Repinning dilemma: help needed!

[zacory2713]

So I'm a goober

I was repinning a five pin lock with only three pins so as to practice maneuvering over a large pin to a small pin. If I was using the key to the lock properly, these pins would be the third forth and fifth pin, but I moved them forward so they were the first second and third. Seeing as they were still in order, I used half of the key to remove the cylinder.

Here's where the trouble comes in. I accidentally pulled the cylinder out just enough so that the top pin in the third slot fell into the forth hole in the cylinder, thus preventing me from removing the cylinder or pushing it back in, and with the key in place I can't use a pick to push the pin back up and out of the way.

My question is is there anything short of cutting open the lock I can do in this situation to free the cylinder, and if I have to cut it open, how would I make it a visible inner workings one with damaging it further.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[Trip Doctor]

Well, why can't you take the key out? How is it stuck? If your key IS stuck what you can try though is make a shim with a slope so that you can slide it by the side of your key to push the pins up and take your key out (got idea from Raimundo). I'm not exactly sure why the key is stuck though.

[mcm757207]

The key is stuck because the very first pin has nowhere to go, trapping the key. What you need to do is either try to push that driver back up with a hook pick from the back of the lock, or pop the cap on the top of the lock to drop all the pins out.

[Rodfather23]

The same thing happened to me when I started out......you have to make sure you turn the key about 40 degrees before you pull out the plug and don't forget to turn it again before you insert the plug back.

Rather than messing around trying to push up one driver pin and spring, I just pulled until I sheared the spring......now thats just me. It did not cut or scratch up my cylinder (thank goodness).....and I was lucky enough that when I called the locksmith (asking to buy a spring...which probably would cost like a penny) he gave me 5 springs for free.


Off topic telling that story reminds me of a guy I went to high school with. His last name was Yankaway. Needless to say he got made fun of. My point is....just yankaway..

[zacory2713]

I tried the yankaway method, but the remaining half of the key is keeping it nice and inbetween blocking the shear line, and I can't use a pick due to the remaining half of the key.

Thanks for your help, I am giving it a few more days for a burst of inspiration to solve this problem, then I am giving up and grinding it down. If you think of anything in the mean time, please help.

[arris]

What type of cylinder is it?

Sorry but this method is unsuitable for the open forums and would also render the lock useless,

hard to explain hope it helps

[Shrub]

Get a feeler gauge that will slip down the side of the key, cut an angle on the end of the feeler gauge and cut the height down so it slides in the keyway,

Insert the feeler gauge and lift the pin up out of the way, you then are best simply as said pulling the plug out against the spring and get yourself a new spring if you can turn it upside down and reuse (only to be done on a practice lock),

Arris, sorry but thats destrutive entry techniques that we dont discuss, it would also render the lock useless for hobby picking afterwards,

[Trip Doctor]

Ah, I see, I thought he only had like 2 or 3 pins in there.

What kind of lock do you have Zachory? If it's a Kwikset, it should have a metal cap on top, as mcm mentioned, and you can easily take that off and take all the pins out. This cap makes for really easy repining as well, as you dont have to take the plug out.

[questions]

im not quite understanding you zachory, are you saying the key is stuck in halfway in the plug also? Lock information would help out a lot.

[questions]

well all in all, if the key is actually stuck. then the plug is slightly pulled out leaving the second bottom and third bottom in the 1st and second slots. Leaving a top pin with a spring traped in the 4th slot of the plug. Hoping the key has the bottom pins set for whats left in it, then the spring is the only resistance from turning it, so break it, its just a practice lock. I've bent springs a few times already, its part of learning as I only have a few weeks with lockpicking and locks itself.

[raimundo]

1. did you take all the top pins and springs out before trying to set up the core for 3 pins? if not, you may have springs or even drivers in those drillings above some empty holes in the plug, this could leave a spring stuck up accross the shear line, thats a situation you will need to be aware of in trying to clear up the situation.

2. the shim alongside the key could be the answer, but usually only with a keyway that has no real warding in the top half of the keyway. like a schlage c keyway.

3. another possibility is to rap the lock on a wooden bench while holding a tensor that puts "slight" tension on it, and slight means so little that it won't bind the pins and springs you are trying to rap into the bible and out of the core.

4. the tip about taking the top of the bible off is a good one if the lock permits it by the type of manufacture. You can do this in a fairly non destructive way, there are stickys on this sort of thing I think, (actually havent read many stickies myself) use a piece of hacksaw blade, orient the teeth so that they cut toward the rear of the cylinder, and place this on the metal strip that is the top cap for all the drillings, then using a hammer, tap the corner of the hacksaw piece, at a 45 degree angle toward the back of the lock, this will set the teeth into the brass strip and they will cause it to move toward the rear of the lock.

you could also use a method that causes the flat metal piece to be twisted and bent, but the hacksaw method is the one that leaves it flat and ready to be replaced in the slot.