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Skill Building Timeline

Having read the FAQ's you are still unfulfilled and seek more enlightenment, so post your general lock picking questions here.
Forum rules
Do not post safe related questions in this sub forum! Post them in This Old Safe

The sub forum you are currently in is for asking Beginner Hobby Lock Picking questions only.

Skill Building Timeline

Postby Steve24 » 15 Sep 2008 20:41

Hey guys, I've been into lock picking for about a year and a half now. I practice around 5 to 7 hours a week, nothing major. for the past month I haven't been able to at all because airport security took my pick set out of my checked bag. but anyways, i have been practicing and have a pretty good consistency on pad locks but i am having no such luck on basic deadbolts.. I've read around and see people say such things as "i remember when deadbolts used to give me trouble, not any more" so I'm asking this if some of the more experienced pickers could give a brief summary of their "skill building achievements," as in how much you put into practicing before you devolved a average consistency with certain types or models of locks, in an attempt to put into perspective how much practice this sport takes as well as to possibly give some motivation some who are having difficulties as i am. thanks in advance.

Steve
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
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Postby JK_the_CJer » 16 Sep 2008 2:33

I think that it is more in how you practice than how-much. You are already putting in plenty of time, you just need to figure out a more productive way to practice picking. Although, this is supposed to be fun and not be distilled down into a series of exercises, here are a couple that might help:

First get ahold of a schlage or sargent deadbolt (not kwikset) and learn to rekey it.

1) Work up from 1-2 pins, pick that, then add more until you are able to pick the full deadbolt with ease.

2) Work up from 1-2 pins, but this time scramble the ones that are in there between openings. Pay attention to how picking a high-low vs a low-high feels. Keep adding pins and scrambling them.

3) Put all 5 pins in and pick it, then scramble those up, pick it again, etc... Identify your weak bittings and practice those, if you are really having trouble with one, remove a pin or two.

4) Start mixing in security pins.
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Postby datagram » 16 Sep 2008 3:17

I'd also throw in mixing up the keyways for practice. Don't get too used to the forgiving Kwikset keyways, Schlage is a decent keyway to start with, but for fun try some of the real nasty BEST keyways.
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encouragement

Postby raimundo » 16 Sep 2008 7:33

The most difficult part is frustration coming from too much tension in the brain. but on the positive side, there are people who first learned here and within about a year, a few of them have won competitions.
possibly the most debilitating thing that can hold you back are preconcieved notions about how something must work. Keep an open mind.
Wake up and smell the Kafka!!!
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Re: encouragement

Postby Trip Doctor » 17 Sep 2008 19:56

raimundo wrote:...possibly the most debilitating thing that can hold you back are preconcieved notions about how something must work...


It's kinda funny how true that really is.
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Postby anikan_25 » 18 Sep 2008 23:08

im really surprised to hear that your having difficulty with deadbolts but find padlocks easy, im the other way, i have a few deadbolts that i can usually pick in under 2min and yet i still cant pick the first padlock i bought, i find that the keyway in most padlocks is much harder to work with, maybe i need thinner picks... but anyways try taking some pins out of the deadbolt 2-3 pins should be easy enough and since you can already pick some locks 1pin would probably be a complete waste of time
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Postby Steve24 » 19 Sep 2008 13:01

I just took apart one of the cylinders I have been trying to pick, only to find that there are 4 spool pins in there. I plan on putting a few normal pins in there and practicing some more. Thanks to everyone for the good advice.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
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Location: Raleigh, NC

Postby hydruh » 19 Sep 2008 13:07

Steve24 wrote:I just took apart one of the cylinders I have been trying to pick, only to find that there are 4 spool pins in there.


Disassembling locks is the key to understanding. Many of the people I have taught immediately went to work, found a spare Best SFIC and called me "Hey, I can't pick this!" I bet, I thought. Knowing what is in the lock is 60% of the battle.

S
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