Sectioned plug

[Theist17]

What if a plug were sliced into several sections?

The idea is that common tension tools would be useless because, once that portion of the lock has been picked, that section of the lock would rotate freely while the rest of the plug would sit firmly in place. This would, at least, deter a picker who's looking for some quick thrills by breaking into places s/he should not be.

Any suggestions?

[MacGyver101]

If I understand your idea, the main issue I can see is that, unless the various sections of the plug are somehow linked, you would only need to pick the rear-most section (a single pinstack) in order to open the lock.

[FarmerFreak]

I tested this a while ago.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=44569
When giving it to a good lock picker it makes a good practical joke.
Beyond that it's pretty easy to pick open, you just need a longer tension wrench. I'm sure there is room for improvement though.

[Theist17]

Oh, I feel like a perfect fool for not searching this.

I keep trying to think of ways to circumvent that problem, but nothing is coming to mind.

Perhaps a bar which is permanently attached to the back section, and in a groove like a retaining pin might be in a padlock, could remedy this?

[Theist17]

Oh, I feel like a perfect fool for not searching this.

I keep trying to think of ways to circumvent that problem, but nothing is coming to mind.

Perhaps a bar which is permanently attached to the back section, and in a groove like a retaining pin might be in a padlock, could remedy this?

I apologize for the double-post, but the groove would be in the front section of the plug.

[98AB49DC5A]

here's an idea to retain all the annoyance of this design without allowing the back portion of the plug to turn without the front portion. between the front and the back portion of the plug, near the common edges thereof, is a little ball bearing. the ball bearing can sit between the back plug and the case, half inside a hole drilled therein and half in the back plug thus locking those two together, or it can sit between the two plug sections half in the front plug half in the back plug.

if you pick the front half that pushes the ball bearing into a position preventing the back half from being picked and the ball bearing in the back half prevents it from moving without the front half. Again, long tension wrench solves the problem, but it would be an interesting challenge.

[98AB49DC5A]

after thinking about it some more, the aforementioned design would require that the warding in the bottom section of the keyway prevent the ball bearing from coming out through it.

sorry for the double post

[amlwchlocksmiths]

i think the idea is good but with a long tension bar that went all the way to the back it would be easy to over come.

[weerwolf]

Why not make a slot in the rear of the front plug and a tab (or ridge) in the front of the rear plug ? Or vica versa. The slot should be slightly larger than the tab (or ridge). if the rear plug half is picked , the ridge will only rotate a few degrees before its stopped by the edge of the slot. So to pick this , you would need a long tension wrench for the back plug and a shorter one for the front plug. But with a very narrow key profile , that would be very difficult.

[exspook]

FAC a spanish lock already produce these split core locks

they have 11 pins in total, the first five are in one core and the next six are in the second core

the keys are long though

[vov35]

Why not make a slot in the rear of the front plug and a tab (or ridge) in the front of the rear plug ? Or vica versa. The slot should be slightly larger than the tab (or ridge). if the rear plug half is picked , the ridge will only rotate a few degrees before its stopped by the edge of the slot. So to pick this , you would need a long tension wrench for the back plug and a shorter one for the front plug. But with a very narrow key profile , that would be very difficult.

You'd be able to apply tension only to the front core, pick that, and then pick the second core by applying tension to it through the front core..

[weerwolf]

True , but if its a very narrow keyway , the keyway from the front and the rear part of the plug will then be out of alignment. That would make picking the rear section much harder.

[vov35]

True , but if its a very narrow keyway , the keyway from the front and the rear part of the plug will then be out of alignment. That would make picking the rear section much harder.

This only gives you the security of requiring special tools... like a tubular lock pick or a medecoder or a tibbe pick... I mean, you would just have an oddly shaped pick for reaching in there...

[Poff]

It seems that a tension wrench with an extra long tang would turn both pieces unless the bottom of the key way on the rear half was not cut so a tension wrench could not be inserted. The key would then have a notch on the bottom half way down. I'm sure it could be picked but would be more difficult.