Simple Question (But my seem stupid)!

[Shiftty]

Hi

Basically i have looked through hours of footage, lots ofpictures and lots of information, all that helped me understand the theory and basics behind the lock workings and actually defeating the machanics of th lock.
But basically i cannot find the answer to this following question, so i hope someone could enlighten me, no matter how easy/stupid it may seem to some of you.
The question being:
I have several locks at home and around my friend's/family/relative's houses, all on those new fancy doors.
I have had a quick look and poke around inside the lock and it seems as though there are no top pins, only bottom one's?? i can feel them, and by vision it looks as though they are Mushroom pins.
But no matter how hard i try i cannot find top pins.
My suspicions were later verified as the key has the notches cut on the bottom of the key instead of the top.
So Has this type of lock got a name, or is it just simply a standardlock that is fitted upside down?
Also If trying to pick this do i insert the tension wrench at the top of the lock instead of the bottom?
Sorry for the un-necassary introduction, and sorry if this seems a very stupid question, but as always any help is deeply appreciated.
As you may tell i am a comptete newcomer to lockpicking but i feel i have, on the whole, a very good understanding of the theory side of things.
And the practical side will hopefully get better when i recieve my first set of picks!
I hope you can understand what i am trying to say and ask here, but i understand there is alot of info that is un-needed and may complicate things!
So i will try and explain better if needed!
Thanks alot!
[/b]

[dondel05]

Hello,

It seems like you need to review lock construction a bit more.
I think you are looking at pin tumbler locks since you are looking at household locks. Most have pins on one side, not upper and lower as evidenced by the keys.

Bottom pins and top pins generally refer to the set of pins, the bottom pin pushes on the top pin, you will not see the top pin at all. There are double sided keys, but they are mostly used on wafer or disc type locks.

Hope this helps!

Donald

[WhiteHat]

I think basically he's saying that you're lock is upside down - you'll need to pick it pushing down on the pins rather than up.

where the key has a jagged edge, that's the side where the pins will be. sometimes they're on the side or up or down.

you'll find common terminology will reffer to "bottom pins" and "top pins" what they really mean is "key pins" and "drivers" respectively. the key pins are the ones that you touch with the pick and are so called because they come into contact with the key. the drivers are pushed against the key pins by springs. it's the drivers that must be moved beyond the shear line (whether that be up or down or sideways) for the lock to open.

I actually prefer picking locks that are "upside down" because once picked, the pins never spring back up again, they stay down. of course they also stay down if you've pushed too far and are applying too much tension.

there are a couple of guides on this site that you should have a read. they've got excelent diagrams etc.

[Dragunov-21]

As above, different countries fit primarily fit locks one way or the other, america with the pins pointing down, australia and the UK with pins pointing up. (I think I got it the right way round).

And just quietly, not a good idea to poke around in locks that are in use.

[JackNco]

post a picture and one of us will tell you what it is.

But stop poking around in locks that are in use, you CAN damage them.

All the best

John

[mercurial]

As above, different countries fit primarily fit locks one way or the other, america with the pins pointing down, australia and the UK with pins pointing up. (I think I got it the right way round).

That is not the case. Yes, locks are fitted primarily one way or the other in different countries, but not as you described.

Whilst there is no hard and fast rule, in Australia and in the USA, pin-tumbler locks are fitted such that the pins are at the top of the keyway when looking at the door. It is in Europe that locks are usually mounted 'upside down' - with the pins at the bottom of the keyway.

Obviously there is nothing stopping people from mounting a lock either way up, so you will find exceptions.

...Mark

[paul1982]

It sounds like a euro/oval cylinder in a upvc door. That would make sense that pins are at the bottom. If so then it works on the same principles as a standard rim cylinder.

[Afisch]

Rim cylinders often have pins top of keyway whereas the euro-cylenders often have them bottom of keyway as is my experiance. Euro cylinders are the type, as said, which is most often found with UPVC doors. They will simply be key pins, which are visible and rounded at the end rather than mushroom. Mushroom drivers are not visible. Buy a cylinder to practice with and try D_B's guide and prehaps it is worth reading the LI guide, (which may still be found on the WWW button of Shrub's posts). Happy Picking

[MacGyver101]

Ah. This is an old thread from mid-August which the database seems to have coughed up as a duplicate. Here's the original thread... I think Shifty found his answer there.

[Father]

mmmmm.what can i say.i dont want to give you wrong informations ......

[Dragunov-21]

In that case, don't post in the thread