HeavyHanded, the master no. 3 opens both directions (like all their laminated steel padlocks), and I've found that most of them will open much easier counter-clockwise so you should try try that to start with. Also, you really should get some decent picks or at least score some wiper blade inserts to make some out of. You can file those by hand easily and they make decent picks providing you bulk the handle out a bit. I doubt you've messed your lock up as I have one that's about 10 years old and has been picked countless times using all sorts of stuff... and plenty of newbies have had their hands on it, myself included lol. So yeah, I'm sure it's fine. You just need to practice more, take your time and try to learn the feel of the lock.
You can tension it whatever way you want as there's plenty of room in the keyway, the bitting won't matter although it'd be a good idea to try a hook with longer reach just to be sure. Use a fairly heavy amount of tension and run your pick slowly from back to front, should feel the binding pin easily... then just take your tension down a little so you can shift it into place smoothly. Repeat that for the rest of the pins and you're golden, it does take time to get the feel for it properly but you'll get there. Oh yeah, and when I say run your pick over the pins, I mean gently... so don't go pushing them all the way down, that's another common newbie error. It doesn't work like that.
art118 wrote:Try a Bobby pin it is cheap and if it breaks no big deal picks breaking can be pricy
Way to read the thread, chief. He said he
has been using bobby pins... and at any rate, that's horrible advice to be giving anyone. Bobby pins can be used, sure, but they're so small and fiddly to work with. The feedback is terrible and they're mad uncomfortable, not something you wanna use if you have options. I've made picks outta them before once to open my bedroom door and I would
never want to repeat that - let alone tell a newbie to try it! Seriously, it took me almost 20 minutes to open that thing and I know that lock inside out. Telling someone who's new and doesn't have the feel for picking yet to use bobby pins on a lock they've never managed to open before is the worst advice you could possibly dish out, it's like trying to teach someone evasive driving in a go kart. I don't mean to be a dick but seriously, just stick to asking questions for a while and learn a thing or two before you start giving out advice like you know your stuff.
