Tension wrench placement

[Percivilis]

Hi, guys! I started picking a week ago, and so far it's been a great beginning to a sure-to-be-great journey. Finding this forum has been really helpful!

Raking comes fairly easy to me, but I'm starting to learn how to SPP. I'm finding that with the tension wrench inserted at the normal low location in the keyway, all of my picks are too tall to fit in the keyway without pressing up against at least one pin, which I think is a problem. I decided to place the wrench at the top of the keyway instead, making sure that I didn't interfere with the first pin. This is working fairly well for me, but I'm wondering if this is the best way to solve my problem. What do you guys think?

(I'm using the SouthOrd 14-piece lockpick set, which can be found on this page.)

Thanks in advance!

[paulvalente]

Hi Percivilis

You've hit the nail on the head with your idea of tensioning the top of the keyway. When I'm trying to pick anything but the most simple of locks I tension the top of the keyway. This enables me to rock the pick ( using the base of the keyway as a fulcrum and warding permitting ) I find this gives greater control over pressure applied to pins.

Cheers

Paul

[raimundo]

normal tensor placement is at the bottom of the keyway, and thats what most of the blades are made for.
tensor placement at the top of the keyway puts it much closer to the axis of the plug and eliminates the cylinder wall as a consideration, where it would be a problem to be avoided with the normal tensor placement.

however to place a tensor at the top of the keyway you must use a tensor that is quite short and will not impinge on the first pins. Keyways have various thicknesses in this part of the profile, and the best top of keyway tensors are built to fill this thickness as much as possible. This would mean a variety of different tensors, perhaps three of them. I use the factory bent ends of bicycle spokes for these tensors, and I cut them to shape and length with a file.

Other methods are the tensor blade with teeth or other shape meant to grip the top of the keyway,

the grip is important because the tensor is only a few milimeters inside the slot and can easily slip out.

We need some new designs for such tensors, I have one that has a thick tensor tip and a thin wedge that tightens it in loose keyways.

another option that is as good as the top of keyway grip is the split tensor that has points in the top and bottom of the keyway. these are easy to make, just cut a groove with a chainsaw file on the end of the piece of flat metal stock and after its deep enough, cut the outsides of the two sides of the groove to the dimension of the keyway then bend them down to fit in and shorten the one that impinges on the pins.


When you tension at the top of the keyway, the characteristics of the picking will be different from the offset tensor at thebottom of thekeyway.
this will be caused by the tolerances in the lock, and the skew forces that the offset tensor is using at angles to the axis of the plug.

[apb]

Personally I think the top of the key way is much more effective. It gives you better rotation on the plug and more room in the keyway. This is important in SPP, particularly when you have to target a specific security pin. In the DVD Lockpicking for the New millenium, he does this on the American 5200. He used a bent bobby pin which fits perect. You just have to cut it to the right length(the part that fits in to the keyway). I immediately used this on a difficult 5200 and got it the first time. Since then I have used this technique on numerous 5200's, schlage deadbolts, and other difficult locks(over two years ago) and find it is excellent for security pins. Whenever i try a new lock this is the first thing i"ll try. Obviously, it cant be used on all locks but so far its worked well and bobby pins are eay to get.

[cracksman]

Peterson makes some nice tension wrenches that are small and serrated so they give a bit of grip. Falle Safe makes some awesome adjustable ones that actually applies tension to top and bottom and seems to give the best feedback, but I don't think you can buy them unless you buy the whole set.

I prefer to use tension on the top of the keyway, only exception is the the cheaper padlocks, like Masterlock, where I actually use the wrench as the fulcrum point. I've heard some people actually put their thumb at the bottom of the keyway as the leverage point and put the wrench on top. It comes down to personal taste I guess.

Best of luck

[jedidove]

I run into all the previously stated problems when tensioning at the top. I only have the four tension tools from my southard set and the backs of ray's bogotas. All of these are too long to put at the top. Even if I let them bind on the first pin they would fall out ridiculously easily. The flat five Peterson set looks cool but I'm not sure if I'm ready to spend $35 on tension tools right now. Has anyone tried the Peterson pry-bar? Supposedly its notched especially to keep it off the first pin...to me it looks like a shallow tool would be just as useful.

[Afisch]

As the pry bar is a stiff wrench, you will need good tension control, as it would easy to over tension, I belive the pry bar gives good results but is hard to fit in some smaller keyways.
Maybe try bending the unbent end of the southord tension tools 2mm from the end? One of my favourite tension wrenches is just that.

