getting better

[salaminfred]

ok so ive been practicing alot now lately and using my halfdiamond since i lost my hook pick. waiting on my new one to arrive.

ok so i decided to buy 2 new locks, master 575 and a kwikset deadbolt lock.

i was surprised of how easy i was able to pick the kwikset deadbolt.
ive been practicing single pin picking now and focusing on feeling each pin.
i just cant believe how easy it was and its a deadbolt designed for people houses.

on the master 575. i can feel all the pins setting but one i get to the security pin i feel it bind but the lock doest counter rotate so even if i let off the tension it just stays there unless i turn the tension wrench back. do i just let of the tension and push the false set pin up or should i start over and try to set that one first.

i just got the lock so im still working on different ways.

i just feel motivated again since i can "feel" the pins now rather than just raking and getting lucky all the time.






and lastly i have this master 3 or something i cant find the number but its the rustproof one with this black rustproofing all over it. i can feel the pins set but i cant seem to open it. i would work on it for hours but only untill i start raking like crazy thats the only time ill get it open if im lucky.

[raimundo]

have you tried to sand the picktip and shaft till its smooth along the top edge where it interacts with pins, and round off any sharp edges that will interact with warding, this will help a lot if you make it very smooth.

[Eyes_Only]

and lastly i have this master 3 or something i cant find the number but its the rustproof one with this black rustproofing all over it. i can feel the pins set but i cant seem to open it. i would work on it for hours but only untill i start raking like crazy thats the only time ill get it open if im lucky.

If its an older padlock you can try cleaning it out by blasting it with a fast drying solvent like a electrical contact cleaner from auto parts stores and run a blank key through it a couple dozen times and then add a little dry film lube like RZ-50 or similar stuff. This usually helps enough to get troublesome Master #3 padlocks to open up.

I would try to stay away from Petroleum based lube like WD-40 if possible cos it will muck up the lock after a while. Same thing with graphite if the lock will be spending the majority of its life in a humid enviroment.

[MacGnG1]

im pretty sure that the rustproof masters are really master #3 inside of the casing. i had trouble with the master for a bit. and when i got my kwikset deadbolt it was EASY. my master 3 opens left and right, and some days it will open both ways and some days it wont. just keep trying and u will get it

[salaminfred]

the master 3 is still a pretty new lock. havnt used it outdoors or anything.

the key kinda sticks when i use it so thats probably why even if i have the pins set it wont open.

my picks are prety smooth.
do you mean smooth off the edges so there are no "corner edges" on the pick? ill try this right now.

[apb]

For the 575 it may be that the spool pin is the last pin to pick and you do not want to make it false set. For my 575, I had a similar problem and this was how I was able to consistently get it.

Set all the pins until you are certain the security pins is ready to pick. When lifting up on the pin, do not let the spool pin catch between the plug and the shearline. Maintain constant contact with the bottom of the pin with the pick the entire time but keep it light, you should not have to force or pop the pin up in the chamber. While maintaining the pick to pin contact, keep the tension super light on the wrench (top pf the keyway right?)What you want to do is avoid reaching that false set point and you may find you are at the shear line before it gets set. In many situation I like getting a solid false set because it narrows down the trouble areas. But in some cases, this just wouldn't work for me, and this technique opened a couple of other locks with smilar problems.

The other scenario is that you still have another security pin to tackle after you set this pin/ Hope it helps. For security pin practice, th5 575 is a good lock IMHO. Hope it helps. Good luck.