Is this going to work?

[Daggers]

I'm trying to start out with lock picking but I dont' know if the reason im not having success if because im using paperclips or if im doing something wrong. Are paperclips able to be used to pick locks? What common object/objects am i able to use if paperclips aren't acceptable?

[Squelchtone]

I'm trying to start out with lock picking but I dont' know if the reason im not having success if because im using paperclips or if im doing something wrong. Are paperclips able to be used to pick locks? What common object/objects am i able to use if paperclips aren't acceptable?

if you have some dinky padlock or file cabinet lock, and you use a decent enough paper clip then sure you can use them, but most of us have real lock picks. Paperclips are the stuff you see in the movies, they are not the ideal tool for picking locks. Also what locks are you trying to pick? a padlock? a deadbolt?

To answer your last question, I recommend searching around the forum or typing your last question into a Google search.

Please put some effort in, we can't spoon feed you all the answers.

Squelchtone

[Daggers]

im trying with a normal house lock inside the house on a door to my room. and also, since im not able to buy a lockpick set at the moment, which type of paperclip should i use? a bigger one or a smaller one? i don't know which is normal sized because there are two most commonly used ones.

[Squelchtone]

im trying with a normal house lock inside the house on a door to my room. and also, since im not able to buy a lockpick set at the moment, which type of paperclip should i use? a bigger one or a smaller one? i don't know which is normal sized because there are two most commonly used ones.

Sorry man, we don't give people advice on picking their house locks or their room doors.. I don't think your parents would want you walking around the house picking locks. Imagine what would happen if you fudge something up and their keys suddenly don't work.. With this hobby comes a lot of responsibility, and we uphold strong standards and ethics when it comes to picking and teaching picking. Too many people want to learn picking so they can show off to their friends, next thing you know you get yourself in trouble at school or with your parents, etc.

Paper clips are the worst thing for picking, seriously, put them down and forget trying to pick with paperclips, you're wasting your time and watching too many movies. The metal is too brittle and will break easily if bent back and fourth. A stainless steel safety pin would be much better than a paperclip, but both are a terrible way to learn how to pick locks.

Squelchtone

[Daggers]

im learning this so that im able to get in the house when im locked out. im just trying on my room door first so i don't have to look like an idiot standing outside my house looking like a burgler lol and my parents also have me do it on my room so it's a cheaper lock to replace just in case. it's also kinda like a hobby for me. im not trying to show off or anything

[Squelchtone]

Install one of these key safes on the door frame between your screen door and front door, this is what I have and its really badass. Made of metal, installs with 2 long screws into the frame, you can change the code any time you want, and it keeps your key secure. Punch in the code, press the button, and it releases the bottom and your key. unlock the door, and put the key back in the bottom and it locks back in by itself.

$33 bucks
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16803006462

Ask for it for xmas, its an awesome thing to have. They may have it or similar GE Access Point keysafe products at Ace Hardware in your area: http://www.sanfordacehardware.com/

This is the smaller version which is a little wider and may need a bigger door frame to mount to.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1297159&kw=accesspoint&origkw=accesspoint&searchId=53835425894

good luck and happy holidays,
Squelchtone

[Daggers]

the main reason i want to know is just as a hobby. and the point about me being locked out of the house was about not spending money to get a spare key. if i get the device then money would be spent on the key and the device! lol not trying to be mean but the key safe defeats the purpose. and like you said about not teaching people to pick locks around their house, im just using that lock to practice on. Im not able to spend money to get a practice lock cuz i don't have money. i think locks are pretty sturdy and won't break as long as i don't do anything stupid with them right?

[Squelchtone]

the main reason i want to know is just as a hobby. and the point about me being locked out of the house was about not spending money to get a spare key. if i get the device then money would be spent on the key and the device! lol not trying to be mean but the key safe defeats the purpose. and like you said about not teaching people to pick locks around their house, im just using that lock to practice on. Im not able to spend money to get a practice lock cuz i don't have money. i think locks are pretty sturdy and won't break as long as i don't do anything stupid with them right?

You dont have money for a spare key that costs $3 at the hardware store but you have high speed internet? cmon now.. I'm sure your folks can buy a spare key to hide outside somewhere.

As for wanting to learn picking just as hobby, go to youtube, lots of learn how to pick locks videos there. If you want to start a new hobby, such as lock picking, you at least need the tools to do it, so unless you can scrape $5 to $25 bucks together and buy some picks or make some from windshield wiper inserts or a hacksaw blade or something, then its pointless to start a hobby if you don't even have the basics.

Have a good night
Squelchtone

[Daggers]

how can i tell if the info on youtube is real? cuz i know there are alot of fake stuff out there such as using a tennis ball to open a car door. but besides the obviously fake stuff, i don't want to waste my time spending weeks trying something only to find out the method i've been trying doesn't actually work

[Solomon]

Squelchy is on the ball with everything he said mate. If you wanna learn how to pick locks you need to buy some cheap locks to practice and learn on, get some proper picks and do a bit of research. Learning to pick your house lock with paperclips so you can get in if you lock yourself out is a very roundabout way of solving a problem that'll come around once in a blue moon... what are you gonna do, carry around some paperclips all the time just in case? Come on. Just keep a spare key in your wallet or hidden somewhere around the outside of the house that isn't an obvious place for anyone to look... makes a lot more sense. You can't honestly expect us to take you seriously if this is about saving a couple of quid on having your key copied. It's like wanting to learn evasive driving incase you have to take a bus some day.

