Picking lock with paperclips

[illusion]

Thanks for the mit guide and videos it should help. I'm practicing on the small, cheap padlock I bought yesterday so it shouldn't be hard. Can someone explain me what raking really is ?

You put the pick in the lock, feel for the last pin, apply tension, and pull the pick out whilst raking it across the pins. If it doesn't work the first time, do it again.

There are more technical ways to do it, but this is the essence.

[shc]

thanks. i used to press all pins at the same time, that was probably my main error, i'll try again.

[shc]

so it should be one by one, not applying the pressure to all pins at the same time and then just pulling the pick wrench out fastly ?

[poppasmurfenfold]

No, the wrench stays in just the pick comes out.

[illusion]

so it should be one by one, not applying the pressure to all pins at the same time and then just pulling the pick wrench out fastly ?

Urmmhh...

You do understand the concept behind picking locks, right?

I honestly thought my explanation would be very clear to anybody who knew how locks are vulnerable to picking...

Apply tension with the wrench.

Insert pick.

Pull out pick.

If the lock is not open, gently vary the amount of tension gently and pull the pick out again.

Does this make more sense?

[illusion]

so it should be one by one, not applying the pressure to all pins at the same time and then just pulling the pick wrench out fastly ?

Urmmhh...

You do understand the concept behind picking locks, right?

I honestly thought my explanation would be very clear to anybody who knew how locks are vulnerable to picking...

Apply tension with the wrench.

Insert pick.

Pull out pick.

If the lock is not open, gently vary the amount of tension gently and pull the pick out again.

Does this make more sense?

[RangerF150]

Urmmhh...

You do understand the concept behind picking locks, right?

I honestly thought my explanation would be very clear to anybody who knew how locks are vulnerable to picking...

Apply tension with the wrench.

Insert pick.

Pull out pick.

If the lock is not open, gently vary the amount of tension gently and pull the pick out again.

Does this make more sense?

Just to clarify!
When you say apply "tension" to the wrench, what kinda tension, compression of tensile? Left or right, up or down, with or without ice ????
Insert pick, where ? In the lock? If I insert the pick in the lock, I can't fit the key in, where am I goin wrong ???
Pull out pick, with the key in or not? See it's all very small in there and I can't see nothing , I thought I had it sorted but I jammed in a full box of paperclips , some staples and bluetack, it's not open ???
The first paperclip got stuck, so I sent in a second to retrieve the first, it got stuck, so in went another, till I ran out of paperclips, then the staples seemed the next obvious line of attack
In went a box full, no joy, hence the bluetack, to try pull all the stuff out.
This is my front door lock, pls help

[illusion]

I almost replied seriously until I read the whole post, and I'm pleasently surprised by how funny that was.

I've had silly people ask very similar questions before, hence my initial "Oh sodd it, not again..." reaction to your post.

I even had a guy ask me to tell him if I could hear the pins falling whilst helping him on webcam - After ten minutes of difficulty we managed to establish that his webcam didn't actually have a microphone lol.

Thanks for that - it put a smile on my face.

[RangerF150]

I almost replied seriously until I read the whole post,

Well things have taken a turn for the worst!
I perhaps applied too much tension, somehow the wrench snapped and broke, part of it hitting my eye, the doctor says I was lucky
I try again, but the ( now short) tension wrench has a sharp end and cut my finger ( five stiches) the doctor is interested in how I am back so quick!!!
I explain I have hobby and he is interested
I show him how to do this and get door lock in surgery stuck badly...
Now I am stuck in hospital with doctor in room , lucky we have internet connection
Pls help !!!!!!!

[shc]

thanks people. illusion i'm sorry if i made you bit stressed up, but its pretty hard when you are totally new. still didn't make it, i'll read on and practice more, if i get stuck later i'll ask you guys for help.

[Picklocking]

I picked 4 of my practise padlocks with paperclips, however:

I used single tableforkpike bended to L shaped tensiontool, the actual pin manipulation was made with a paperclip.

There is 3 ways that I can open them:

1) I insert the pick way back in and pull it in an angle back from the lock

2) I insert the pick all the way in and wiggle it up and down until it opens

3) I single pick the pins, I do ofcourse know the locks and im clear with the pinheights with the induvitial locks wich helps you alot.

Few tips that are mentioned in all pintumbler guides around these forums:

Apply LIGHT tension, I cant say enought , if the lock jams at somepoint release some tension or reset the pins and start over again.

[Mr. Swell]

Ive tried using semi-straightened paper clips to open some of my practice locks, (in conjunction with a purchased tension wrench) but it seemed to dampen the feedback received from the pick. Is there a certain way to bend/straighten the pick or am I just totally clueless?

[illusion]

Is there a certain way to bend/straighten the pick or am I just totally clueless?

I guess you could try and heat treat you pick by heating it with a lighter and then quenching it in water - It might make it more rigid... Or more liekly make it very soft and unusable lol.

Using paperclips will inevitably reduce feedback to a great extent - You might be able to compensate by becoming more astute to minimal feedback.

[Mr. Swell]

So using paper clips for a while and then transitioning back to normal picks could possibly increase my sensitivity to feedback... nice.
And thank you for answering yet another of my questions, Illusion.

[illusion]

It is a skill worth learning, and it will help you later on.

Ideally use safety pins - they tend to be miles better in most ways. Make a kinda pistol shaped grip and you have yet another way to train your hands.

I find your questions refreshing - You have tried to answer your own questions and clearly put thought into it. When you asked about the paperclips dampening the feedback I had to sit down and think about elements of lock picking that I hadn't previously thought of - That's the sort of thing I enjoy seeing posted.