wafer locks

[laf]

How am I suppose to pick wafer locks? I do not have any around my house but they must be harder to open because they don't have the shear line. Also double sided wafer locks means that they have some wafers up and down?

[hydruh]

Use a rake. I use a C rake and it works well. You can SPP them but it it kind of a pain. Tension is the same.

Here is a C rake:

http://www.lockpickshop.com/SP-10.html

S

[straightpick]

Most wafer locks are usually easier to open than pin tumblers. The shear line is between the top of the plug and the shell, same as pin tumblers. When the wafers are even with the top of the plug it will turn. Most desk locks, cam locks, file cabinet locks, etc. are wafer locks. Raking is most successful on wafer locks as they usually have only 5 depth increments, on average. Double sided or bi-directional wafer locks rake the same way, first rake the top wafers, reverse the rake then rake the bottom wafers. Not all wafer locks are easy pickin's however. The triple bitted Illinois Duo locks, with their 14 wafers are quite challenging!

[cledry]

Often it is easiest to stick a pick in and pull down the retainer wafer and pull the plug out. Unless you are just picking locks as a hobby. Most wafer locks pick very easily.

[laf]

oo I thought they were more difficult to open. Only raking, thats good
thanks

[lock2006]

Yes raking or just use Jiggler Key Set that would do it too hope this
helps.

[Engineer]

Try using a hook pick, but UPSIDE DOWN. It has worked a treat on every "cabinet" lock I have tried on a tool chest/cabinet.

[hydruh]

Try using a hook pick, but UPSIDE DOWN. It has worked a treat on every "cabinet" lock I have tried on a tool chest/cabinet.

That is an EXCELLENT idea.

S

[Engineer]

Thanks Hydruh.

I found I need an odd movement with the back of my Dino hook - A bit like you use auto jigglers. I have some wafers from those big red tool chests that will not be SPPed, but open in 3-5 seconds with the back of my hook. I feel so stupid as even after about 4 hours in total, I cannot SPP those locks, but can open them embarassingly easily with the back of my rake. I've about 20 of them, including my tool chests and they have all opened in under 30 seconds, despite the locks comming from several manufacurers and about 40 years difference between the earliest and the oldest of them.

Since I owned the tool chests & boxes, plus had some spare locks that I could easily replace them with had anything gone wrong, I did risk picking the ones in use just to prove the back of my hook pick working was not just some fluke. In no way would I encourage anyone else to try picking locks they don't own, or that are in use though!

[5thcorps]

I've used all kinds of picks on wafers. Rakes, Half Diamond, Hooks, they all work

[laf]

Ok I feel stupid now, what are auto jigglers?

[Engineer]

No problem! Auto jigglers have got a bit of a bad reputation over the last few years. On older cars they used to work very well, but with most car locks made now, they don't work. I believe some use them for other types of locks, other than those on vehicles. Some people consider them "amature" though and discourage their use.

There is a picture of a typical set here:

http://www.trueswords.com/bump-auto-jigglers-lock-pick-keyless-entry-p-4048.html

The way they are used is exactly as the name suggests, they are cut to be a typical "average" of a some keys, so if you put on in a lock and literally "jiggle" it around, the lock sometimes opens very easily. If you do a search for them on YouTube, there must be tons of videos on there of how they are used to open locks.

I know rakes, half-diamonds etc. are supposed to work on wafer locks and actually they do work for me on wafer padlocks - I can even SPP wafer padlocks, but just not the sort on tool/chests/cabinets for some reason? I'm probably just missing something, as wafers are normally very easy to pick!

[laf]

omg those keys should not be legal lol.
thanks man