If you wanna pick locks for fun or for the challenge, just say so. We love to help new guys out. But if there's some other reason, we're gonna give you a hard time... and using backwards logic like this only makes our heads hurt from facepalm. If you're worried about getting locked out and that genuinely is the reason you wanna learn picking, unfortunately the amount of time and effort you put into practicing enough that you'll actually be able to do it just won't be worth it. Most people with this kind of reason behind wanting to pick locks just get frustrated with it and give up anyway. Not to mention you'll have to buy a set of picks, which costs a lot more than a spare key, and it's a bad idea to carry them around with you all the time anyway.

Here is what you do:

1. Buy some cheap locks off ebay to practice on.
2. Visit Schuyler's youtube channel, everything you need to know starting out is there. LINK
3. Make some picks out of a real man's metal and not some floppy stationery. Or buy some. You can actually get a set of hooks from dealextreme for $5 including delivery; I have a set and they're surprisingly good. You'll need to make wrenches though cos the wrench supplied with them is rubbish.
4. Have fun. We're here to answer any questions you have.

[Daggers]

yeah, i was just listing getting into my house as one of the reasons. but the main reason is just because i want to do it for the fun of it. and i took a look at the link on this site to lockpickshop.com and i was wondering if the 5 pin cutaway lock (http://www.lockpickshop.com/3PCC.html) is worth the price or if there is a better one that i can buy to be able to see what im doing. not just a normal lock where i have no visibility. and i also took a look at the lock pick set you recommended (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/advanced-9 ... icks-16417) and the ones on lockpickshop.com that cost around $20-$40. im just worried about the quality of the cheaper $5 ones. how long will they last me? sorry for all the questions but I'm a total newbie!

[Squelchtone]

yeah, i was just listing getting into my house as one of the reasons. but the main reason is just because i want to do it for the fun of it. and i took a look at the link on this site to lockpickshop.com and i was wondering if the 5 pin cutaway lock (http://www.lockpickshop.com/3PCC.html) is worth the price or if there is a better one that i can buy to be able to see what im doing. not just a normal lock where i have no visibility. and i also took a look at the lock pick set you recommended (http://www.dealextreme.com/p/advanced-9 ... icks-16417) and the ones on lockpickshop.com that cost around $20-$40. im just worried about the quality of the cheaper $5 ones. how long will they last me? sorry for all the questions but I'm a total newbie!

It's ok, you're asking the same noobie questions everyone does. I know the see through locks seem like the coolest thing ever, and they are cool to look at to see HOW a lock works, they unfortunately will not teach you how to PICK, only how locks operate.

Picking is all about feel, a little bit about hearing, and a lot about creating a mental image of what your pick is doing inside the lock. While picking, close your eyes and pretend you are small enough to walk into the lock, and you are an explorer with your hook pick in hand, walking through this dark cave, with all these big pins over your head, and you have to try to lift them up with your hook pick, and when you press against them, you can feel the springs above them compressing and pushing back at the same time. As you press up on the pins, they move slightly, and when you let go some of them come back down all the way (these are the multiple clicks you'll hear when you suddenly let go of the tension wrench), some do not and you can hear a slight click, and feel it in the feedback of your pick's handle as well. This is when a pin is set at the shearline, (to find out what a shearline is, check out youtube, or Schuyler's videos, it will all be explained)

Those Deal Extreme picks may be $5 but they're good enough for a starter. And if you are too rough with them, and they bend a little or even break, then you wont feel as bad as bending or breaking a $30 dollar set. When I first started I was so rough on the picks and wrenches, I had to get another Southord set within 6 months of my first one. I didnt realize until someone told me that picking is about gently lifting pins and lightly trying to turn the plug, it is not about brute forcing the pins or forcing the cylinder to turn to the point where your tension wrench has a curve to it and your fingers are turning white.

Hope this helps,
Squelchtone

[Daggers]

ok thanks. i was talking to my dad and he wants to get a set too but he's suspicious of anything that's too cheap the concern i had that made me feel as if i needed a see through lock was so that i could do it with sight, and then later feel through it and check myself to see if im doing it right.

[Squelchtone]

ok thanks. i was talking to my dad and he wants to get a set too but he's suspicious of anything that's too cheap the concern i had that made me feel as if i needed a see through lock was so that i could do it with sight, and then later feel through it and check myself to see if im doing it right.

Southern Specialties is a known and trusted lock pick manufacturer. The guy who makes them is very friendly and doesn't charge a lot: http://lockpicksandtools.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=31&category_id=7&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53

That's a good beginner set, and you and your dad can share.

Happy Shopping,
Squelchtone

[Daggers]

thanks again! im looking forward to getting one!