MacGyver Lockpicks: Picking with household items

[wakeboard1290]

Hey Everyone!

I got this idea after reading the thread on bobby pin picking. What are some items that you can find around your house that work as a substitute for picks/tension tools?

I hope this thread sparks the creativity in everyone here at lockpicking101.com, and possibly help some beginners who don't have their own picks, or the equipment to make their own picks, get hooked

Something that I have actually made use of (in a situation without lockpicks available) was a modified set of fishhooks, which worked better than it sounds. The eyelet on the end worked nicely as a small full circle tip, and another substituted as a tension tool.

A few other ideas I had that I haven't tried yet were:

Safety pin with the sharp end bent into a hook pick
A fork with one prong bent as a tension tool (if it could be wedged into the keyway)
The good old paperclip I've used this before and it works like a charm, though feedback is very limited when compared to a conventional pick.

I look forward to hearing all your ideas!

Ben

[wakeboard1290]

Oh if only for an edit button

Here's a link to my fishhooks story if anyone is interested.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=44062&start=15

[pickwicket]

As long as we're on the subject of MacGyver, there's always the infamous light bulb filament pick. They tested this one on Mythbusters and found that they could be used as somewhat effective picks/torsion tools with minimal alterations to the filament itself.If memory serves, they turned one into a small hook, plus they were flattened out to better fit in the keyway. Took them just under an hour to pick what looked like an average lock though. Then again, MacGyver could have picked a lock with a brick if he wanted to.

[nostromo]

Steve Hampton has a nice book on improvised picking.

Lately there was the bic pen, toilet paper tube, folded ID badge envelope impression technique for Kryptonite and other tubular locks.

The strangest improvised pick I ever heard of was a locksmith working for the Coast Guard that opened what I think was a dimple lock with a condom. A freind of mine was a Master Lock salesman in the 60's and saw this guy inflate the condom inside the keyway. Won a challenge prize from the company for opening what they billed as an unpickable lock.

[jailersmith]

On the subject of safety pins, cut off the closure, bend the two prongs at a 90 degree angle. Now you have a tension wrench similar to a tweezer (HPC STW-3) style.

[MacGyver101]

I once had to use an eyeglass screwdriver as a "tension wrench" and a mini cable tie as a "pick".

It worked, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.

[raimundo]

paper clips are weak metal and don't hold up at all, they also have dut marks to grip the paper and foul on the warding in the lock
bobby pins are much better. larger ones for tension smaller ones to pick with,
mythbusters said that they were testing the filiment concept, but the piece that they actually succeeded in opening that kwickset with was not a filiment, it was the hardened wire that holds the filiment into the center of the bulb, this is not available except on certain less common bulbs
metal from some cardboard box staples can be used to tension a lock if its necessary to use mcgyvrs
there is a hard wire under the spacebar on some keyboards too. Tear up some old keyboards, this wire is particulaily useful on lever tumber locks.

[Wizer]

Don´t forget bananas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PXIjs4VUqg

[inverseentropy]

Some keyrings are made of a sort of thick spring wire that can be straightened out and used as a pick if you have pliers. The thick paper clips are usable, but they get bent up quickly. Paper clips are what I got started with. The wafer locks on desks sometimes have weak enough springs that even the small paper clips can be used.

[Ortin468]

I have tried binder clips... the wire bail on them is pretty stiff. The triangle part you definitely need tools to manipulate it.

[LocksmithArmy]

I have to say I mane my favorite tensors out of big bobby pins... if you cut a bobby pin in half you can make a tensor and a hook out of one pin...

[LocksmithArmy]

how 'bout opening a lock with a bra? is that MacGyver enough for ya?

[GWiens2001]

Some keyrings are made of a sort of thick spring wire that can be straightened out and used as a pick if you have pliers. The thick paper clips are usable, but they get bent up quickly. Paper clips are what I got started with. The wafer locks on desks sometimes have weak enough springs that even the small paper clips can be used.

Used this very trick a few weeks ago on a trip. Somehow the keys for the TSA locks came up missing. Straightened out a key ring and used it as a poker to remove one of the lever door handles in my hotel room. Then used the hole in the handle to give me a definately bending point, and bent the key ring back and forth in the handle until it broke in two pieces. Bent one into a hook, the other into a tension wrench.

Of course, the TSA locks are not exactly an ABLOY, but was pleasantly surprised to find they had a couple of spool pins to make it at least somewhat interesting.

When I get home after work, will take and post a picture of the tools. Kept them because my son wanted me to bring them home when he heard about it on the phone.

Gordon

[lockpickpanda]

how 'bout opening a lock with a bra? is that MacGyver enough for ya?

So many bad jokes come to mind, but I'll restrain myself and just say: this is definitely macgyver style, although it would fit a macgruber sketch even better.

[Dogrocket]

Paperclips make good "trainer" tension wrenches.

Too much tension, and the clip bends - which makes for a terrible pick, but a light hand on the tension wrench.