[Abus]

I second the suggestion of bending the unbent ends of your exisiting tension wrenches to make short, top of keyway tools. Though, although I've done this, most of my tension wrenches are either ground from allen keys, or bent from windsheild wiper strips. If you're inclined to play around with various tension wrenches, going to the nearest autoparts store the day of a big storm and digging through the trash barrel for discarded windshield wipers will give you enough material for piles of tension wrenchs. Just bend them with a vise, pliers, or an adjustable wrench and snap them off by repeated sharp bends in the desired location.

[le.nutzman]

Hi, guys! I started picking a week ago, and so far it's been a great beginning to a sure-to-be-great journey. Finding this forum has been really helpful!

Raking comes fairly easy to me, but I'm starting to learn how to SPP. I'm finding that with the tension wrench inserted at the normal low location in the keyway, all of my picks are too tall to fit in the keyway without pressing up against at least one pin, which I think is a problem. I decided to place the wrench at the top of the keyway instead, making sure that I didn't interfere with the first pin. This is working fairly well for me, but I'm wondering if this is the best way to solve my problem. What do you guys think?

(I'm using the SouthOrd 14-piece lockpick set, which can be found on this page.)

Thanks in advance!

Tensioning comes down to just a few factors, personal preference and whether the lock is mounted or un-mounted. The key between a mounted lock and an unmounted lock is that the tension properties tend to change based on how your hand is situated. Top tensioning is awesome in most cases, HOWEVER, I will personally second the idea that the top/bottom dual tension provides you with the best control and feedback when picking any lock.

Personally I think the top of the key way is much more effective. It gives you better rotation on the plug and more room in the keyway. This is important in SPP, particularly when you have to target a specific security pin. In the DVD Lockpicking for the New millenium, he does this on the American 5200. He used a bent bobby pin which fits perect. You just have to cut it to the right length(the part that fits in to the keyway). I immediately used this on a difficult 5200 and got it the first time. Since then I have used this technique on numerous 5200's, schlage deadbolts, and other difficult locks(over two years ago) and find it is excellent for security pins. Whenever i try a new lock this is the first thing i"ll try. Obviously, it cant be used on all locks but so far its worked well and bobby pins are eay to get.

I pick 5200s for lunch on a pretty regular basis, and will personally endorse top tensioning for these locks. Tensioning on the bottom is ok, but as stated, for the most part, the tension wrench gets in the way when you're dealing with security pins in these or any other lock.

Top/bottom tensioning works extremely well because it equalizes the amount of tension on the plug as a whole. Hope this helps.

[apb]

I failed to mention one more significant advantage to the top of the keyway tension. Once again I will refer to the American 5200. If you've dealtwith these padlocks, or their knockoff brand duplicates, you know there is a guard on the front of the plug that prohibits the plug from turning counter clockwise(CCW)with a key or most tension wrenches. However it seems many of these 5200 type locks are susceptible to reverse picking. Top keyway tension defeats this and the 5200 does not need a plug spinner. When the plug locks up the first time while rotating CCW, push in the shackle and continue rotating the plug until is is upside down. The plug will lock up again due to the top pins trying to come thorough the bottom of the plug carrier(there are 5 holes on thebottom). Use your pick upside down and lift the top pins back up to the shear line while continuing CCW rotation on the plug(still in the top of the keyway) and its open.

[Percivilis]

Wow, so much great advice! Really interesting facts, stories, and opinions from everyone.

Modifying my existing torque wrenches has worked pretty well for me so far. The top-bottom tensioner idea sounds really interesting, though. I know Falle-Safe sells a set of six high-quality top-bottom tensioners and even some adjustable ones, but as far as I can tell, they're only available as part of the big ("basic") set. Can you guys recommend any other place to find them? In the meantime, I'll try to make my own as per raimundo's suggestion, but I don't really have that much confidence in my crafting abilities.

Thank you all so much!

[raimundo]

Just a question for L.E. Nutzman,
how do you rate the master DG series for picking against the 5200 ?

[le.nutzman]

Just a question for L.E. Nutzman,
how do you rate the master DG series for picking against the 5200 ?

Rai,

Between the two of these locks mentioned here, in all honesty I have more difficulty picking the Master DG due to the super sloppy and loose plug, and the lip of the body shrouding over the face of the plug all together. Getting beyond these issues, the lock picks relatively easy.

For those not familiar with the Masterlock DG series locks, these locks are something that the military uses on a regular basis. These locks have a semi-paracentric keyway that breaks to the left and leaves a hump in the lower portion of the keyway that makes bottom tension CLOSE to impossible because the tension wrench slips and then slides up and over the bend and interferes with the pick action. Not to mention what was previously said, the plugs are usually extremely loose inside the body and give a great deal of side to side and in and out play so they are very daunting and intimidating at first.

Suggestions would be a good top keyway tensioning tool, or a serrated tool for bottom keyway tensioning.