks buddy. :wink:

by **rakemaster** » 8 Jul 2007 12:46

There are lots out there, but you really don't need most of them.

I used to use rakes a lot, but now I mostly use a small hook. I think a hook is much better for learning on in any case. But a half diamond is used much like a hook is, and is a little easier to make from scratch.

Have fun.

by **Eyes_Only** » 8 Jul 2007 15:05

I use almost nothing but different varieties of hook picks most of the time and a lot of us end up that way as we progressed. But it's good to have one or two half diamond and or rake pick in your set just in case.

by **duane dibley** » 8 Jul 2007 16:12

Thanks Eyes, I'm still looking at pictures of hooks and diamonds,
there's so many very similar ones, it's amazing!
I'll get to work with my grinder in the week.

by **poppasmurfenfold** » 8 Jul 2007 20:08

you can saw blades at a hardware store 10 for like $3 dont forget to dip the blade in water every couple of seconds when you're grinding.... i learned that lesson the hard way

by **duane dibley** » 9 Jul 2007 15:23

Kept dipping it in the water Poppa, worked a treat, with no overheating,
and I've just finished making my first 2 picks!
I've made a hook, and a half diamond as suggested, the hook worked well, and opened the lock pictured a previous post,
but I more or less showed the half diamond to the lock, and it threw itself open! I'm very impressed.
I've just tried to pick a 'moon' lock with my new picks, but it doesn't
seem to want to know, - I have a few more templates to try (the 'wiggly'
type picks) so I'm going to have to get some more hacksaw blades! :wink:

by **duane dibley** » 9 Jul 2007 15:27

OOOPS I can't edit my post,
I meant to say I opened the lock that I pictured at the start of this thread.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Look up^^^^^^

by **rakemaster** » 9 Jul 2007 15:38

Hey, don't forget that it's YOU picking the locks, not your picks. The picks are just helping.

Seriously, though, great job. But if you were able to get the lock open with the straight pick you showed in your first post, it may have been keyed so badly (e.g., in a straight line) that it really doesn't count as a fair opponent. So get yourself some more locks and practice practice practice...

by **duane dibley** » 9 Jul 2007 16:10

I will admit the lock pictured was a cheap one.
You've got me worried now, hope my picks work on a more challenging lock!!!

by **duane dibley** » 14 Jul 2007 10:45

duane dibley wrote:hope my picks work on a more challenging lock!!!

Well, I'm a little disappointed, tried to open these two locks with my homemade picks:

But to no avail,

Am I using the right picks, and more imortantly, - am I doing it right?
I'm think I can feel the pins, and push them in, I've even tried 'raking' (?)
kind of dragging the pick towards me from the back of the lock.
How much pressure should I use when trying to push the pins in? as the edge of the pick digs into my thumb, and even with a handle I think it would do the same, indicating that I'm putting a fair amount of pressure on it.
should I just 'tickle' the pins?
hope you understand what I'm trying to say. :wink:

by **davou** » 14 Jul 2007 11:14

you can try putting some rubber bands around the handle to make things a little softer on your hand, and failing bieng able to find a rubber band, you might try a band-aid... It wont look nice, but at least you'l be able to keep at it for longer, and thats whats going to get your locks open.

by **melvin2001** » 14 Jul 2007 22:34

heat shrink tubing works well too.

by **duane dibley** » 15 Jul 2007 15:54

Thanks for the tips on the handles guys, but I was asking WHY
the picks were digging in to my thumb, - am I doing it wrong, or do you really have to push hard to pick a lock.

Which starter pick?

Which starter pick?

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