Help re-pinning a Lockwood deadbolt

[MBI]

Hey all,

I recently bought a Lockwood deadbolt, so I've been messing around with them. I was trying to get the plug out of the first one but as I did it I slipped and a bit of an accident occurred. My plug follower slipped out, the first key pin fell out and then the plug clicked back into its normal position, so now the first driver pin is sitting inside of the plug and I can't figure out how to open it I know how to re-pin a lock, as I quite easily did what I was after on the other lock (since a deadbolt comes with a pair of locks, obviously). Unfortunately I'm not quite sure how to get this driver pin down below the shear line while still being able to pick the other pins. I've been able to push it down by shoving a paperclip with a kink in it down through the pin hole, but then the paperclip gets in the way and I can't pick the rest of the pins. I tried picking the rest of the pins from the back of the cylinder and then pushing it down with the paperclip again, but somehow that didn't work.

I'd send pics but I don't really think it'd help much, since it's a pretty normal lock...there's nothing really unique or distinctive about it. It's extremely similar to this one and comes from the same product line. The only difference that I can see is that mine has two screw holes on either sides of the cylinder.
http://www.lockweb.com.au/products/product.asp?id=136&categoryID=236

Thanks!

[femurat]

Hi spoja, I think you have 2 options:
1 - shim it from the back;
2 - cut a credit card sample with the same shape of the key, then make some room for pushing down the first pin with your bent paperclip. Insert the credit card in the keyway, push down the first pin and... turn the plug!

Try to remove the "lost" pin from the keyway before starting.

Good luck

[spoja]

I've never tried either of those methods, both are great ideas. I think I'll try both for the sake of experience.
Thanks a lot for your help!

[5thcorps]

I have done this a few times myself. And the shim method always got me out of the pinch

[spoja]

Grr, I can't get the shim into the lock. I made one out of a coke can but there isn't enough room in the lock for it to slide in! How do you shim a lock that is too tight for a shim? I don't know how I'd get a thinner shim than this...

[spoja]

I can't find any information on shimming a lock that isn't a padlock/combination lock any ideas?

[femurat]

A can is too thick! Use the VERY thin metal strip that you can find inside of some shoplifting alarm.


Cheers

[spoja]

That's a lot harder to get than a can
Any ideas how to easily get some?

[FrenchKey]

Funny source for shims I will try if I can find some similar stuff.

If your can is too thick, feel free to make it thinner with very fine sand paper. I do that some times and it does the job.
I never tried manufactured shims, but that's true that some locks are very hard to shim with homemade shims !

[femurat]

That's a lot harder to get than a can
Any ideas how to easily get some?

Just buy something when you pay they demagnetize it but leave it where it is. Look inside of pockets of recently bought trousers, bags, shoes...

[5thcorps]

That's a lot harder to get than a can
Any ideas how to easily get some?

Has anyone ever been caught shoplifting security tags? I'd love to be there when that happens

[Engineer]

Yup! At my local supermarket (massive Asda - Part of Wal-Mart), they use the tags from bottles of alcohol as keyfobs to prevent them being stolen, or staff inadvertantly taking them home.

So, occasionally it happens...

For a good source of these types of alarm tags though, I see them a lot in DVD cases (often they try to match the colur of the case, so you don't immediately see them. Try going through your DVD cases and you might find some.

[Da_FoXXX]

A can is too thick! Use the VERY thin metal strip that you can find inside of some shoplifting alarm.


Cheers

Most Bottle shops use them on their liquor. So its a double whammy! Bottle of Jack and a free Shim!

[Squelchtone]

A can is too thick! Use the VERY thin metal strip that you can find inside of some shoplifting alarm.


Cheers

Most Bottle shops use them on their liquor. So its a double whammy! Bottle of Jack and a free Shim!

or Free bottle of Jack with every $20 shim purchase =)

[averagejoe]

Why not go to your local "has everything" superstore and get a cheap feeler gauge set or two?