Hours of Practice

[job314]

Whats the estimate of how many hours anyone practiced picking and how far along you've come?

[frostbyte]

Not sure how many hours, but for a little over a month, practicing (lock-picking) primarily in bed with the lights off waiting for the kid to fall asleep (co-sleeping) - maybe 2 - 15 minutes, but not every night either.

Started with a simple 4 pin padlock, now doing fine with generic 5 pin cylinders with 1 mushroom pin with all but 1 pin configuration (Had to shim it open to re-pin it.) and no problems with normal pins in my pair of Schlages (up to 6 pins.)

I'm hoping to get some security pins to spice things up with the Schlages, and I'm always keeping my eyes open at the local thrift store for locks. (Got my two Schlages, and a Weiser so far, for $3.50 cdn total.)

Hoping to get my hands on a good Yale cylinder, Romstar let me try three of his locks last time we met up, a Bird 3-pin cylinder (not really a challenge, but neat lock nonetheless.) An Ilco, didn't take too long, but I wasn't paying attention either time I did it, so I didn't learn a lot from it, and a Yale, which I tried for a while, discovered one spool/mushroom pin, but didn't open. (Hopefully he'll have it with him next time so I can give it another try.)

-Frostbyte.

[Romstar]

I think I spend about three hours a day picking locks. Not including any lockouts I might do that day.

I have carpel tunnel syndrome. There are days when I pick by "memory" the feel in my fingers gets that bad. Sometimes when I touch anything, it feels the same as running your fingers across sand paper. So, I practice every day. I need to be able to feel the feedback no matter what my fingers feel like.

Frost, that Yale goes with me where ever I go in the car. It's about ten years old now, and it's still one of the nastiest picking locks out there. I use it as an example of just how a well made lock can offer serious pick resistance. The standard Yale keyway, in conjunction with a good pin combination and security pins provides a very decent lock.

Romstar

[lock_assassin]

I try to practice at least 1 hour a day on weekdays and then usually 2-3 hours a day on the weekends. I have a workbench with all of my pick sets, tools, pinning kits, key machine, etc. in my den and I go there to relax when I get home. Plus I just got my wifes old computer set up in there with a network card & XP installed and running so I can get on here and surf without having to run back to my computer downstairs. I still need to build a cool lock holder like some of the guys on here have done so my practice locks are easier to use. I just ordered a key blank assortment so now I have to put pegboard on one of the walls and get a bunch of hangers. I guess a trip to Lowe's is in the plans for this weekend!!!

happy picking...

lock_assassin

[Romstar]

Hey assassin,

Sounds to me like you ahve a locksmith shop in the den. That's kinda cool.

Romstar

[yungning]

frostbyte:

i do 'co-sleep' with my boy a lot, too, but never bring picks and locks to bed...hmm..maybe i should try that

[Aidyn2332]

Well it depends on who is home and where they are...if noone is home i practice on the deadbolt on the door leading into the house, if im in my room i work on the small locks on my desk and safe. I only spend about 30 minutes a day but im getting good. I can pick the lock on my desk and i accidently opened the safe with the scrubbing technique.

[Eagerpicker]

Usually, I try to get round to it at least once a day. I just moved house and was all tied up painting and decorating etc., but now things have settled down I am back on the forums (finally got my internet connection sorted out) and back at the locks. My routine consists of picking most of the locks I own one by one (ranging from a tiny little four-pin padlock to a really tough Euro profile cylinder, with much in between). I try to improve the feel for each lock, learning its inner workings and the best approach to it. Also, I spend a lot of time trying different picks on the same lock, to find out which works best. I just bought the smaller Lab set and, at last, the SouthOrd C1510 slim line set - with high expectations. But there you go, I still find myself using almost exclusively my Brockhage Navigator slim shallow hook and my regular SouthOrd half diamond. Even the Lab tension wrenches, which I thought would be a treat, turn out to be just not what I had cracked them up to be.

Anyway, right now I'm taking a lock apart that I managed to open for the first time a few days back, a Yale 5 mushroom pin cylinder lock. I found out which tools work best and now I can open it in five seconds, no exaggeration there. I was surprised just now to find out about the 5 mushroom pins, but there you go.

The other day I had to take a long train ride, so I brought my kit along and a couple of locks. There I am, picking away as the countryside flashes by, when this old lady comes up to me. Here we go, I think to myself, now there'll be questions and prying and... But no: 'Would you mind keeping an eye on my suitcase?' she asks, 'I need to go to the ladies' room.' She never even frowned at my picking activity, no questions, no prying! I couldn't help but grin at the irony there.

Eagerpicker

[Eyes_Only]

Ive been picking for about five years now but now that I work and attend college full time I only pratice about an hour or two on a saturday. I got a lil work bench i put together in my closet with a bench vise, LAB pin set and all that junk that I use for these purposes. I guess its kinda like lock_assassin's set up but not in a den and still without a key cutter.

[zeke79]

I would say on average i pick for about 1-2 hours per day 4-6 days per week. Pretty much anytime i have a spare minute.

[toomush2drink]

I pick locks most days but the time varies. If im doing the paper work for the business and need a break i pick a lock. I also pick locks in between surfing but do have to watch i dont ignore my fiancee as time flys by without you knowing it when you get caught up in the challenge of a particular lock. Just picked a yale i gained from a job the other day before this post funny enough.

[benzy2]

I probably pick for 2 hours at night. It could be more if im bored in the day. ive gotten about everything in the house down so it looks as if it is time to find something rekeyable with security pins.

[Gyrine]

Depends on the weather. More in the winter, less this time of year. For awhile there I was getting at least 1/2 hour/day, but it is more like 1/2 hour/week right now........too many interests/hobbies/chores.
Overall <40 hours to date. I can figure out most Masters I put my hands on, enjoy re-pinning and playing with the Kwiksets I have, and am still learning with the kit from Varjeal. No experience with security pins yet, maybe next time I'm snowed in..